Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions (08/08/24) Dell'Olio, Myriam; Reeve, Joanne

A one-year pilot program to help early career general practitioners (GPs) boost their skills and aided in the implementation of advanced generalist medicine, researchers report. The career development program, called Catalyst, was evaluated via interviews and focus groups that assessed the participants' clinical practice and experience. Based on the interviews and discussions, the researchers found that GPs were able to better understand their roles by establishing a shared language and reexamining their professional identity. "Generalist practice was legitimized by access to scientific evidence and facilitated interactive learning," the authors found. "Integration of scientific, applied knowledge and quality improvement work fostered the enactment of such practice." Participants' awareness of the primary care context increased with structured reflection and research-informed quality improvement projects. The implementation of advanced generalist practice was furthered with knowledge creation activities that used interactive learning and various types of knowledge. Participants also appreciated the community of practice the program provided and said they valued the programs involving networking and peer support. The authors concluded that "research-informed quality improvement projects built to analyze problems and monitor solutions are crucial for an early career physician to develop a sense of agency that shapes their primary care practice."

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