TY - JOUR T1 - Exchanging knowledge across international borders: building a new network for the RCGP’s global members JF - BJGP Open JO - BJGP Open DO - 10.3399/bjgpopen17X101313 VL - 1 IS - 4 SP - bjgpopen17X101313 AU - Sandra Mather AU - Terry Kemple AU - Asha Abdillahi Y1 - 2018/01/01 UR - http://bjgpopen.org/content/1/4/bjgpopen17X101313.abstract N2 - The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has a growing and diverse global membership of 3048 members (Box 1) based across 86 countries outside the UK. This represents approximately 6% of the total membership of the RCGP. In March 2017, it launched a new International and Overseas Network (ION) to link its global members with 'knowledge, support and inspiration' in their professional practice,1 and to improve its professional global connections.Networks can be described as 'complex adaptive systems' with multiple non-linear interactions between members of the system.2–3 Network structures vary along a continuum. At one end is a network defined as a diffuse decentralised structure comprising individuals (sometimes called communities of practice) or informal alliances of organisations. At the other end is a hierarchical network organisation with a centralised hub and spoke structure and clear governance systems comprising either organisations or individuals. 3–5 Box 1. Definitions of international and overseas member of the RCGP International member (IM)A GP who has passed an RCGP international membership exam at any one of nine accredited exam sites and has chosen to apply for membership. They are classified as international members and use the post-nominals MRCGP[INT].Overseas member (OM)A GP who has passed the RCGP membership exam in the UK and has chosen to apply for membership, which they retain after leaving the UK to work in another country. They are classified as overseas members and can use the post nominals MRCGP.When the RCGP was founded in 1952, it began as an informal network but was developed into the formal institutionalised network that is now the largest medical royal college in the UK. This history helps in understanding the development of the ION, the profession, and similar associations in the countries where the RCGP's global members are working.All professional networks function at two levels: formal and informal. The formal network is built around the membership body itself with systems, processes, and structures to adhere to, whereas the informal networks are clustered around smaller, closely linked groups of individual professionals. Millar and Choi6 argue that formal networks are essential to transfer explicit knowledge but that informal … ER -