Teaching in north Queensland general practices

AIMS & RATIONALE: Primary health care (PHC) is integral to the Australian health care system. More PHC practitioners are required to practice in underserved populations and to serve an ageing population with increasing and complex comorbidities. More domestic medical students and graduates provide an opportunity to: (i) redress workforce maldistribution and shortage ; and (ii) grow the future PHC workforce that Australia will require. However, sufficient learning posts are required to capitalise on this opportunity. This study previously explored current teaching volume throughout north Queensland general practice settings and possibilities for growth in teaching capacity. Case studies of five teaching practices will now be conducted to better understand successful teaching strategies that are appropriate for a variety of practice settings. Particular interest is paid to models that might include vertically integrated and interprofessional teaching. METHODS: Case study methods (e.g. interviews, observation) to explore five exemplar teaching practices in depth. FINDINGS: An overview of case study findings will be presented, detailing successful teaching models employed in practices with a wide variety of characteristics (e.g. small/large staff numbers; rurality; number and types of learners at the practice). POTENTIAL USES FOR THIS RESEARCH: Building an appropriate PHC workforce for the future requires sufficient learners to have exposure to good quality learning opportunities in general practice settings, ideally with inspiring preceptors. Showcasing successful teaching strategies in a variety of such settings is important and may prove enlightening for GPs considering teaching or increasing their teaching load