Trainee information
Prof Nitin Gambhir
Director of GP Education
Welcome to the information pages GP training in Scotland. We hope you will find this useful and relevant. We have four regions noted in the map below, each is unique and has a character of its own. Within each region there are a variety of different programmes providing a great training and educational environment, (programme descriptor information can be found by clicking on the map below). The range of training experiences is vast ranging from working in remote and rural or city centre practices, from affluent practices to the full range of deprived patient population practices, giving experience in many of the social and healthcare problems that arise from this. Hospital placements also vary based in both teaching, district and rural general hospitals and provide a wealth of clinical experience relevant to your future career in primary care.
Approaches to provision of educational programmes to support your need to meet the curriculum are influenced by Scotland's geography with a strategy that maximises the benefits of a variety of delivery methods including short courses, day and half day sessions, videoconferencing and e-Learning. We work hard to get the balance right between the use of technology and face-to-face contact to support your educational progress.
We have dedicated teams of Training Programme Directors and Associate Advisers, whose responsibility it is to provide training, education and support for trainees, their trainers and their supervisors and to monitor the quality of the training programmes . We have a wonderful and highly committed group of GP Trainers that provide the Educational Supervision role throughout your training. You will be supported throughout your training also by enthusiastic and skilled administrative staff throughout Scotland in the different regional offices.
Overall Scotland rates well in terms of success in the MRCGP examination and remains highly rated in recent GMC surveys of trainees. There is no doubt that Scotland offers a huge range of choice. Many of those who have trained in the Scotland chose to live and work in their region after training.
Please use the pages within the GP Specialty web area to explore all that we have to offer in Scotland.
To find out more about applying for GP training in Scotland please visit the Scottish Medical Training website.
For information about each of the regions in Scotland please click the link below, which will take you to the SMT page for each region.
For descriptors of East of Scotland GP training for recruitment purposes please see the SCOTMT website
For descriptors of North GP training for recruitment purposes please see the SCOTMT website
Please see our GP training blog
The ST1 educational release programme is delivered using a combination of sessions on set clinical topics and sessions relating to the five areas of capability on which the UK-wide GP curriculum is based. These will take place in Westport. You will also experience self-directed small group learning (PBSGL), usually held in your programme groups – these may take place outside of Westport depending on local arrangements. (Link to ST1 ERP)
In ST1 and ST2 hospital placements the educational opportunities aim to maintain a GP focus and to explore the hospital/GP interface in all its facets. A number of specifically designed courses are available throughout your hospital placements at a time, you in consultation with your educational supervisor, feel is most appropriate for your learning needs. (Link to HBGL information)
ST3 educational opportunities are widely varied in their format. Over the course of these sessions, the groups aim to cover all of the curriculum education themes. They are not designed to plug knowledge gaps but to integrate knowledge and encourage trainees to apply this appropriately within the workplace as well as, to build on the platform of knowledge and skills gained in earlier years of GP training.
The ST3 Educational Release Programme (ERP) includes 12 facilitated small group sessions and 3 self-facilitated PBSGL sessions in 5 programme groups (Borders, Fife, West Lothian, Edinburgh East and Edinburgh Central). In addition, there are 2 large group facilitated sessions, in which all trainees meet. Other educational opportunities include Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) study day, a Formative CSA session, a Careers Day, and optional courses: Dr as a Teacher; Occupational Health; or further optional PBSGL and access to a number of other courses if not accessed in earlier years.
In this ‘multi arena’ approach, small group work is fundamental, although from time-to-time all of the small groups in SE Scotland will gather for some of the essential educational components, e.g. the CSA day and the Careers Day. – In each session, whether in the small-group or the plenary format, groups aim to provide an opportunity to cover the educational themes (Areas of Capability) inherent in the RCGP curriculum. Courses delivered are designed to supplement learning occurring in the workplace.
For descriptors for recruitment purposes please see the SCOTMT website
For West of Scotland Gp training descriptors for recruitment purposes please see the SCOTMT website
This page was last updated on: 01.09.2023 at 13.32
