Trainee GP concerns?

I believe trainees are allowed more time for appointments than regular GPs. I've had the same experience with a trainee GP. He was extremely thorough and took the time to listen to me.

I have seen two trainee GPs in the last three years and as others have said they were extremely thorough and they took time to deal with my problems not like the usual doctors in the practice who give you the allotted ten minutes and then go to the door and open it !!

I don't mind seeing a physician associate for fairly routine matters, eg blood pressure. However, I do think I should be told when the person I am seeing is a physician associate.

RosiesMaw2

^I recently saw a trainee doctor and was not impressed. She was very unfriendly and hurried me. She was a big girl with a huge backside and a very short skirt. When she bent over to adjust the couch you could see her knickers^
Oh FFS, are we back to judging peoples professional competence by the size of their arse?
We have had this conversation before , I think in the context of Estate Agents and being “ professionally” dressed.
I really CBA to reiterate the various arguments expressed then, but professional expertise has to come at the top of my list. A good bedside manner is wonderful and highly desirable but a good physician should not be judged on their knickers.

Yes if she is showing her knickers! Not professional behaviour at all. Is this ok with you? Do you show your knickers with the clothes you wear.

some years back I saw a trainee GP. Having then recently had two Basal carcinoma on my face which had to be removed, I was concerned about a strange small patch on my forehead, no lump, but skin a different colour.

He said not to worry, could not be a BC, I suggested that he asked his Mentor advice, which he did by telephone. Senior Doctor said due to my history I should have it checked out, and was referred. Fortunate, as it turned out, as this was the largest BS of these I had, all doing downwards, not upwards, took six stitches when they cut it out.

All such trainees have to be under a senior GP who acts as their mentor. Usually, such trainees are likely to be more careful with their diagnosis, but anyone can ask they check with their mentor.

I am assuming that the scan will have been reported on by someone at the hospital who knows what they are looking at - fingers crossed!

Lucky, good luck with your appointment.
As has been previously said, there are some excellent GP trainees., not everyone has a bad experience.

I don't know how it works else where, but any x rays or scans I have had are reviewed at the hospital and a report sent to my GP.
I once received a phone call on a Saturday morning from a radiologist, (not radiographer) saying that he had been reviewing xrays and that I had two stress fractures in my foot, which had been missed a few days previously.

Luckygirl3

I have just made an appointment with GP trainee as the surgery asked me to make an appointment for feedback on a recent abdominal scan result. I could have waited a long time to see one of the partners, but I need to know what the scan has shown - I figure that at least I will get that information if nothing else.

I just hope she can read the scan properly. When DD had an urgent scan thankfully the radiographer talked her through what the scan was showing at the hospital because the trainee GP completely misunderstood the results, told their was, nothing to worry about.

DD was so angry she rang the surgery and demanded to speak to the senior partner. He looked at the scan and agreed that the trainee GP had completely misinterpreted it and what the radiographer had told her was correct.

Sue, I think it is possibly my own fault!
I tried to post in a clear manner, demonstrating clarity and then messed up!

Anyway, I have nothing but admiration and respect for all the clinicians I have met over the years. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them.

On a lighter note : At twenty two, newly married, I was seriously ill in HDU and my doctor friends were students in the same hospital.
They donned their white coats, hung their stethescopes around their neck and told the formidable ward sister that they were my friends and asked if they could they visit me.
Tbe first thing they asked was did I have any goodies in my locker. They had no interest in how I was, they were hungry!
Later the ward sister commented on the fact, that she knew exactly who they were and what they were up to. 🤣

Oh sorry, Marydoll! I think I misinterpreted what you meant. Dang, this clarification stuff is hard, isn’t it?

I have just made an appointment with GP trainee as the surgery asked me to make an appointment for feedback on a recent abdominal scan result. I could have waited a long time to see one of the partners, but I need to know what the scan has shown - I figure that at least I will get that information if nothing else.

sadnona I do appreciate that PAs as well as being throughly trained, many like your daughter, work very hard.

