GPEP 1
General Practice Education Programme Stage 1
The Royal New Zealand College General Pracitioners provides education and training programmes to enable doctors to gain skills, knowledge and ability to practice safely as a general practitioner in New Zealand. Each year the College tests those skills with the primary membership examination (Primex) and the Fellowship Assessment.
Training options
Funded Registrar Positions Funded registrars receive a training bursary funded by the Clinical Training Agency. They undertake supervised GP training in accredited teaching practices, receive one-with-one teaching and attend day release seminars. Included is:
- Fully supervised patient consultations and feedback sessions
- Case by case discussions
- Supervision during after hours work
- Regular assessment from the regional directors who visit each registrar at least once every five-month practice attachment.
Seminar-only Programme - This option has been withdrawn effective from 2009
A seminar-only programme (where registrars found their own general practice work and self-funded to attend the seminars which form part of the registrar programme) was previously an option because demand for registrar positions exceeded the number of Clinical Training Agency (CTA) funded places available. However, the number of CTA funded places has increased. Moreover, for some time there has been a desire to improve the educational experience for seminar attenders, who are consistently the least successful group in passing Primex. For these reasons, the Board of Education has determined that the seminar-only programme will be withdrawn with effect from the 2009 training year.
There is still an opportunity for potential applicants who do not meet the entry criteria for CTA funded positions to be sponsored into a registrar position by DHBs/PHOs/practices. Sponsored registrars receive the same level of educational support as CTA funded registrars.