Welcome to the Postgraduate School of General Practice


Welcome to the GP School in the West Midlands. This is one of the largest Schools of General Practice with an good track record of supporting foundation doctors as well as more senior doctors seeking a career in General Practice. Over 94% of GP Associates in Training (GP Specialty Trainees or GP Registrars) will graduate with MRCGP but it does involve hard work and commitment.

The 1500 GP Associates are scattered across the 5,000 square miles of the West Midlands. There are 5 GP sub-regional areas:

  1. Birmingham and Solihull,
  2. Black Country,
  3. Coventry and Warwickshire,
  4. Hereford and Worcestershire,
  5. Staffordshire and Shropshire

There are 16 Training Programmes scattered across the area supported by enthusiastic and experienced training programme directors and the Area Director (Associate Dean). They provide additional support and advice for the 1500 trainees and 1000 trainers which make up the GP School.

The GP School works closely alongside the other Postgraduate Schools as well as the Primary Care School which is responsible for training of practice and community nurses and other practitioners.

New Developments

The structure of GP Training is changing dramatically to give more general practice experience and also allow a more flexible training experience in secondary care. The structure from August 2021 changes in ST1 to allow three attachments of 4 months in secondary care. This is then followed by ST2 year based in general practice followed by the ST3 year in general practice. Almost all rotations will follow this format.

Options for ST2 include some flexibility to develop innovative experience. This will be down to the individual trainee to explore and develop different experiences within that second year eg some time spent with local hospice or palliative care teams, working with mental health, addictions or homeless services. 

Academic General Practice:

There are opportunities to undertake an academic training programme attached to the Academic Departments of the local Universities Birmingham, Warwick and Keele. These opportunities are advertised annually for GP Trainees to spend 12 months in Academic Research interspersed with the final year of GP Training. The ST3 year is extended into an ST4 year.

Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme TERS

TERS is an enhanced salary targeted at defined rotations in defined areas only. The areas involved for August 2021 are the following GP Training Programmes:

  • Hereford (all schemes  focussed on rural health aswell as urban health)
  • Worcestershire (select programmes focussed on rural health)
  • North Staffordshire (all schemes with a focus on Rural Health, Inner City and Deprivation dependent on the type of practice).
  • Shropshire North and Shropshire South (Remote and Rural attachments based on villages and town in North and South Shropshire respectively).

The ability to drive for rural health attachments is a distinct advantage. Trainees may consider relocating to a TERS area to make access easier. If that is the case then the Programme Team will try and place the ST2 and ST3 Practices in the same locality.


For a list of our approved GP-trainers please click here

Performers List Advice Notice Information - GP Registrars (GPRs) – August 2020 - Click here for link.

Our extensive training networks are designed to accommodate a wide variety of needs and ambitions. The rich diversity of programmes gives many choices and opportunities. Click here for more information