Comparing GP trainees’ evaluations of placements within Malta’s Specialist Training Programme in Family Medicine before and after a COVID-19 pandemic related break in training

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Malta’s Specialist Training Programme in Family Medicine lasts for three years, made up of three six-month training posts in family medicine interspersed with other-speciality placements lasting eighteen months in all. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all training was suspended from 23 March to 5 July 2020.

OBJECTIVE: A comparison of GP trainees’ evaluations of their training placements during the six-month periods before and after the training break was carried out to identify if and how training was affected by the pandemic and what corrective measures or improvements were needed.

METHOD: Training placements are evaluated by GP trainees through online forms on their ePortfolio. The information from these forms was transcribed into Microsoft Excel to enable quantitative and qualitative analysis. Feedback given for posts

during October 2019 to March 2020 (i.e. prior to the COVID-19 enforced break in training) was compared with that given during July-December 2020.

RESULTS: GP trainees were satisfied overall with the teaching provided during the family practice and other-speciality posts. Post-break satisfaction ratings in government health centres rose while those for private general practice declined, both as a consequence of the pandemic. While a post-break drop in satisfaction ratings for Paediatrics was attributed to the pandemic, similar declines for Taster and Orthopaedics posts were unrelated.

CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic affected teaching in government practice positively through reducing patient numbers, which allowed a better training environment. Private practice was affected negatively by the pandemic, namely through limited clinical scenarios for teaching. The post-break drop in ratings for Paediatrics also was attributed to the pandemic which reduced outpatient attendance, doctor-patient interaction and consultation dynamics.

RECOMMENDATION: Training during placements within the STPFM can be improved and safeguarded from negative factors such as a pandemic if administrators endeavour to enhance the educational environment.