Junior doctors are being invited to apply for specialist GP training with the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) for a career that offers a unique connection to patients and communities.
Applications for the second intake for the RACGP's GP training program, including rural generalist training, open today and close on Tuesday 13 August.
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said being a GP is one of the most rewarding jobs.
"GPs don't just care for people when they're sick, we help them stay well at all stages of life," she said.
"The connection to patients and community is incredibly rewarding. GPs get to see the difference we make, whether it's ensuring a child is growing healthily, or helping someone with chronic conditions to turn their health around.
"General practice gives you the opportunity to practice a very broad scope of medicine. No one day is the same – that's especially true for rural GPs because the local community often relies on them for most of their health needs, from mental health to setting fractures.
"And there's lots of flexibility to practice what you're interested in. GPs build skills in areas they're interested in, like addiction or ADHD, and rural GPs often gain extended skills to meet their community's needs, such as emergency medicine. It's a career you can take wherever you want to go."
Dr Sam Patterson can testify to that, and features in the RACGP's new GP training campaign. He's a rural generalist in Katanning in Western Australia's Great Southern region.
"I was born in Katanning Hospital 34 years ago… the doctor who delivered me, Ralph Chapman, he was the town doctor for a long time when I was a kid and sometimes, I actually now refer patients to him," he said.
Dr Patterson also works in the local hospital emergency department and does locum placements in Broome and elsewhere, and says general practice lets him see the value of his work for his patients.
"I don't have any doubt whether I'm making a difference. The amount of people you've been taking care of for five years, and who're in a better spot than what they were when you first met them – that's really rewarding, because you can just see the change that's happened.
Dr Patterson said being a rural GP is both professionally challenging and gives him and his family work-life balance.
"You probably deal with more advanced illnesses and challenging situations than GPs in the city because of a lack of nearby medical services. But in saying that, we are well supported by lots of specialists who come and visit periodically, and you form a relationship with them. You refer them patients and occasionally call them or text them for advice."
Above all else, Dr Patterson says, his Rural Generalist Fellowship means his skills are in high demand.
"Once you've got a rural generalist fellowship, you're so employable all around Australia, particularly in WA," he said.
"It's really nice being in this position, where the world is your oyster. You've got the skills and you've got the abilities, and you get to pick and choose what you want to do, which is nice at this stage. I love the flexibility."
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