Observe GP

Observe GP is an alternative to work experience for aspiring medics aged 16 and over, who are living in the UK. It is a free interactive video platform providing insights into the role of a GP and the wider primary care team.

Before registering

  1. Watch the introductory video, so you have an idea of what to expect.
  2. Download and, if you can, print our reflective diary (PDF file, 2.1 MB) to write notes and complete complementary activities.

How to access the platform

  1. Click on one of the buttons below and complete the registration form.
  2. Once you have registered you will be sent an email with a link to the platform, this may take a few minutes, be sure to check your junk mail. 
  3. KEEP THIS EMAIL to return to the platform in the future.
  4. When you click on the link you will be asked to insert your name and email address to create a login directly on the platform. 
  5. DO NOT use the login button on the RCGP web page - this is for the 53,000 GP members of the College. 
  6. To return to the platform, continue to use the link you were emailed. 

Aspiring medics' registration Teachers' registration

It is a series of pre-recorded videos, housed together on one platform, with activities and key terminology appearing on-screen. There are eight videos in total, with choice over which to view next. The videos showcase the roles of various team members in general practice including the GP, Practice Manager, Receptionist, Advanced Nurse Practitioner and a GP Trainee.

It is not currently 100% mobile-friendly. We recommend viewing the platform on a computer screen or tablet (headphones are advised). 

The platform has been designed specifically for young people aged 16 and over, who are living in the UK and who are interested in applying to study medicine. 

Sadly not, to gain access to the platform, pupils are required to complete a registration form, providing some personal information. A link is then sent via email to access the platform and they are prompted to create a login (using their name and email address) directly on the platform, which is housed by a company called Koantic (see the section below called 'What data do you collect and why?' for more information. Legally the RCGP would be required to gain parental/guardian consent for any pupils under 16 who share their personal data with us. It is not possible for us to do this and so, at this time, pupils aged under 16 unfortunately aren’t able to register to access the platform. The content of the experience has also been carefully designed for pupils aged 16 and over.

Our intention is to continue adding to the platform and to provide this resource to aspiring medics long-term. Any aspiring medic under the age of 16 can feel reassured that the resource will be available for them when they turn 16. 

We do not wish to diminish the motivation of any pupil under the age of 16. In the meantime, they can access advice about applying to medicine in our careers section. The College also discourages pupils under the age of 16 completing work experience in a general practice setting.

Currently, registration to access the platform is only open to aspiring medics living in the UK.  The platform is a brand new, exciting and trailblazing project for us and a huge learning curve. 

We have been overwhelmed by the popularity of the platform and we will be reviewing access to it overtime. We are aware that there are aspiring medics living outside the UK who would like to complete the platform. We would like to open this up to you, but just bear with us. This requires some consideration, we want to do this right, and be sure that we are providing what is useful and appropriate for you.

In the meantime, the General Medical Council (GMC) have created ‘Patient Journey to GP Practice’ an immersive virtual reality app. Aspiring medical students living overseas can register for the app and learn how a GP practice in the UK operates from a patient’s perspective.

We have produced a Reflective diary (3 MB PDF) to help you when taking notes and developing your understanding of medicine.

It is important to remember why medical schools look for relevant experience in your application. They want to see that you understand what a career in medicine involves and that you have the key values, skills and attributes required to become a doctor. Taking part in experiences provided by online platforms such as Observe GP may allow you to gain some of this understanding and demonstrate some of those qualities, but remember, it is how you reflect on these experiences and communicate what you have learnt which matters.

The Medical Schools Council reiterate this in their document: Guidance on gaining relevant experience to study medicine in the time of COVID-19.

Applicants to medicine are required to demonstrate on their application - and at interview - that they have gained an understanding of some of the realities of medicine and that they have witnessed and developed the core values and attributes needed to study medicine. Observe GP has been designed as an innovative way for aspiring medics to learn more about these. In the past applicants have been required to complete work experience in a healthcare setting to gain this insight. This interactive platform is designed to do the same from the comfort of the classroom or home.

