General News
4 February, 2022
James Cook University Delivers Vital Boost To Rural Gp Workforce
JCU’S GP Training has welcomed 87 new registrars to the program to help address the critical shortage of general practitioners in Queensland’s regional, rural and remote communities.
Registrars are medical graduates who are training to be GPs. JCU has prioritised new placements to fill GP shortages in towns such as Bowen, Sarina, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Monto, and Palm Island through Rural Training Enhancement initiatives.
The new additions bring the total cohort training with JCU in 2022 to 544 registrars. JCU GP Training Director, Associate Professor Dr Lawrie McArthur, said the new registrars would play an essential role in frontline healthcare across Queensland.
“These new doctors are fully qualified and bring to these communities their interests, specialised medical skills, and often their families,” he said.
“We have a technologically enabled, regionally distributed GP training model that aligns with the Queensland Health and Hospital Services districts.
“This means that we have locally based medical education teams in 11 rural training nodes across Queensland, who are connected and in tune with the needs of each community.”
The new registrars commenced training last week with a two-day workshop, which was moved online due to the impact of COVID-19 in the region.
They will be employed across hospitals, general practices, primary health care centres and Aboriginal Controlled Community health centres. JCU GP Training Principal Medical Educator Dr Paula Heggarty prepared the introductory workshop.
“JCU is adapting our education program to provide resources for doctors in their practices to ensure they’re available to provide care where it is needed - in the community,” she said.
“This includes training in the use of telehealth consultations, connectivity to others to find updated medical information and Zoom meetings for peer group training.”
New registrar, Dr Georgia Foley, will be training to be a GP at The Doctor House in Yungaburra on the Atherton Tablelands.
“The doctor-patient relationship and continuity of care were the stand-out aspects of the experience,” she said.
“You see the doctors here really getting out into the community, and it seems like a really good lifestyle. I remember thinking what a lovely community it was and that I could have a career here.”
“Following JCU GP training, I hope to be able to contribute to the community further through advanced training in obstetrics to be able to provide antenatal care to women and families in the region.”
