• Christine Longman and Meredith Temple-Smith.
• Victorian Metropolitan Alliance. chrislongman22@gmail.com
• Aust Fam Physician. 2013 Jun 1; 42 (6): 418-21.

BackgroundA commonly used learning activity within The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners accredited teaching practices is general practice registrar (GPR) observation of general practitioner supervisor (GPS) consultations. This study aimed to examine the views of GPRs and GPSs on the benefits and limitations of this teaching method.MethodsIn-depth interviews were conducted with eight GPSs and eight GPRs, exploring their experiences of this teaching method and the outcomes achieved.ResultsGPRs reported benefits in orientation, and greater understanding of patient-doctor relationships. However, lack of planning by GPSs limited the potential for learning as goals were rarely set by either party, and there was a reluctance of GPSs to invite formal feedback. The GPSs expressed enthusiasm about their teaching but described little personal benefit from use of this teaching method.DiscussionWhile this teaching method was beneficial, it would be more valuable with improved planning, increased time for discussion of consultations, and further training of GPSs in session planning.

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