 


"I wish that Observe GP had existed when I was applying to medical school. Being the first in my family to apply to medical school and having difficulty organising work experience with no medical contacts was challenging, innovations like this are long overdue!." Dr Devina Maru, GP Trainee

In recent years many UK medical schools have changed their entry requirements to reflect that 'relevant experience' is required but not specifically clinical work experience. Entry requirements for all UK medical schools can be viewed on the following Medical Schools Council (MSC) resource. We also recommend that aspiring medics check back on medical school web pages regularly, as their requirements are changing because of COVID-19. 

The MSC have also updated their guidance about what is relevant experience when applying to medical school and relevant experience when applying to medical school in the time of COVID-19 including FAQs relating to online experiences. Clinical work experience is one way, but not the only way - Observe GP offers an alternative. Applying to medical school is not about ticking a box and obtaining a set number of hours of work experience, it is about the ability of applicants to reflect on what they have learnt about and how they can articulate this. Work experience is also not always easy to find for many reasons but Observe GP is available to everyone.

Observe GP is supported by the Medical Schools Council as a suitable element of relevant experience to help prepare an application to medical school. This means that all applicants should look to gain insight from a variety of relevant experiences, of which one can be Observe GP.   

A few medical schools request evidence of work experience as part of their application process to study medicine. Completing Observe GP cannot be used as an example of work experience and no letter or certificate is provided upon completion. Aspiring medics should use Observe GP to gain insights, reflect and to provide examples at medical school interview. 

There are benefits to work experience, but it can also be a huge time commitment for all involved, depending on timing it may not be possible for pupils to observe key areas of medicine. Observe GP offers the most important lessons and has been developed by GPs, healthcare professionals and those involved in admissions to medical school. Yes, every pupil can watch the same content, but it is up to them to reflect on it, learn from it, ask questions and put this knowledge to use with further research and conversations. 

Aspiring medics are encouraged to download and, if they can, print our reflective diary (PDF, 3 MB) to use while completing Observe GP.

If you watch all elements of the platform in one go and complete all the activities accordingly - while reflecting and taking notes - we estimate it should take between 2 and 2.5 hours. However, it is possible to use the link sent via email, multiple times, therefore pupils may wish to watch some elements and return to the rest later.

When you complete all the activities and watch all the videos on Observe GP, we do not provide a completion certificate, there are a couple of reasons for this:

1) Gaining relevant experience to apply to study medicine is not a tick-box exercise. What is important is what you learn and how you reflect, not how much experience you gain. A certificate does not provide evidence of what you have taken from the experience, just that you have done it. 

Medical schools have been made aware that there is no certificate for completing Observe GP. 

2) A core attribute of a medical student is a’ motivation to study medicine and genuine interest in the medical profession’. We believe that any true aspiring medic is aiming to learn as much as they can, and so they will complete all of Observe GP without a certificate. All eight videos contain information we want you to learn about. On the platform, we can view how many aspiring medics have completed all the content, we have faith that the majority of aspiring medics will complete all the sections.

We will be reviewing the platform over time and we may decide in the future to design functionality to create a certificate. For now, the evidence that you have completed Observe GP in full will be the lessons and understanding you have gained and can use in your personal statement and during medical school interviews.  

In the Medical Schools Council updated document 'A guide for gaining relevant experience to study medicine in the time of COVID-19' there are FAQs relating to online experiences and confirmation that certificates are not compulsory for experiences.

The true realities of medicine cannot be obtained without full consideration for all the roles within different NHS teams. All staff members work together to deliver patient care and it is important for an applicant to understand and value the importance of teamwork. The videos are designed to allow you to observe differing members of the primary care team.

Absolutely! We have more scenarios and more roles to showcase soon. The hope is that we can continue to add elements to the platform overtime and keep it up-to-date. We could, in the future, for example have videos showing a GP on a home visit, a physiotherapist consultation, a patient with dementia, or give the user a choice between visiting a rural practice or an urban practice. The possibilities are endless. Watch this space! 

Of course! It is also available for staff members who work in outreach or widening participation in universities or social enterprises.

We welcome these staff members familiarising themselves with the content.   It may be that you wish to use Observe GP as part of a session with a group of aspiring medics in a classroom or online. On our raising awareness of Observe GP web page we have guidance for using Observe GP as part of a group session. We also have presentation slides and activities available, should you wish to deliver a pre and post online workshop with aspiring medics who are using Observe GP - to ensure they get the most from it. If you are interested in these slides please contact member.programmes@rcgp.org.uk with details of your role, organisation/school, geographical location, and the number of aspiring medics you are working with. 

