Educational CPD: how UK GP trainers develop themselves as teachers

Figures & data

Table

Practice points
•GP trainers thought that educational CPD was very important to their development as medical educators.
•GP partners understood the need for trainers to undertake educational CPD.
•Getting protected time for educational CPD was difficult, and was perceived more so by female trainers and by urban general practitioners.
•Female trainers valued the credibility of university educational qualifications more than male trainers.

Table 1.  Location of training practice

Urban	89 (24.7%)
Suburban	81 (22.5%)
Rural	40 (11.1%)
Mixed	80 (22.2%)
Non-responders to this question	70 (19.4%)
Total	360 (100%)

Table 2.  Other Educational Roles of trainers

Educational Role	Frequency
GP tutor	16
Course organizer for vocational training scheme	27
GP tutor for primary care organization	15
Deanery Associate director	4
Deanery programme director	12
Undergraduate tutor	89
GP appraiser	74
Lecturer or senior lecturer	24
Other	44

Table 3.  Amount of time desired for Educational CPD

Amount of time desired for educational CPD (%)
Less than an hour a month	5 (1.4)
An hour every month	51 (14.2)
An hour a week	166 (46.1)
2–4 hours/week	110 (30.6)
5–10 hours/week	13 (3.6)
Total responders to this question	345 (95.8)
Non-responders	15 (4.2)
Total	360 (100)

Table 4.  comparison of educational activities that were currently undertaken with those that would be considered if adequate time were available

Educational activity	Actually undertaken (%)	Would be undertaken, given sufficient protected time (%)
Trainers workshop	296 (82.2)	223 (61.6)
Personal Reading	170 (47.2)	250 (69.1)
Using videos of own teaching	60 (16.7)	155 (42.8)
Meeting with other GP trainers	147 (40.8)	197 (54.4)
University-accredited courses	63 (17.5)	157 (43.4)
Courses organized by the Deanery	158 (43.9)	182 (50.3)
Distance learning	27 (7.5)	124 (34.3)
Anything else	26 (7.2)	11 (3)
Total	360 (100)	360 (100)

Table 5.  Ability to take time for educational CPD by gender of trainer

	CPD time	No CPD time	Total
Male	132 (48.4%)	116 (46.8%)	248
Female	40 (39.6%)	61 (60.4%)	101
Total	172	177	349

Table 6.  Time desired for educational CPD for those with and without other educational roles

			Other educational role
			Yes	No
Time desired for educational CPD	Less than 1hr/month	Count	3	2
		Expected count	3.0	2.0
	1 hr/month	Count	19	32
		Expected count	30.2	20.8
	1 hr/week	Count	102	64
		Expected count	98.4	67.6
	2–4 hrs/week	Count	70	41
		Expected count	65.8	45.2
	5–10 hrs/week	Count	11	2
		Expected count	7.7	5.3

Table 7.  Likert responses

	SD	D	Sl D	Sl A	A	SA	Total	Mode
I have no difficulty in getting time for educational CPD in my practice	32	110	84	57	40	24	347	2
Educational CPD is important to GP trainers	4	5	6	27	150	153	346	6
All GP trainers should do a Cert Med Ed	74	94	74	70	26	13	351	2
The MRCGP is not important to being a GP Trainer	99	107	45	36	41	25	353	2
Good trainers are born, not made	44	115	75	86	26	7	353	2
My partners do not understand my need for CPD	71	122	65	51	30	11	350	2
A Cert Med Ed is a more relevant qualification than the MRCGP for GP Trainers	29	74	78	82	43	15	321	4
Protected time for Educational CPD should be in addition to study leave	7	17	20	62	141	105	352	5

SD = Strongly disagree (1); D = Disagree (2); Sl D = Slightly disagree (3); Sl A = Slightly agree (4); A = Agree (5); SA = Strongly agree (6).

Table 8.  Likert responses according to gender of trainer

	Gender	Mean rank	p value
I have no difficulty in getting time for educational CPD in my practice	Male	178.62	0.168
	Female	162.74
Educational CPD is important to GP trainers	Male	173.08	0.896
	Female	174.49
All GP trainers should do a Cert Med Ed	Male	166.03	0.003
	Female	200.34
The MRCGP is not important to being a GP Trainer	Male	174.02	0.383
	Female	184.13
Good trainers are born, not made	Male	170.75	0.066
	Female	191.97
My partners do not understand my need for CPD	Male	168.27	0.033
	Female	192.83
A Cert Med Ed us a more relevant qualification than the MRCGP for GP Trainers	Male	156.88	0.189
	Female	171.73
Protected time for Educational CPD should be in addition to study leave	Male	173.77	0.414
	Female	183.01

Table 9.  All GP Trainers should do a Cert Med Ed (female trainers only)

	Frequency	Modal average
Strongly disagree	12
Disagree	26	Slightly agree
Slightly disagree	23
Slightly agree	28
Agree	8
Strongly agree	5

Table 10.  All GP Trainers should do a Cert Med Ed (male trainers only)

