This article has traced the origins and changes that have occurred in the Dartford Vocational Training Scheme between the years 1971-1982. It has attempted to assess the effectiveness of the scheme, by asking past trainees for their views on their training and their present status, and by commenting on the results of the more objective measurement of educational attainment within the scheme carried out since 1975 at the Department of General Practice of Manchester University. Some suggestions have been made that may have wider application to vocational training in the United Kingdom as a whole, both now and in the future.