Around the world there is a decline in graduates choosing a career in general practice(GP). This is despite data showing strengthening GP and GP continuity of care leads  to improved health, lower mortality, and reduced healthcare-system costs. Many countries rely on importing GPs from other countries, who provide great value. Ideally capturing home grown doctors   We have data showing our medical program has the highest percentage ot graduates choosing to work in metropolitan general practice in the country.This presentation will discuss the national statistics and identify the elements of medical education associated with inspiring graduates to choose the specialty of general practice.The national analysis on GP trainees is based on data of graduates from all medical schools in our country. This data will be shared along with specific characteristics of university medical school education programs that appear to cause a higher percentage of graduates to choose general practice as their training pathway. Insights about rural GP training pathways will be included in this data.This national data of all medical graduates in our country was generated for the first time in 2025. The results were not intuitive nor anticipated, as they were different to expected. The percentage of medical graduates choosing general practice vary from 52% to 16%. Our medical school shows the highest percentage of graduates choocing to train in metropolitan GP.Many previous papers have looked at characteristics that are associated with working in rural GP, or career intentions of new graduates; this reveals genuine GP training intent. This is why it is important to reach better understanding of what ingredients  in medical students' education make them more likely to choose GP. Comparing GP medical education and clinical placements between the universities with greater success in producing GPs will help identify how to improve graduate career choice in GP.Graduates have a  higher interest in GP than thought and the medical schools producing GPs can be a surprise. The national data combined with information about university GP training (in clinic or classroom) highlights the essential design ingredients of medical training to enhance graduate choice of GP.

Relational and emotional competencies are core skills for general practitioners and are associated with patient satisfaction, adherence to care, and physician well-being. Although included in competency-based medical curricula, these skills remain unevenly taught and insufficiently practiced during the clinical years of medical training, prior to specialty selection. Experiential and arts-based pedagogies may address this gap by fostering empathy, reflexivity, and communication skills.To describe and evaluate an interdisciplinary educational programme combining forum theatre and simulated consultations to support the development of relational competencies in medical students.A retrospective mixed-methods study was conducted over two academic years. All fourth-year medical students participated in mandatory forum theatre workshops, and all sixth-year students took part in mandatory simulated consultations. The programme was delivered through collaboration between medical educators and performing arts professionals. Data were collected using anonymous self-administered questionnaires completed immediately after each session. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively using five-point Likert scales assessing perceived quality, emotional comfort, and usefulness for developing relational competencies. Qualitative data from open-ended responses were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.A total of 568 students responded (mean response rate 63%). Forum theatre sessions received a mean global satisfaction score of 4.6/5 and perceived usefulness of 4.1/5, while simulated consultations scored 4.7/5 and 4.4/5 respectively. More than 95% of participants recommended continuation of the programme. Qualitative analysis identified three main themes: recognition of relational competencies as essential and insufficiently addressed elsewhere in the curriculum; the formative role of emotions when experienced within a safe and non-judgemental learning environment; and enhanced professional reflexivity, including increased awareness of empathy erosion and depersonalisation during training. Students suggested organisational improvements, including smaller group sizes and extended debriefing time.This interdisciplinary and experiential programme was perceived as complementary to traditional teaching and clinical placements, with emotional engagement acting as a key driver of reflective learning.Forum theatre and simulated consultations appear to be effective and scalable approaches to developing relational competencies in undergraduate medical education. Their sustained integration into curricula may contribute to more patient-centred and reflective future general practice.