	Frequency	Modal average
Strongly disagree	62
Disagree	68	Disagree
Slightly disagree	51
Slightly agree	42
Agree	18
Strongly agree	8

Table 11.  My partners do not understand my need for CPD (female trainers only)

	Frequency	Modal average
Strongly disagree	17
Disagree	33	Disagree
Slightly disagree	17
Slightly agree	19
Agree	11
Strongly agree	6

Table 12.  My partners do not understand my need for CPD (male trainers only)

	Frequency	Modal average
Strongly disagree	54
Disagree	89	Disagree
Slightly disagree	48
Slightly agree	32
Agree	19
Strongly agree	5

Table 13.  Likert responses according to ability to take protected time for CPD

	CPD time?	Mean rank	p value
I have no difficulty in getting time for educational CPD in my practice	Yes	205.51	<0.001
	No	137.48
Educational CPD is important to GP trainers	Yes	179.32	0.076
	No	162.08
All GP trainers should do a Cert Med Ed	Yes	171.54	0.857
	No	173.42
The MRCGP is not important to being a GP Trainer	Yes	170.79	0.612
	No	176.09
Good trainers are born, not made	Yes	167.38	0.251
	No	179.35
My partners do not understand my need for CPD	Yes	158.02	0.008
	No	185.42
A Cert Med Ed us a more relevant qualification than the MRCGP for GP trainers	Yes	155.58	0.705
	No	159.37
Protected time for educational CPD should be in addition to study leave	Yes	176.31	0.526
	No	169.82

Table 14.  Likert responses according to other educational role

	Other educational role	Mean rank	p value
I have no difficulty in getting time for educational CPD in my practice	Yes	174.89	0.841
	No	172.75
Educational CPD is important to GP trainers	Yes	185.49	0.004
	No	156.49
All GP trainers should do a Cert Med Ed	Yes	192.82	0.000
	No	151.53
The MRCGP is not important to being a GP Trainer	Yes	172.12	0.268
	No	184.00
Good trainers are born, not made	Yes	177.60	0.892
	No	176.14
My partners do not understand my need for CPD	Yes	178.46	0.497
	No	171.21
A Cert Med Ed us a more relevant qualification than the MRCGP for GP trainers	Yes	162.36	0.737
	No	158.87
Protected time for educational CPD should be in addition to study leave	Yes	178.36	0.664
	No	173.81

Table 15.  Likert responses according to practice location

	Location	Mean rank	p value
I have no difficulty in getting time for educational CPD in my practice	Urban	127.28	0.007
Suburban	134.46
Rural	175.48
Mixed	153.21
Educational CPD is important to GP trainers	Urban	140.09	0.980
Suburban	144.21
Rural	138.95
Mixed	141.68
All GP trainers should do a Cert Med Ed	Urban	155.21	0.196
Suburban	140.56
Rural	122.54
Mixed	145.81
The MRCGP is not important to being a GP trainer	Urban	139.49	0.469
Suburban	136.92
Rural	155.23
Mixed	152.59
Good trainers are born, not made	Urban	148.09	0.850
Suburban	139.20
Rural	140.25
Mixed	148.09
My partners do not understand my need for CPD	Urban	159.86	0.026
Suburban	146.13
Rural	115.58
Mixed	136.37
A Cert Med Ed is a more relevant qualification than the MRCGP for GP Trainers	Urban	120.52	0.015
Suburban	122.15
Rural	127.91
Mixed	155.06
Protected time for educational CPD should be in addition to study leave	Urban	143.74	0.726
Suburban	141.91
Rural	134.45
Mixed	151.35

Table 16.  Likert responses according to years spent as a trainer

	Years	Mean rank	p value
I have no difficulty in getting time for educational CPD in my practice	<1 year	166.95	0.548
	1–4 years	158.54
	5–7 years	180.55
	>8 years	171.36
Educational CPD is important to GP trainers	<1 year	142.13	0.010
	1–4 years	192.57
	5–7 years	168.82
	>8 years	160.29
All GP trainers should do a Cert Med Ed	<1 year	174.32	0.656
	1–4 years	167.05
	5–7 years	184.49
	>8 years	167.21
The MRCGP is not important to being a GP trainer	<1 year	181.07	0.395
	1–4 years	159.20
	5–7 years	167.97
	>8 years	179.37
Good trainers are born, not made	<1 year	159.38	0.665
	1–4 years	170.85
	5–7 years	165.93
	>8 years	178.38
My partners do not understand my need for CPD	<1 year	207.46	0.005
	1–4 years	162.83
	5–7 years	193.26
	>8 years	156.49
A Cert Med Ed us a more relevant qualification than the MRCGP for GP trainers	<1 year	138.79	0.630
	1–4 years	157.22
	5–7 years	163.55
	>8 years	156.51
Protected time for educational CPD should be in addition to study leave	<1 year	158.58	0.532
	1–4 years	182.55
	5–7 years	166.93
	>8 years	169.78