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Background: A list of procedural skills is an important component of a curriculum for general practice vocational training. This study aimed to establish an up-to-date list of core procedural skills that doctors undergoing general practice vocational training should be taught., Method: A Delphi process was used to rank the importance of 185 general practice procedures. In 2009, 31 general practitioners took part in a two round Delphi process. A 4-point Likert scale was used to rate the importance of each procedure in vocational training., Results: Mean rating scores for all the procedural items listed were determined, and a core list of 112 procedures was agreed on the basis of the relative importance of procedures determined by the Delphi participants., Discussion: The ranked list of clinical procedures provides a resource to form the basis of a procedures training curriculum which can be adapted to different general practice training contexts.

Background: Australian general practice training was regionalised in 2002 to better meet the specific health care needs of local communities. As a result, 22 unique regions were established, each containing a variety of training practices and learning contexts. The core learning opportunities in distinct learning contexts have not been well explored., Methods: The research group identified criteria for delineating learning contexts and applied them to the training practices in the Northern Territory. Using focus groups of general practice registrars, we identified the learning opportunities available in each context., Results: Context criteria were identified as: model of health service organisation and delivery; rurality; and community demography. Four distinct contexts were identified: mainstream general practice; regional hospital; Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS); and Aboriginal community clinic. Each learning context demonstrated both strengths and deficiencies, and also provided unique learning opportunities., Discussion: Benefits in defining the learning contexts and opportunities within a general practice training region apply to registrars, trainers, providers, policy makers and standard setters. Context definition provides a valuable tool for more targeted and effective training, contributes to curriculum development and facilitates a more responsive and appropriate education program. We encourage adaptation of this model to other regions.

Background: The general practice trainer is recognised by The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (the RACGP) as the most important element of Australian general practice training. The college has recently introduced new standards for trainers to ensure high quality general practice training., Objective: This paper describes the various roles and responsibilities of the general practice trainer, and highlights the potential conflicts contained within them., Discussion: The role of the general practice trainer is complex, challenging and diverse. It comprises separate--though interconnected--core roles of mentor, role model, clinical educator, assessor and pastoral carer. The balance of the various roles depends on the individual circumstances of the trainer-registrar relationship, and at times is potentially conflicting. Greater definition and consideration of the various facets of the role may lead to greater sustainability, satisfaction and reward for the trainer, and enhanced learning for the registrar.