Today the College released the results of the 2019 General Practice Education Programme (GPEP) exams which were held at the end of 2019. In total, 228 candidates participated in the 2019 exams.
“The GPEP exams are a significant milestone in a registrars’ vocational training. The candidates, their Medical Educators, and their teachers all put a lot of effort into the exams. Overall the results were very pleasing,” says Chief Executive Lynne Hayman.
“The pass rate for the clinical exam was 77% and the pass rate for the written exam was 90%,” says Lynne.
“The clinical exam, which was held in Wellington in November 2019, comprised 10 simulated clinical examination cases. This exam is designed to replicate the type of real-world scenarios GPs deal with every day.
“We use actors as patients, and the candidates are assessed on their ability to communicate, diagnose and recommend treatment for each case they are presented with. This exam is a practical assessment of the candidates’ application of knowledge and clinical skills. It is very intense. There’s only a few minutes in between ‘patients’ – the process is designed to be very realistic.
“The written exam tests candidates’ knowledge from a theoretical perspective. It covers the body of knowledge related to generalism, as well as factors such as cultural competency, ethical practice and person-centred care. There are two three-hour exams to be completed – once again, a fairly intense test of our candidates’ knowledge.”
Lynne says she is delighted so many GPEP registrars successfully passed their exams and are now able to progress through to the next stage of their specialist training.
“As with any exam, there is always pressure to do well. I hope the candidates are pleased with their performance. Those who didn’t achieve the marks they wanted will be supported by the College, and we’ll help them with their next steps.
“With many current GPs nearing retirement, it is vitally important the College keeps training new GPs. Applications for our 2020 intake open in February and we look forward to welcoming another cohort to the College later this year.”