Tips for GP trainees working in rheumatology.

INTRODUCTION One in four people registered with a GP will consult for a musculoskeletal problem over a 12-month period; this accounts for one in seven GP consultations.1 Musculoskeletal conditions significantly impact daily life through pain, disability, and psychological ill-health.2,3 A rheumatology rotation is therefore a relevant and practical rotation for GP trainees to undertake. The key learning points from a rheumatology rotation include the early recognition of inflammatory arthritis to enable timely secondary care referral, the identification of the red flags of joint sepsis, and development of an understanding of the social and psychological consequences of chronic musculoskeletal conditions.