Primary care, including general practice (GP), has evolved over the last 30 years while facing an increasing number of challenges. Its crucial role has been underlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) . Meanwhile, universities have the responsibility of preparing tomorrow’s general practitioners. Universities are places of innovation, thanks in part to junior lecturers, who have contributed to an increasing number of publications in peer-reviewed journals, developing GP as an academic discipline. In France, GP and family medicine are generally synonymous as disciplines. For clarity, in this article we use the terms GP and general practitioners. This choice is consistent with the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians(WONCA) Europe definition.

The study conducted by Isabel Santos and Vitor Ramos in 1994 provided a relevant overview of GP training in 21 European countries. This work might have been the impetus for several documents edited by WONCA Europe, its European Academy of Teachers in General Practice (EURACT) network and the European Union of General Practitioners/Family Physicians (UEMO) , whose objective was to harmonise the process of becoming a GP trainer and receiving GP training during medical school. After a long phase without any proposals for real ambulatory training within general practitioners' offices, GP training has started to appear progressively, contributing to the acknowledgment of GP as both a speciality and an academic discipline. While GP training was once only available for students who had graduated from medical school and had chosen the GP path, it has now become integrated into the curricula of undergraduate medical programmes.

Moreover, the organisation of GP training is still determined by the European Union (EU) Directives from 1993 and 2005. To provide a high-quality education for future general practitioners, skilled GP trainers are necessary insofar as they develop and promote the most opportunities for trainees to be supervised in accredited practices.

Extending and upgrading French postgraduate programmes has recently been questioned. In fact, after a change in undergraduate medical programmes, students can now choose a second session for an internship in GP (like in other specialties) in their last year to increase their chances of obtaining the GP specialisation, which could be extended by one year.

The aim of this study was to provide an overview of GP vocational training and GP trainers of WONCA Europe member countries.