"Really enjoyed being able to talk to real patients. Learnt more about medical conditions that I didn’t know much about before. Gained valuable feedback. Improved my communication skills. Learnt more about what it’s like to work in a GP practice."
"Gives us an opportunity to talk to actual patients and find out their experience. Helpful as we need to take a holistic approach to treating patients instead of focusing on the illness."
- M5 Year 1 Students
"I had a great time. It really changed my view of becoming a GP which was something I'd never thought I'd consider. It was really useful to talk to the GP herself about being a GP, the things it involves and get some honest answers. The patients were lovely and the discussions with the GP afterwards were incredibly useful and really tested our own knowledge. The reflective assignment I enjoyed actually because it got me thinking about aspects of healthcare that I hadn't previously e.g. what the patient understands about healthcare and what I could do to help them access it etc. These placements really challenged my assumptions not only clinically but socially too."
"In depth conversations with patients allowing for a real deeper understanding of the patient journey. Understanding the difficulties faced in primary care. Understanding the complex and long-standing patient - GP relationships."
- M5 Year 2 Students
Welcome to the MBBS Early Years General Practice Placements
Dr Adrian Brown, Early Years GP Academic Lead
In the Early Years GP attachments, students seek to understand a patient's perspective of medical conditions and see the importance of holistic care: how psychological and social considerations are important for patient wellbeing. Students reflect on the importance of the GP and primary healthcare team in managing complex conditions and multimorbidity.
For Years 1 and 2 of MBBS 5, students see patients with long-term medical conditions and multimorbidity recruited by the GP especially for teaching. Students develop their communication skills by interviewing the patients and receiving structured feedback from the GP tutor, followed by a tutorial to reinforce their learning. In Year 2, students follow up on a patient's healthcare encounters across the attachment and reflect on the patient's experiences. In MBBS 4 Yr 1, students interview patients relevant to their PBL week. They also receive feedback from the GP tutor, followed by a tutorial and case-based learning.