Glossary of GP training & assessment terms

 

This glossary is intended to be a quick guide to the terms and acronyms which are commonly used in GP training and assessment. More details can usually be found by following the links.

 

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

 

Term

Explanation

Useful Links

ACO

Association of Course Organisers

ACO

Advisor/Associate Director/AD/Associate

Postgraduate Dean

Senior GP educationalists working under the Director and supervising other GP educators.

 

AKT

Applied Knowledge Test: a summative assessment of the knowledge base that underpins independent general practice within the United Kingdom. 

RCGP/AKT

Attachment

The specific post within an educational programme.

 

BJGP

British Journal of General Practice: published by the RCGP (Royal College of General Practitioners) and a major source for clinical updating.

RCGP/BJGP

Blueprint

Matrix mapping the curriculum competence areas against the curriculum statements and the assessments.

 

CbD

Case-based Discussion: forms part of workplace based assessment.

RCGP/CbD

 

CCT

Certificate of Completion of Training

PMETB/CCT

CEGPR - Article 11

Certificate confirming Eligibility for General Practice Registration

PMETB Article 11

CESR – Article 14

Certificate confirming Eligibility for Specialist Registration

PMETB Article 14

CHS

Child Health Surveillance

 

Clinical Supervisor

The clinical educator responsible for teaching and supervising the GPStR in training in the individual attachment. This may be a hospital clinical supervisor when the GPStR is in a hospital attachment and a GP trainer when in General Practice.

 

CME

Continuing Medical Education

 

CNST

Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts

CNST

CO

Course Organiser: now renamed Programme Director in many deaneries.

 

COGPED

Committee of General Practice Educators

COGPED

COPMeD

Conference of Postgraduate Medical Deans

COPMeD

COT

Consultation Observation Tool: an assessment of consultation skills using either observation of consultations or video.

RCGP/COT

CPD

Continuing Professional Development

 

CSA

Clinical Skills Assessment: an assessment of a doctor's ability to integrate and apply appropriate clinical, professional, communication and practical skills in general practice.

RCGP/CSA

CSR

Clinical Supervisors Report

 

Curriculum

A statement of the intended aims and objectives, content, experiences, outcomes and processes of a programme, including a description of the structure and expected methods of learning, teaching, feedback and supervision. The curriculum should set out what knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours the learner will achieve.

 

DCH

Diploma in Child Health

 

Deanery

The regional unit of postgraduate medical education delivery, supervised by a Postgraduate Dean.

 

DEN

Doctors Educational Need

 

DH/DOH

Department of Health (separate department for each UK country).

England

Scotland

Wales

Northern Ireland

DOPS

Direct Observation of Procedural Skills

 

DPGPE

Director of Postgraduate General Practice Education (may be called the GP Dean). The senior doctor responsible for all postgraduate GP education and training in a deanery.

 

DRCOG

Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

 

Educational Programme

See Training Programme

 

Educational Contract

The contract given to a GPStR at the start of a training post which explains what particular educational training and experience the post should give to the trainee.

 

Educational Supervisor

The clinical educator responsible for making sure a GPStR receives appropriate training and experience, and their progress through the full three year training programme.

 

EURACT

European Academy of Teachers in General Practice

EURACT

ePortfolio

An electronic record of specialty training, updated and accessible through the internet. It records details of achievement in the AKT and CSA and documents all stages of training, records evidence of WPBA reviews with educational supervisors and the subsequent development as a General Practitioner.

RCGP/ePortfolio

Equivalent Experience

GP training not undertaken to the format and content defined by legislation: ceased to exist in Sept 2005 when PMETB became the competent authority.

 

Formative Assessment

The process of individual review of a GP Registrar's educational and training needs at the commencement and during training, so that the training addresses the issues necessary to achieve a CCT.

 

F1 –F2

Foundation year 1 (F1) and Foundation year 2 (F2) make up the two-year Foundation Programme which all UK medical graduates are required to undertake before progressing to specialty or GP training.

UK Foundation Programme

FP

Family Planning

Family Planning Association

GMC

General Medical Council

GMC

GMP

Good Medical Practice

GMC/GMP

Gold Guide

A guide for deaneries to all aspects of specialty training. Will replace the previous orange and green guides.

 

GPEC

General Practice Education Committee – a deanery committee that manages GP education and has representation from all levels of GP educator and trainee.

 

GPStR

 

General Practice Specialty Registrar - junior doctor in any one of three years of specialty training for general practice.

 

IMG

International Medical Graduate

 

ITP

Integrated / Innovative training post: more and more GPs are training in these non standard and very relevant posts which are generally based in general practice with day release to outpatient clinics and community medicine.

