Is it possible to optimize the undergraduate teaching process and research regarding to everyday life as general practitioner?

Zelko Erika, Sandra Lettner, Florian Stummer

Keywords: undergraduate teaching, general practice, research

Background:
There is a dearth of published literature on how to optimize the connection between general practitioner practice, undergraduate teaching, and academic work on Medical Faculties. The aim of our research was to assess the needs and expectation of general practitioners about the new established Institute for general practice and his role in high quality teaching and research.

Research questions:
How the input of general practitioner could optimize the undergraduate teaching and research work on Medical Faculty?

Method:
A semi-structured questionnaire was sent to 650 general practitioners (GP) in the region. Questions covered demographical data, suggestions for teaching needs and research interest in general practice in Upperaustria

Results:
The response rate was 64%. The following research ideas, such as workload in general practice, polypharmacy, multimorbidity, professionalism and suggestions for teaching, such as communication skills, professionalism, disease management and the profile of the general practitioner, could be identified. 105 GPs expressed their willingness to contribute to research, 121 indicated their willingness to be involved in teaching at the faculty or in practice.

Conclusions:
Optimization of the undergraduate teaching is possible through more intensive cooperation between academic medicine and general practitioners in their practices and communities. This would enable a more flexible and faster response to changes in the real life, and thus better prepare students for everyday work as general practitioners.

Points for discussion:
Methodology

Presentation of the results