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The Vital Contribution of General Practice to Undergraduate Medical Education

It was a great pleasure to welcome GPs from across the UK to Imperial College’s Annual GP Teachers Conference today. General practice has a key  role in the medical curriculum. It is where students see patients as individuals living with health conditions. 

Primary care provides opportunities to learn about areas such as prevention and health promotion, the early diagnosis of illness, continuity of care, and the management of frailty and multimorbidity. These are increasingly important aspects of healthcare as populations globally age and the burden of long-term conditions increases.

Students also gain insight into the wider determinants of health and the importance of working with patients, families and multidisciplinary teams to deliver person-centred care. These experiences are essential in preparing future doctors for the realities of modern clinical practice, whatever specialty they ultimately choose.

This teaching takes place against the backdrop of a very challenging environment for primary care in the NHS. General practice is facing increasing demand, workforce pressures, rising complexity of care, and constrained resources. The fact that practices continue to support medical education despite these pressures is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of GP teachers and their teams. We are deeply grateful for your ongoing commitment.

The quality of medical education at Imperial depends on partnerships with practices and clinicians. By teaching our students, you are not only shaping the next generation of doctors but also helping to ensure that the values of holistic, patient-centred and community-based care remain at the heart of medicine.

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