 

JCPTGP

Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training in General Practice. PMETB took over the functions of the JCPTGP on 30 September 2005.

 

MADEL

Medical and Dental Education Levy – funding held by DPGPEs to pay for GP training.

 

Mini-Cex

Mini-Clinical Evaluation eXercise is a 15 minute snapshot of doctor/patient interaction. It is designed to assess the clinical skills attitudes and behaviours of trainees.

RCGP/Mini-CEX

MMC

Modernising Medical Careers

MMC

MCQ

Multiple Choice Question

 

MTAS

Medical Training Application Service

MTAS

MS

Minor Surgery

 

MSF

Multi-Source Feedback

 

NACT

National Association of Clinical Tutors

NACT

NHS

National Health Service (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland)

England

Scotland

Wales

Northern Ireland 

NHS Appraisal

A yearly one to one conversation between a doctor and a nominated appraiser, which encourages continuing personal and professional development over the coming year, which helps in the formation of a personal development plan.

 

NHSE

National Health Service Executive (England)

 

nMRCGP

The new assessment system for UK trained doctors wishing to obtain a CCT (Certificate of Completion of Training) in General Practice.  Satisfactory completion of the scheme will allow entrance to the General Medical Council's GP Register and confer eligibility for membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP). It has three components, AKT, CSA and WPBA.

 

NOSA

National Office for Summative Assessment

NOSA

NPSA

National Patient Safety Agency

NPSA

PCO

Primary Care Organisation: the body administering GP services in a particular locality, and purchasing secondary care. In England they are Trusts, different titles in Scotland Wales and NI.

 

PEP/PLP

Personal Education Plan/Personal Learning Plan: the programme of personal training and education for a particular GP Registrar in a practice, based on the educational needs identified by formative assessment.

 

PGMDE

Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education

 

PHCT

Primary Health Care Team: usually the core group of health professionals (doctors, health visitors, district nurses, midwives etc) in a particular practice.

 

PLAB

The Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board. Most medical graduates from outside the EU must take the PLAB test before they can be granted registration. Some overseas doctors are exempt from this test. The PLAB is administered by the GMC.

GMC/PLAB

PMETB

Postgraduate Medical Education Training Board

PMETB

PMQ

Primary Medical Qualification

 

Postgraduate Dean

The senior doctor responsible for all postgraduate medical education and training in hospital and general practice in a particular deanery.

 

Prescribed Experience

GP training undertaken according to a format and content defined by legislation.

 

Programme Director

That person responsible for designing and maintaining fit-for-purpose educational experiences for trainees within a specific geographical area of a deanery (VTS).

 

PSQ

Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire

 

PUN

Patient Unmet Need

 

RITA

Record of In-Training Assessment: the record of the process of annual assessment managed by the Postgraduate Deans. This is being replaced by an ePortfolio for GP Specialty Registrars.

 

Scheme

All GP training provided by a deanery

 

School

Organisations, including medical schools, the local deanery, trusts (acute, mental health and PCOs) and others (e.g. hospices) that offer doctors training in a range of different settings and clinical environments. GP Schools exist in some English deaneries but these structures are undergoing change.

 

ST1,2,3

Specialty Training year 1, 2, 3

 

STC

Specialist Training Committee. A committee of the postgraduate dean which has delegated to it many of the dean's duties in the specialty in question.

 

Summative Assessment

The combination of examination and assessment processes that examine a GP Registrar's suitability to carry out independent practice at the end of the Vocational Training period. This is being phased out and will be replaced with nMRCGP.

NOSA

Trainee

A registered doctor in specialty training

 

Trainer

A GP who has undergone a training and selection process for teaching and has been appointed by the deanery.

 

Training Programme

The training experience of an individual trainee

 

UKCEA

UK Conference of Postgraduate Education Advisors in General Practice

UKCEA

VTR1

Statement of satisfactory completion of a period of training as a GP Registrar; currently being phased out and replaced by the ePortfolio for recording workplace based assessment.

 

VTR2

Statement of satisfactory completion of a period of training in an educationally approved post.

 

VTS

Vocational Training Scheme: it is likely that each Deanery will have several Vocational Training Schemes that together make up the Deanery Scheme

 

WONCA

World Organisation of Family Doctors

Wonca

WONCA/Europe

WPBA

Work Place Based Assessment : one of the three components of the nMRCGP.

RCGP/WPBA

WTE

Whole Time Equivalent: amount of training required by a doctor who is training flexibly. It is the equivalent of what is required if working full time.