Paediatric musculoskeletal learning needs for general practice trainees: achieving an expert consensus.

Background: Paediatric musculoskeletal (pMSK) disorders are common in clinical practice, but training in their recognition and management is suboptimal at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Exposure to pMSK conditions is variable in GP training, and there is no standardised curriculum for what GPs should know about pMSK medicine.

Aim: To attain expert agreement on the gold standard of pMSK skills and knowledge required at completion of GP training.

Musculoskeletal training: are GP trainees exposed to the right case mix for independent practice?

Musculoskeletal conditions are common in general practice, but clinicians express poor self confidence in dealing with them. Training in general practice relies on clinical exposure to a range of presentations in order to gain competence. It has been suggested that trainees are exposed to a different case mix from qualified general practices (GPs), due to seeing more minor illness and less chronic disease and that this may be responsible in part for their subsequent lack of confidence.