But with all respect to your daughter, who I am sure is very good at he job, it doesn't follow that because someone works long hours and is dedicated etc etc, that they are actually any good at the job. You can see that in all walks of life, people who beaver away, but at the end of the day are limited in their capabilities. i had a member of staff like that once.

SueD, I don't think I said that PAs compared with doctors. I don't think they do.

Personally, I am aware of the training doctors go through. Four of my school and university friends became doctors, one reached the dizzy heights of a professorship in a world famous medical school in the USA.

It has been a very long journey for them..


.

Our GP surgery has all of the staff on their website with photos, their qualifications and a little bio, it’s very helpful.

Marydoll

I stand corrected Monica. I found the entry requirements.

^Applicants must be graduates with at least a 2:2 degree classification (or equivalent overseas qualification) in a life science or health-related subject (which must contain significant elements of basic medical sciences), normally obtained within the last five years.^

That still doesn’t compare with medical training, where students will learn anatomy via a human body, donated by a generous member of the public, where students begin clinical placements six weeks into their training, moving around to all the different specialties, do an elective away from their home area (my dd did six weeks in Obs & Gynae in the USA as well as volunteering in Sri Lanka and India).

The other concern with PA’s is that they are being misrepresented by employers who present them as doctors or fail to say what their true role is, and some PA’s tell people they are doctors or ‘the same as’ a doctor, which they are not. They cannot prescribe drugs though some do so anyway. If a PA has undergone the same training as a doctor, why wouldn’t they be able to prescribe, I wonder?

Responsibility for errors, that lies on the medical staff, and there is no disciplinary procedure for them should anything go wrong.

Dancing Duck, the doctor or nurse should be a good communicator. One mark of a good communicator is assessing the level of sophistication and knowledge of the person to whom you are talking. Without knowing a lot about what the doctor said to you, it seems that the doctor failed to assess your ability and knowledge.

It seems to me you need to consult a doctor who is a better communicator who can talk to someone like yourself that's to say , discussing not pontificating.

I understood exactly what a trainee GP was at the time of my appointments as I asked the receptionist and then checked on line. I was not saying that the 2 trainees who dealt with me were not fully trained with medical degrees but the fact remains that there was a very substantial language barrier with one of them and a complete over reaction by the other which led me to think I had cancer until being rung back later in the day to say a mistake had been made!

sadnona, well done your daughter and thank you to those, who have enlightened us about P.As and trainee G.Ps.

Another group, who I think are undervalued are nurse specialists. The R.A specialist nurses I am in frequent touch with are amazing.
A few months ago, I left a message on their answer machine, because I was very unwell and ten minutes minutes later, my consultant phoned dme.

Thank you Monica. I’m fed up with PAs being slagged off in the press, TV and on SM. My daughter is a PA, she worked very hard to gain 2 degrees to enable her to become a PA. She currently works in a very busy London A&E Dept, she frequently stays well over her 12 hour shift, worked throughout the pandemic and is often put open by senior doctors and consultants because they can see she is very capable. Please do not tar everyone with the same brush. There is good and bad amongst doctors and consultants too.

I stand corrected Monica. I found the entry requirements.

Applicants must be graduates with at least a 2:2 degree classification (or equivalent overseas qualification) in a life science or health-related subject (which must contain significant elements of basic medical sciences), normally obtained within the last five years.

But they do have to have an apporpriate degree first, so the total training time is 5 years.

Remember 'doctors' are so called because their training is up to doctorate level, so 3 years fortheir first degree and three years for their 'doctorate.

I came across this and was shocked to read that the PA course was only two years long.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9qgxxxpggyo

SueDonim

Trainee GP, Rosiesmaw, for clarification.

Let's not start all that again!

My experience in March this year of a trainee GP was very similar. Looked up sites on computer mainly Mayo Clinic,, got all her info from them inspite of the details I gave . Trainee recommendation just take some pain killers. Could have co-codamol, but she wouldn't recommend it as can cause problems. Came out bewildered. Felt you'd maybe get a fair diagnosis if you went in with blood spurting all without referring to a computer site, yes, I can see you are bleeding!

SueDonim

Trainee GP, Rosiesmaw, for clarification.

Clarification abounds on this thread and harmony! 🤣