Urban community based medical education - general practice at the core of a new approach to teaching medical students.

BACKGROUND: The benefits of community based medical education for both students and teachers are becoming increasingly clear. Rural programs offering year-long general practice based clinical training for medical students are well established and highly successful. Urban general practice teaching is currently more likely to be based on short term placements.
OBJECTIVE: To describe a new model for urban community based medical education - the Onkaparinga Clinical Education Program - and to discuss its impact on general practitioners, community based specialists and other stakeholders. DISCUSSION: New approaches have been used to successfully translate rural community based medical education models to the urban setting. There is significant potential for urban community based medical education to be extended if adequate support and funding is available. Programs that allow students to access the rich patient care environment of community practice in urban areas can be rewarding for all involved.