Preregistration rotation including general practice at St Mary's Hospital Medical School.

A rotation for the preregistration year which included medicine, surgery, and general practice started at St Mary's Hospital Medical School in August 1981. Initially approved by London University for an experimental period of three years, in 1984 it became an established rotation subject to normal review. Special arrangements were made for clinical work, supervision, prescribing, teaching, and other aspects of the general practice component. Data relating to the general practice consultations of the nine participating house officers show that they obtained wide experience, and their comments on the post itself were generally favourable. The four months spent in general practice were needed to allow time for the house officers to adapt to the new setting but did not seem to have an important effect on their experience in medicine and surgery.