Welcome to the exciting world of General Practice (GP) in the UK! If you're considering embarking on this rewarding career path, you're in for a journey filled with professional growth and meaningful contributions to healthcare. While it might seem a bit overwhelming at first, fear not! This comprehensive guide is here to walk you through everything you need to know about starting your GP training in the UK, from understanding the basics of general practice to landing that coveted training placement.

Basics of General Practice

In the UK, General Practitioners (GPs) serve as primary care physicians who tackle a wide range of medical needs. From diagnosing common illnesses to managing chronic conditions, GPs play a crucial role in keeping communities healthy. Many say it offers a fantastic work-life balance – Explore what a typical day looks like for a GP in the UK

Requirements for Training

Before diving into GP training, there are a few boxes you'll need to check:

• Hold a basic medical qualification such as MBBS.
• Be eligible to work in the UK
• Obtain full registration with the General Medical Council (GMC).
• Accumulate 12 months of post-registration medical experience, along with evidence like a Certificate of Readiness to Enter Specialty Training (CREST).

The Recruitment Process

GP training recruitment happens twice a year, following a timeline that goes a little something like this:

Round 1: Applications open in October, with assessments in January and job offers in March. Training kicks off in August.

Round 2: Applications open in July, assessments in September, job offers in October, and training starts in February.

Application Process

Now, let's talk about navigating the application process itself:

Stage 1: Apply through ORIEL

All applications are made electronically using Oriel recruitment portal before the deadline. When filling out the GP application form, they require you to provide basic information about yourself and your work history. Once you hit submit, you can't change anything except your contact and referee details. So, make sure your application is complete before sending it in. Remember to follow the guidelines (this is self-explanatory) and fill out all sections of the application form, including your work history. Incomplete applications won't be considered.

Stage 2: MSRA exam

The Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA) is a computer-based assessment that evaluates key skills outlined in the Person Specification through clinical scenerios.- see a guide to passing the MSRA exam here.

Stage 3: Ranking and preferencing

After you've been shortlisted, you'll get an email inviting you to log in to your Oriel account and set your preferences. When you log in, you'll see all the regions you're being considered for, and you'll have two sections to organize them: "preferences" (on the right side of your screen) and "not wanted" (on the left side of your screen)- all available programs/regions are initially listed on the not wanted side.

Preferences:

You should move all the posts you're interested in into this section. Make sure to rank them in order of preference, with your top choice at Number 1, followed by the next most preferred at Number 2, and so on. I suggest you still preference posts listed with 0 vacancies if you would like to work in this regions, because these posts may become available at a later date

If you receive an offer, it will only be for posts you've included in this section and you'll be offered the highest-ranked post available.

Not wanted:

Initially, all posts are placed in the not wanted section. If there are any posts you're not interested in, leave them here. Remember, if you don't set any preferences, you won't receive any offers.

Timing for selecting preferences: The timing can vary, but typically it begins around the time of the interview/MSRA and must be completed before offers can be made, usually before the first offers deadline. Preferences are usually open for at least a week to give you time to decide. If you're not initially offered a post, there will be opportunities during the offering period to reconsider your preferences. You'll receive an email when preferences are available for revision.

Stage 4: Offers

Once you are offered a post you'll get an email to inform you with instructions on how to respond and the deadline for your decision. All offers will be displayed in the "Offers" tab of your Oriel dashboard. You can only respond to offers only through this tab (not a response to the email, this will not count). You'll have 48 hours from when the offer is made to respond to it, whether you want to accept, reject, or hold the offer. If you don't respond within this time frame, the offer will be withdrawn, and your application will be considered withdrawn as well, meaning you won't receive any further offers. If you want to hold a post offer, you still need to respond within 48 hours to indicate your wish to hold( this does not include weekends and bank holidays)

Confirming your Response: When you confirm your decision on Oriel, you'll go through a two-step process: first, to select the option, and then to confirm it. If you don't complete both stages, your decision won't be registered. So be sure to confirm your decision.

Upgrades: If you accept or hold an offer, you'll have the option to be considered for upgrades. This means if a higher-ranked preference becomes available later on, your offer will be automatically upgraded to that preference. This allows you to adjust your preferences if your circumstances change.

For instance, let's say your ranking looks like this:

1. London
2. Birmingham
3. Nottingham
4. Liverpool

If you receive an offer for Liverpool during the first offer stage and you accept or hold the offer while opting in for upgrades, it means that if a spot opens up in Birmingham later on, you can be upgraded to Birmingham, which is your second choice. Also, you can adjust your preferences at any time before the deadline. This means you can make Birmingham your top choice if you prefer. Simply put, if you opt in for an upgrade, you can be bumped up your list when spaces become available during the process. So, rank the places you really want to work regardless of how competitive you think these places may be. Note that if you do not opt in for upgrade then you will not be considered for an upgrade.

Congratulations! Securing a training placement in General Practice in the UK is a significant accomplishment that marks the beginning of an exciting career journey. Whether you're just starting or you're well on your way, know that you're embarking on a path filled with endless opportunities to make a difference in people's lives. Here's to the beginning of your journey as a GP trainee in the UK – cheers to what lies ahead!