6000+ aspiring medics register for online alternative to work experience

In April the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) launched a free online interactive video platform – Observe GP – to allow aspiring medics, aged 16 and over, who live in the UK, to gain insights into medicine from home, when no work experience is currently possible.

The platform has been created to provide an alternative to clinical work experience which is notoriously difficult to obtain without networks and family contacts. It also overcomes the issues aspiring medics living in rural and remote areas can face in gaining relevant experiences.

The Medical Schools Council along with a number of medical schools are supporting the platform as an element of relevant experience when applying to medical school.

The RCGP is spearheading the message – work experience is one way applicants can gain insight into medicine but there are other relevant experiences and Observe GP is one of them.

The platform, in many ways, goes further than a work experience placement can – the videos allow viewers to watch consultations in split-screen, witnessing the body language of both the patient and clinician face on. Key terminology and activities appear on screen to reinforce learning and prompt reflection.

The RCGP Schools Outreach team explained their motivations:

“The platform is for all 20,000+ applicants to medicine each year. With 90% of care in the NHS being undertaken in general practice, we feel it is imperative that all aspiring medics develop their understanding of the realities of medicine routed in knowledge of primary care.”

The videos include a variety of patients and conditions and allow the viewer to meet many of the general practice team including the Practice Manager, Receptionist, GP Trainee, Pharmacist, several GPs and an Advanced Nurse Practitioner. Themes of the videos include long term condition management, self-care, communication, and person-centred care.

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The RCGP is a network of more than 53,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. The College exists to represent and support its members throughout their careers while also inspiring tomorrow’s GP’s.