Preface

Imagine a country whose medical schools do not systematically teach students within the clinical discipline that most of them would work in. Imagine such a country also failing to conduct research into the clinical and organisational problems faced by patients and the doctors working in that discipline. Although it seems unthinkable now, the UK was such a country when the NHS began. This book describes and analyses how the pioneers of academic general practice in the UK and the Republic of Ireland overcame the challenges and obstacles to achieving their vision of ensuring that all undergraduates in every medical school experience excellent education in a research-rich environment. The editors have compiled chapters from departments across the country, telling the highly variable story about how each made progress within their own context. Support from postgraduate departments, the RCGP, departments of public health and parts of the NHS all played their part. The appendices describe the new medical schools; the crucial SIFT/ACT developments; an integrating perspective; and the transition from AUTGP to AUDGP to SAPC. For many readers the main interest will lie in the story of their own institution but others will see common themes and insights that will help them understand how support for progress can be marshalled within and across organisations to overcome today's challenges.