On Saturday 18th September 2021, I attended the Student Symposium for Research in General Practice (SSRGP), a virtual conference organised by students, for students, in support by the Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). The day was designed to be an introduction to the world of research and academia in general practice and to help break down barriers for students to enable them to get involved in research.

Another year, another conference! The last time I attended a SAPC conference was the regional South-West one that we hosted in Bristol – about a week before the first lockdown kicked in, and normality abruptly ended. Indeed, I suspect it was actually the last big face-to-face meeting many of us attended. This time, Leeds beckoned. But rather than jumping on the train to the “grim north”, I descended the stairs to my rather grimmer basement (yes, my wife has kicked me out the dining room), for two days of online conference. What to expect?

I attended the SAPC Primary Care Mental Health conference for the first time on 26 May 2021. Having attended a few conferences and events online over the last year, I have found they generally work well with online platforms and this was no exception. It was great to have a chance to present an update of my work, and answer some of the great questions that followed. It was even better to listen to a series of fantastic presentations and keynotes from peers and leading primary care researchers.

The need for new approaches to undergraduate teaching in general practice was brought starkly into focus by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.  A range of novel educational resources, developed by SAPC Heads of GP Teaching (HoTs), in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the Medical Schools Council (MSC), has proved invaluable in supporting medical students’ learning in general practice.