#correct
Too often we GPs hear terms used such as “just a GP” or comments that our work only involves “coughs and colds, tears and smears and referrals”. So often in fact, that a number of us have claimed the #justaGP expression and wear it as a badge of pride. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth.
There remains a lingering assumption in some quarters that doctors who became general practitioners do so because they were not smart enough or did not want to work hard enough to become a specialist. While once any doctor could be known as a GP if they had graduated from medical school and completed their hospital training, that has not been the case since 1988. For more than 36 years, doctors who want to work as GPs have been required to complete the specialist qualification known as the Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners or the Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. Before 1988, many GPs completed the additional training and some, but not all, sat the fellowship exam.
GPs are not GPs by default. It is an additional qualification they have committed at least an extra 3 years of their life to obtain, in addition to at least the 7 years of study and hospital work it takes to qualify as a medical doctor. GPs study for and sit GP-specific examinations. Our scope of practice is incredibly wide, and many GPs have specific interests which allow them a depth of practice which is valued by our colleagues, patients and communities.
#inform
All doctors who have trained as GPs have also worked in the hospital system, giving us an understanding, at least for the time we were there, of the pressures of work within those environments. Most hospital staff have not worked in general practice and do not understand the pressures which can limit and constrain the work we do. Lots of members of the general public are also unaware of the skill base within their local GP practice. I will try to help people outside our sector to understand our world better, by including some commentary on and links to information about life as a GP.
What I do for $37.05 that no one wants to pay link
#inspire
I wish to demonstrate to my GP and my non-GP medical colleagues the awesome work being done within our profession, where everyday people do ordinary and extraordinary things. I want to showcase the alternative paths available within general practice. To highlight the broad range of uses GPs can put their training and intelligence to, the numerous skill sets they can acquire and the value of the work they do.
For medical students, interns, residents and registrars considering their career choices, I want them to be able to see the incredible variety of work undertaken by GPs across the length and breadth of this nation (and beyond) and to encourage them to consider how fulfilling life as a GP can be.
If you are more into words than images, check out the resources in the GP Living Library.
#provide
I want to provide images of actual Australian GPs, general practice teams and primary healthcare colleagues at work. The images used by our media are largely sourced from overseas and we have photos of professionals and patients who do not dress or look like us. The treatment rooms look different. It is good to see ourselves, so, with permission of the participants, I have collected a number of images which can be used royalty and copyright free.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License