GP teachers

Become a community GP teacher

We are actively seeking GP placements in the community (especially in the Brighton and Hove area) for years 1, 2 and 4. 

Year 1 Clinical and Community Practice Module 101 placements in GP

In Year 1 students visit in pairs, spending two Tuesday afternoon sessions in GP where they shadow the GP teacher and learn about consultation and communication skills. It could be their first opportunity to perform basic examinations and practice history-taking. There are eight groups of 1st year visit dates, with many GPs choosing to teach all eight (which is just 16 sessions in total per academic year).

Year 2 Clinical and Community Practice Module 201 placements in GP

In Year 2 student pairs visit a practice during one of the four set ‘immersion weeks’, where they spend three full days in a practice. Students can enhance their skills learned in Y1 and 2, with the GP teacher. They can also spend up to 50% of their time observing and being involved with the wider clinical team. There are four set immersion weeks in the academic year so practice teams are encouraged to host a pair of students in each of these weeks.   

Year 1 community GP Teacher guide >

Year 2 Community GP Teacher guide >

Year 4 and Independent Placements in GP

Year 4 students undertake a four-week placement in GP for four days per week (excluding Monday), where they fully integrate into the practice team for their teaching. GPs are asked to provide placements for all seven rotation dates per year if possible. You can teach an individual or pair of students for each rotation. This placement may be local to Brighton, but some students opt for arranging an ‘independent placement’ a self-arranged attachment in general practice which can be anywhere in the UK. All new year 4 community GP teachers are asked to attend one of our 30-minute placement preparation meetings (midweek lunchtime or evening via Zoom).

Year 4 community gp teacher guide >

Find out more

For further details and an informal chat please contact Heidi Swain (Quality and Placements Officer) 07823 516381 or Sara Huckett (Quality and Placements Coordinator) 07823 516390 or by email gpplacements@bsms.ac.uk / h.swain@bsms.ac.uk / s.huckett@bsms.ac.uk. 

Year 1 and 2 Clinical and Community Practice Module Leader: Dr Rachel Wilkins r.wilkins@bsms.ac.uk.Year 4 GP Lead and Senior Lecturer in Primary Care and Public Health: Dr Max Cooper m.cooper@bsms.ac.uk.  

The impact of training students on a GP practice

We asked some of our GPs about teaching at BSMS. Here’s what they had to say:

"It was really helpful that we shadowed almost every department in the surgery, as this allowed us to understand the functioning of such a large practice. Everyone was friendly and informative and made an effort to explain the workings of the surgery. They scheduled consultations to suit our understanding level and there were time slots after consultations to allow us to ask questions. All in all, it was a productive week because of the efforts made by the practice."

– Year 2 student pair, BSMS

"It's been a great experience hosting year 1 and 2 students at the practice. The students were punctual, well prepared, knowledgeable, and showed a very good manner with patients. Over the course of the year, I was able to build on the student's feedback to improve and refine the schedule for the teaching sessions and set the pace for progression over their sessions. The additional workload was manageable. I could use preparation throughout the year, improving as I went. I was able to respond to the immediate teaching needs of the students with some improvised and bedside teaching opportunities. I found I was able to complete all my day's work on teaching days, but ensuring the practice had blocked additional appointments was essential. I have been glad to see a culture of medical teaching come back into the practice where I work. In most cases patients were happy to be seen with students present. My colleagues were also participating in teaching with positive feedback from students."

– Dr Ralph Mortimer Roome, Woodingdean Medical Centre

"My GP Placement has been one of the highlights of my Medical School journey so far. I was warmly welcomed and introduced to the practice team and given an in-depth timetable that allowed us to observe/ experience numerous opportunities and specialities that are undertaken within the surgery.  It was refreshing to feel like a member of the team and be allowed to see patients independently. It was also extremely useful sitting in on various GP clinics as this allowed me to see how different GPs consult and how particularly ways of communicating and questioning can help diagnose and manage patients. I cannot express enough my appreciation to everyone involved in the organisation of this placement and all those we observed."

– Year 4 student, BSMS

"The Wall House Surgery has really enjoyed hosting the year 2 Medical students and they have come in with a good attitude to learning and enjoyed the time they spend in the practice. We are a large practice and there is so much going on for them they have often felt surprised at how much is happening within primary care and showing them, it is not boring being a GP. I would say to other practices that are looking into hosting the second years - it is very rewarding."

– Dr Vanisha Chauhan, GP Partner of The Wall House Surgery