Authentically me: a narrative inquiry into trust between General Practice (GP) trainers and International Medical Graduate (IMG) doctors-in-training

This qualitative study used narrative inquiry to investigate how trust is established in the relationship between supervisors and International Medical Graduates (IMGs) in General Practice (GP) specialty training in the United Kingdom (UK). It also analyses elements of the electronic portfolio (eportfolio), examining whether narratives uploaded by both GP trainers and IMG trainees reflect or shape their relationship. The number of IMGs in the UK is increasing, particularly in GP, highlighting the need to address the challenges they face, including the differential attainment gap between IMGs and local graduates. GP supervisors play a crucial role in supporting IMGs and facilitating their learning, yet effective strategies for building a strong trainer-trainee relationship remain underexplored. While some research has addressed the difficulties specific to writing reflective entries in the eportfolio, the impact of the trainer-trainee relationship on eportfolio entries, and vice versa, is less understood. Using purposive sampling, this study gathered a diverse range of experiences from IMG participants and non-paired trainers. Through a range of linguistic analyses informed by narrative inquiry, a composite picture of ten distinct strategies for building is described. Triangulated against this, an analysis of the Electronic Supervisor’s Report (ESR) within the eportfolios of IMG participants yielded varying results. This research offers actionable insights for trainers, IMG trainees, and postgraduate training programs, aiming to reduce the differential attainment gap and promote additional educational, professional, emotional, and workforce-related benefits.