Understanding the RCGP Curriculum

During 2007-08, the RCGP has been gathering feedback from GP trainers on the Curriculum for Specialty Training for General Practice.  As a result of this, and an evaluation carried out by the University of Birmingham, the College is aware that some trainers find that the size and scope of the curriculum is daunting for them and for their trainees. This explanatory note is intended to explain the steps that the College is taking to assist GP trainers who are working with the curriculum.

The RCGP curriculum is a wide-ranging educational document which describes the competences needed to be a general practitioner in the UK.  The curriculum addresses all sections of Good Medical Practice and is structured around six domains of core competence and three essential application features.

The curriculum is made up of 32 statements.  However, the nature and purpose of these statements are not all the same.

The first statement, also known as the core statement, is entitled Being a General Practitioner.  The introduction to Being a General Practitioner explains that this statement ‘defines the learning outcomes for the discipline of general practice and describes the skills required to practise medicine as a general practitioner in the NHS’. Download the core statement

Being a General Practitioner is applicable to all aspects of general practice and should be regarded as being the core curriculum.

The other 31 statements that make up the complete curriculum are described as interpretive statements.  These interpret the domains and essential features of general practice, as described in the core statement, in relation to a wide range of different professional and clinical situations.  The interpretive statements are intended to provide helpful, and complementary, additional information, but should not be regarded as the core curriculum.

We hope that you will find it helpful to use the core statement as the curriculum when planning and delivering education to your trainees, and to refer to the interpretive statements for additional detail and guidance as needed.

The RCGP has developed a range of educational resources to help trainers and trainees to understand and use the curriculum in day-to-day training. Details of these resources are included in the box below.

Download pdf version of this statement