Each year, 150–200 physicians complete GP board certification in the Czech Republic, which is sufficient for generational replacement. The main challenge, however, is their uneven distribution, threatening continuity of primary care in regions most affected by GP shortages. The aim of the project is to improve GP recruitment through education.A three-year nationwide project Support for education in primary care for general practitioners, paediatric general practitioners, and support for regional accessibility of healthcare (Project registration number: CZ.03.02.02/00/24_060/0005126), co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Employment Plus Operational Programme and the state budget of the Czech Republic, was launched by the Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education (IPVZ) in 2025. The project includes several key activities focusing on 1. Regional GP education, 2. Competency-based education, methodology of specialty training and improvement of the assessment of education, providing and cascading education for trainers in GP, 3. Education for nurses in general practice (pilot). The presented work focuses on key activity 2.The project will produce national guidebooks—How to be a good GP trainer and How to organize Leonardo courses—to support regional cascading. A supervision process will be established to improve the quality of GP training assessment. A survey evaluating specialty-training quality will be administered to all trainees.Improving GP recruitment requires a targeted approach and strong multidisciplinary cooperation, with education as a central component. Our efforts aim to stimulate interest in rural medicine, strengthen educational quality through trainer development, and build data to guide further strategic planning.Transforming GP education requires a nationwide, well-resourced effort. This EU-supported project led by IPVZ enables substantial methodological progress and provides a framework for future national and regional initiatives in the field.

Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) emphasizes observable performance in authentic clinical settings. In Portugal, undergraduate Family Medicine training remains heterogeneous and predominantly knowledge-based, with limited alignment to internationally recognized competencies. This gap calls for structured tools that support competency development and assessment during clinical internships.To develop and validate a competency-based portfolio aligned with the WONCA definition of Family Medicine competencies for use in the sixth-year internship.A mixed-methods validation study was conducted in three phases. First, Family Medicine experts identified tasks illustrating the 18 competencies through an open-ended questionnaire. Responses were synthesized into 22 preliminary learning outcomes. Second, content validity was assessed by a large panel of Family Medicine physicians using a 5-point Likert scale; consensus was defined as an Item-Level Content Validity Index (I-CVI) ≥0.80. Third, tasks failing to reach consensus were reformulated and re-evaluated in a subsequent validation round.In the first validation round (n=117), 19 of 22 tasks achieved I-CVI ≥0.80. Two tasks were reformulated and validated in a third round (n=113), reaching consensus (I-CVI=82.3% and 92.9%). The final portfolio comprises 22 competency-based tasks covering clinical, communicational, organizational, and community-oriented dimensions of Family Medicine practice.This portfolio operationalizes CBME principles by translating abstract competencies into observable behaviors, promoting authentic assessment and reflective learning. It introduces new perspectives for undergraduate education, including integration of community and system-level competencies, fostering feedback culture, and creating a foundation for Entrustable Professional Activities.The validated portfolio offers a structured, feasible tool for implementing CBME in Family Medicine internships. Future research should explore its impact on student engagement, readiness for practice, and career choices, as well as its potential to strengthen continuity between undergraduate and postgraduate training.

Stigma against People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (PLHIV) particularly from healthcare providers continues to be a significant barrier discouraging individuals from seeking necessary care. HIV stigma is still underexplored particularly among healthcare workers with limited focus on medical students.This study aimed to assess the impact of active stigma reduction workshops on stigma towards PLHIV among a sample of medical student in XXX and to identify its related factors.We performed a quasi-experimental study among all fifth-year students during the academic years 2024 and 2025 in the Faculty of Medicine of XX (XX). We evaluated HIV stigma before and after each workshop via self-administrated and anonymous questionnaire. We used the validated versions of the brief HIV knowledge questionnaire and the Health Care Provider HIV/AIDS Stigma Scale.A total of 216 medical students answered completely to the questionnaire. Overall, most participants demonstrated a good level of HIV-related knowledge (88.4%). Good HIV knowledge, higher parental education and involvement in community or associative activities were significantly associated with lower stigma levels. Interestingly, poor parental educational level and being stigmatized were independently associated with higher prejudice scores in multivariate analysis. The student centered learning (SCL) approach was revealed to be effective in significantly improving HIV-related knowledge and reducing stigma among medical students.Beyond its implication in general medial subjects, SCL method has also been explored in our primary focus, enhancing HIV-related knowledge and reducing stigma against PLHIV. For instance, studies in Sudan and the United States highlights the effectiveness of SCL and peer-based approaches in promoting HIV awareness and reducing HIV stigma among students. In addition, in China, a web-based game was developed to reduce HIV-related stigma. The game used participatory gamification and storytelling to immerse university students in the lives of PLHIV. This approach enhanced empathy-building, active learning through problem solving and reflection.Our findings emphasize the value of integrating active learning methods into medical curriculum to prepare future healthcare providers to deliver stigma-free care in order to promote ethical and inclusive behavior toward PLHIV.

