Training

The Guildhall Surgery has been closely involved for many years with the postgraduate training of doctors. Indeed, our previous senior partner, Dr Stephen Oliver, helped set up the Bury St. Edmunds Vocational Training Scheme in the 1970s.

We have doctors joining us as part of their postgraduate training for 6 or 12 months, at a time. They are training to be general practitioners and are here to gain experience in “real life” general practice. They are, already, fully qualified doctors and often have considerable experience in various hospital-based specialities before joining us. These doctors have the title of Registrar in General Practice. For details of our current registrar click on this link: Registrar. Click on the link for details of the current West Suffolk General Practice Training Scheme.

As part of the Government’s plans for training junior doctors, The Guildhall and Barrow Surgery also takes part in Foundation Year 2 training. The Department of Health now requires all doctors to undergo further experiential training in the first 2 years after qualification and a proportion of the second year is undertaken in general practice. These doctors are fully qualified but require more supervision than registrars. They see patients in surgery, liaising closely with a more senior doctor regarding diagnosis and treatment. For details of our current Foundation Year 2 doctor click on this link: Foundation Year doctor

The practice has been accredited as a University Teaching Practice by Cambridge University and, from time to time, we have medical students who are in their final year of undergraduate training. They join us for 2-week attachments and sit in with the doctors during surgeries. The students gain most from talking to and examining patients themselves and we try to give them as much experience in doing this as possible. Our reception staff will inform you if a medical student is sitting in with a doctor and you can decline to have a student observing or taking part in the consultation.

Training of junior doctors protects our future and is an excellent source of stimulation and enthusiasm. We hope it will continue to have the support of patients and doctors at The Guildhall and Barrow Surgery for many years to come.