The Registrar's Year

The Registrar Year

There is protected time for tutorials with your trainer or another partner in the practice for three hours a week. It is usual to plan your learning with your trainer at the beginning of the year. This will include a timetable for summative assessment and for MRCGP if you are to take the exam during the year. You may wish to attend outpatient clinics in ENT, Dermatology, Diabetes, Ophthalmology, GUM or Rheumatology, the scheme has formal arrangements with these specialities. You may involve other members of the primary care team, practice managers, district nurses and health visitors in your learning needs.

You will be expected to do an audit or a research project. Your trainer will support you with this. Audit projects will be presented at the half-day release during a spring term session.

Out of hours work is an essential part of your training. Most practices are involved with the Hackney GP co-op and there are guidelines regarding supervision if you work in the co-op. No-one works between 11 pm and 7 am.

The Practice Manager will help you with claiming all expenses such as defence subscriptions, car allowance, Telephone expenses, removal expenses, sickness and maternity pay (if appropriate).

Doing the Registrar year in one block allows for the development of relationships with patients and fosters an understanding of the continuity of primary care. You will get to know your trainer so that they will able to support you.

The Registrar's View

Securing a place on the Homerton General Practice Vocational Training Scheme has allowed me to fulfil both my immediate career and my personal needs.

Being part of the scheme has guaranteed employment for three years. Having been to Medical School and worked in House Officer jobs in different locations this has enabled me to develop roots and good friendships in the area.

The Homerton Scheme is based within Hackney, a multi-social and ethnically diverse area. This has helped me to identify different health and social needs within different communities. I'd like to think this has made me a better doctor. Maybe because of these issues doctors attracted to working in primary care within Hackney tend to have a broader, less restrictive outlook to those that I have encountered previously. This has suited my personality and how I like to work.

Being part of the scheme has enabled me to attend the local weekly study half-day. Over the years this has provided an interesting and lively complement to hands-on clinical work as well as a social and supportive environment.