It is vital to inspire more medical students to consider general practice careers, amid a GP recruitment crisis. To counter negative perceptions of the profession due to the ‘hidden curriculum’, undergraduate teaching should engage students in a more balanced way, showcasing positive aspects of general practice. To address this, we developed a novel game-based session, ‘On-Call GP: The Consultation Game’, for Year 5 medical students. The session design was informed by Kolb’s experiential learning theory and incorporates an adapted version of an educational board game, simulating a GP clinic. Students work in small groups to test clinical knowledge, role-play consultations and manage on-call challenges. A GP tutor-facilitated debrief aims to consolidate learning.We aimed to evaluate the impact of our game-based session on students’ engagement in learning, sense of connectedness with peers, development of clinical knowledge and consultation skills and perception of general practice.All students participating in the ‘On-Call GP: The Consultation Game’ session were invited to complete a post-session anonymised Qualtrics survey. Likert scales evaluated students’ perceptions of the session’s engagement and usefulness, its impact on developing clinical skills, and their sense of connectedness with peers. Free-text questions further explored students’ experiences of the session and its impact on their perception of general practice.Six sessions have taken place between July and November 2025. Sessions were completed by 125 students. The survey response rate was 74%. The evaluation found that the majority of students agreed the session was engaging, improved their clinical skills and enabled them to feel connected to peers. Free-text responses highlighted the value of peer-learning, role-play and debrief in developing consultation skills and consolidating clinical knowledge. Students commented on the ‘fun, engaging’ nature of the session and on developing a more positive impression of general practice.Game-based experiential educational sessions may add value through increasing engagement with learning and providing students with insights into the varied and complex nature of general practice.An experiential, game-based approach can enable students to strengthen connections with peers, develop clinical skills and develop a positive perception of general practice.

Competency-based approaches are increasingly adopted in medical education to prepare medical students for clinical practice. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted challenges in clinical assessments such as the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and drove innovation in assessment designs. In the post pandemic era, new assessment models require critical evaluation.This study explored stakeholders’ perspectives on a novel General Practice (GP) competency-based assessment, the Clinical Assessment for Progression Examination (Clinical APEx), evaluating its acceptability, authenticity, feasibility, and educational impact.A qualitative study using an interpretivist approach was conducted. Thirty-one participants including medical students, examiners, simulated patients, and administrators engaged in semi-structured interviews. Data were transcribed, coded and thematically analysed.Five themes were identified: Student Wellbeing, Authenticity of the Assessment, Results and Outcomes, Feedback and Assessment for Learning, Organisation of the Assessment. Clear assessment expectations, less rigid format and competency grading framework contributed to improved student wellbeing and assessment acceptability. The GP Clinical APEx offered authentic doctor-patient interactions, though its exclusive focus on examination skills limited reflection of clinical practice. In terms of results, delivering immediate, unfavourable outcomes proved challenging. Tailored feedback supported skills development, strengthening its educational impact. Organisational demands were reduced, supporting feasibility.The GP Clinical APEx was viewed as less stressful and more acceptable than the traditional OSCE, offering clarity, flexibility, and competency‑based grading. Timely and carefully constructed feedback enhanced student development. In contrast, the often delayed, non-interactive or absent feedback in the OSCE limited learning. Difficulty in delivering immediate unfavourable results may contribute to the phenomenon of “failure to fail”. The GP Clinical APEx streamlined logistics contrasted with the OSCE’s high resource demands.Stakeholders recognised the GP Clinical APEx as an acceptable and feasible competency-based assessment. By embedding feedback and emphasising assessment for learning, it supported student development and strengthened educational impact. Future iterations should enhance authenticity by integrating clinical reasoning, and further research is needed to establish validity and reliability.