There is a separate button below to register to gain access to Observe GP. We ask for some basic information, you will receive a link to the platform via email upon completion of the registration form. Upon entering the platform you will also be asked to insert your name and email address to create a login. See the section below 'What data do you collect and why?' for more information. 

We ask that the link to Observe GP is not shared with aspiring medics, instead please encourage them to register with us, it is important that we can monitor use of the platform so that we can add to it in the future and budget accordingly.

We are delighted to also recommend the Brighton and Sussex Medical School 'Virtual Work Experience' which provides insights into medicine for those considering making an application to  medical school.

Users are introduced to the NHS before exploring the roles and skill sets required to work across six different medical specialties. Along the way, users can also consider some of the challenges and wider issues doctors face working in the NHS.

Viewing Observe GP

Observe GP is an interactive platform featuring video content; it contains a lot of information which requires transmitting via the internet to your device at home i.e. bandwidth. This is a new project for us, we hope there won’t be, but realistically there may be some teething problems. We are delighted with the high-quality product we have created, even without the resource and budget of Netflix! We will be continually updating and developing the platform and will look into any issues that occur. We recommend opening the platform in Google Chrome or Apple Safari. 

While some aspects are viewable on a mobile phone, at this time, many of the activities are not compatible with mobile devices, therefore we recommend it is used on laptop, desktop or tablet.

If you experience any technical difficulties while using the platform, please try the following steps:

  • Refresh the page
  • Clear cookies from your browser
  • The platform requires a good Wi-Fi connection. Try switching off Wi-Fi from other devices in your home as this can slow down connection i.e. your phone. You may also wish to try again later when Wi-Fi connection may have improved.
  • We appreciate this may not be possible, but if you have access to another device, try launching the platform on this instead.
  • If all this fails switch off your computer/device, wait 30 seconds and start it again.

If you experience any difficulties, please try the suggestions above first. If the issues continue, we need to know about it so we can get it fixed for you! Please contact us including the exact time the problem occurred, type of device you are using (desktop, laptop or tablet) and browser you are using - this will help the company who house the platform to identify the issue and fix it. Contact us at member.programmes@rcgp.org.uk.

If you do email us, we aim to respond as fast as possible because we don’t want any aspiring medic to face problems but do bear with us during this incredibly busy time. Please note our inbox is not monitored after 5pm on weekdays or over the weekend.

What data do you collect and why?

Aspiring medics and teachers are asked to complete a registration form (buttons below) to gain access to Observe GP. We ask for some personal information e.g. name, email address, country you live in within the UK. We collect this information so that we can determine the geographical spread of who is using the platform. For further information about how your registration data is processed by the RCGP please follow through to the privacy statement on the registration form.

After registering with us, aspiring medics and teachers are sent an email with a link to the platform. From Monday 8th June everyone who has received / goes on to receive that link will be prompted to enter their name and email address – thus creating a login directly on the platform. This login will allow you to change device and browser and maintain your progress on the platform. It will also allow us to identify if you face any technical difficulties. Observe GP is housed on a platform owned by a company called Koantic. The name and email address you enter into Koantic will be stored securely by them, for as long as we house the platform with them. The data you enter is the property of the RCGP, Koantic do not have permission to use or share your login information with any third parties. They will only access your data if you have an issue and we ask them to look into this or to analyse the use of the platform for us. By providing your name and email address to login to Observe GP you are confirming that you understand this. 

Aspiring medics' registration Teachers' registration

Observe GP is supported by:

Queen Mary, University of LondonUniversity of SunderlandCardiff UniversityCollege of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of BirminghamAston Medical School, Birmingham UK



Queen Mary, University of LondonEdinburgh Medical SchoolUniversity of St AndrewsUniversity of East Anglia



University of DundeeLancaster University Medical SchoolHull York Medical SchoolUniversity of Exeter Medical SchoolSwansea University - Prifysgol Abertawe

Medical schools can provide their support by contacting: member.programmes@rcgp.org.uk

With thanks to RAW LDN for working with us to produce Observe GP.

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