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HILLINGDON 

GP VTS

ABOUT

The MRCGP (Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners) is the licensing exam required to work as a GP in the UK. The curriculum is designed around five core areas of capability, encompassing 13 specific capabilities necessary for practice as a GP. These capabilities are supported by professional, life stage, and clinical topic guides.

The Curriculum and Trainee Portfolio

  • The curriculum structure is based on 5 broad areas of core capability which include within them 13 specific capabilities. Capability means having the knowledge, skills, and abilities for practising as a GP. The actual content that you apply these capabilities to are listed as topic guides. These are divided into professional, life stage, and clinical areas.

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    13 Specific Capabilities:

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    1. Fitness to practise

    2. Maintaining an ethical approach

    3. Communication and consultation

    4. Data gathering and interpretation

    5. Clinical examination and procedural skills

    6. Making decisions

    7. Clinical management

    8. Managing medical complexity

    9. Working with colleagues and in teams

    10. Maintaining performance, learning, and teaching

    11. Organisation, management, and leadership

    12. Practising holistically and promoting health

    13. Community orientation

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    Professional Topic Guides:

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    • Consulting in General Practice 

    • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 

    • Evidence Based Practice, Research and Sharing Knowledge  

    • Improving Quality, Safety and Prescribing  

    • Leadership and Management  

    • Urgent and Unscheduled Care 

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    Life stages Topic Guides:

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    • Children and Young People 

    • People with Long-Term Conditions including Cancer  

    • Maternity and Reproductive Health 

    • Older Adults 

    • End of Life

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    Clinical Topic Guides:

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    • Allergy and Immunology 

    • Cardiovascular Health 

    • Dermatology 

    • Gynaecology and Breast 

    • Haematology  

    • Infectious Disease and Travel Health 

    • Kidney and Urology 

    • Mental Health 

    • Sexual Health 

    • Smoking, Alcohol and Substance Misuse 

     

    Further information on the curriculum

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  • Training is covered through a combination of half-day release teaching, supplementary courses, supervisor tutorials, and self-directed learning. The half-day release sessions are designed to be comprehensive, ensuring all areas are covered every three years.

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    You can recognise what to learn by:

    • Learning needs assessment with your trainer e.g. Wolverhampton grid questionnaire.

    • Doing practice questions for AKT.

    • Reflecting on cases helps identify what you will see in practice and any gaps to fill.

    • AKT examiners reports (see RCGP website).

    • Feedback, which may be from informal comments or formal WPBAs.

    • Attending the half-day release teaching and discussing with your peers.

  • You will need to show evidence of covering the curriculum through:

    • The Trainee Portfolio (including Workplace based assessment, Learning logs, and Supervisor Reports)

    • Summative assessments (including AKT, SCA)

  • The Trainee Portfolio is where the evidence is recorded of your learning in all its forms and settings.

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    Upon accepting a training offer, you must register with the RCGP as an Associate in Training (AiT). This registration gives access to the Trainee Portfolio on the FourteenFish platform. There are many guides and videos on FourteenFish on how to use the portfolio.

     

    RCGP information on the Trainee Portfolio

    FourteenFish information on the Trainee Portfolio

     

    The Trainee Portfolio includes:

    • Workplace based assessment (WPBA)

    • Learning logs 

    • Clinical Supervisors Report (CSR) and Educational Supervisors Review (ESR)

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    You will also need evidence of certain things within the portfolio every year, such as Clinical Case Review, Safeguarding Children and Safeguarding Adults training and CPR AED training.  Please see the RCGP website and the portfolio for the latest requirements which can change from time to time.

    Further information on current WPBA requirements

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    When you add a learning log, you should link it to a capability. In preparation for each interim or full ESR, you should self-rate each of the 13 Capabilities and choose 3 or more of your best and most relevant entries to show evidence for each capability. This shows to the ACRP panel how you have covered the curriculum.

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  • The Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) is a knowledge exam with MCQs. You sit it at over 150 Pearson VUE professional testing centres across the UK. The AKT can be taken from your ST2 year onwards. 

     

    The Simulated Consultation Assessment (SCA) is an assessment of twelve simulated consultations, each lasting twelve minutes. It is conducted online remotely at your GP surgery. The SCA can be taken in your ST3 year. 

     

    You should discuss with your ES when is the best time for you to do exams. You are expected to attempt exams before your expected CCT, so plan ahead and do not leave this too late. The AKT is available three times a year (usually January, April and October). The SCA is available several times a year. There are booking windows and you apply on the RCGP website.

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    Further information on the AKT

    Further information on SCA

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