For the first time in many years NTGPE has successfully filled its GP Registrar quota for 2013, filling all 28 places on offer and potentially having another four ADF Registrars transfer in above that.

NTGPE is also on track from current indications to fill its PGPPP quota and has also filled all John Flynn Program Placements (medical students).

cultural immersion camp 2011, Woodygupildiyerr

The Northern Territory is increasingly being seen as a primary option for a rewarding, stimulating and fully supported training placement by emerging Doctors keen to embrace leadership in primary and remote health care. NTGPE, the NT’s regional General Practice training provider, continues to focus initiative, effort and resources into ensuring the cultural, clinical and personal safety of all participants whilst out on remote placements and will continue to pave the way to offer the best training placement experience possible in some of the most scenic, remote and unique parts of Australia.

NTGPE was recently successful in their submission for a percentage of the increased nation-wide Federal Government funding towards Indigenous Health Training for 2013 and beyond and upcoming participants with an interest in this area can look forward to unparalleled training opportunity, variety and support. These additional funds will be used to deliver enhanced training in at least 15 NT Indigenous Health Post sites and increase frequency of NTGPE staff visits to the 30 GP Registrars in these sites and their Supervisors. It will also enhance the ability to offer housing for these posts, infrastructure in a number of clinics and improved cultural education including additional workshops, a cultural immersion camp for Registrars and an ongoing AMSANT/NTGPE liaison role.

Previous Prevocational General Practice Placement Program (PGPPP) participants have advised that in order for a remote Northern Territory placement to be rewarding and positively impacting, they need to feel safe in their environment.

NTGPE, the NT’s regional training provider that coordinates the PGPPP placements, has been working with PGPPP participants and remote clinics throughout 2012 to address previous safety concerns to provide a safe, supported and richly rewarding experience for all participants.

Dr Jacqueline Murdoch, Dr Sally Banfield, Dr Rosie Rock and Dr Pasqualina Coffey, in association with the Junior Medical Officer Forum NT, have conducted a survey of those participants who completed their placements between July and October 2012, to assess the new levels of perceived cultural, clinical and personal safety whilst on remote placements.

Reassuringly, 91% of the survey respondents advised they were happy with the level of clinical supervision, be it on site or via phone, with all indicating they enjoyed the independence of General Practice.

88% of respondents were largely very happy with the overall orientation provided by NTGPE, with no participants feeling they had inadequate cultural orientation by the NTGPE cultural education team prior to placement.

The participants reported good access to safe exercise conditions (95%), healthy food (95%), someone to socialise with (100%) and someone to debrief challenging situations with (91% in person, 9% over the phone). Accommodation was more of an issue, with 23% (5/22) of respondents reporting that their accommodation was inappropriate or unsafe, and NTGPE will allocate further resources to addressing these concerns throughout 2013.

Overall, an impressive 70% said they were positively influenced by their placement and were likely to want to work in the NT in the future. With the highest ever number of participants applying for and being accepted into NTGPE John Flynn Placement Program (medical students), PGPPP and GPR placements for 2013, this shows a positive trend that more Doctors are recognising the opportunity, support and rewards available with both training in and returning to practice in the unique NT.

For more survey results, click here to view the presentation poster (powerpoint format) presented by the Junior Medical Officer Forum NT at the Prevocational ME Forum in Perth earlier this week.

Photo taken by PGPPP Doctor whilst on placement at Nguiu

Associate Professor Dr Elizabeth Chalmers was awarded the prestigious annual Geoffrey Marel Medal at the 17th National Prevocational Medical Education Forum in Perth earlier this week.

The Geoffrey Marel Medal honours exceptional contributions made to prevocational medical education and training in Australia and New Zealand. The Award is made by the Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Council in consultation with the State and Territory Post Graduate Medical Councils.

Elizabeth has made a solid and consistent contribution to rural GP training, public health and Indigenous health matters. She is Chair of the NT Postgraduate Medical Council and of the board of the Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Councils (CPMEC), on the board of GPET and is a nominee of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. She is also a long time GP committed to the NT.

NTGPE congratulates Dr Chalmers on her award and all achievements to date.

NTGPE staff and attending members of AMSANT were educated and entertained by the NTGPE Cultural Education team who led a cultural bush medicine and tucker walk through the native scrub near Charles Darwin University campus in Darwin. By using modern day non-Indigenous interpretations to mimic the healing and edible components found on bush plants, the team provided humourous equivalents of the sandpaper fig, soap bush, native grape vine, Kakadu plums and Pandanus Spiralis seeds (they taste like peanuts!).

Senior Aboriginal Cultural Educator Richard Fejo presents a conveniently packaged alternative to the traditional components taken from the soap bush, or Acacia colei.

The bushwalk provided the opportunity for staff to discuss the soon to be released NTGPE Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and create awareness amongst staff of the opportunities and responsibilities the RAP will bring to the organisation. The RAP is due to be launched on 23 Jan 2013.

GP Registrars in the NT got the opportunity to improve their fine motor skills at last week’s GP Registrar Conference (at Charles Darwin University, Darwin) on a rather unappealing but very practical medium - pigs trotters! Incisions, stitches, skin grafts and injections were some of the staple techniques practiced during one of several workshops run over the three day conference hosted by NTGPE. Held twice a year, this conference provides up-skilling opportunities and insights into the latest medical developments and allows a great opportunity for the Territory’s developing Doctors to connect and collaborate. NTGPE’s Cultural Educators also presented an Indigenous Health Training workshop with a focus on awareness, open mindedness and the development of work tools to improve communication when interacting with Indigenous people.

Dr Jacqueline Boyd, Dr Andre Martyres and Dr Justine O’Shea discuss technique

perfecting technique on pig feet

The Management Excellence Awards Gala 2012, held at the Darwin Convention Centre on Saturday 28 October and hosted by the Australian Institute of Management, acknowledged exceptional Managers throughout the NT.

Territory Medical Group Managing Director and NTGPE Practice Liaison Officer Amalie Andropov was recognised for her demonstrated managerial ability and achievements by being awarded the Owner/Manager of the Year Award at the prestigious event.

This award recognises:

• Management excellence and ongoing best practice in their own business
• Survival strategies for the continuation and/or growth of the business
• Effective communication of their organisation’s goals and vision to all stakeholders
• Leadership and/or mentoring capabilities
• Demonstrated financial success

NTGPE is pleased to have Amalie working alongside to develop relationships and interactions with Practices and Supervisors and this award is testament to the great commitment and energy she has shown not only in her own business but in sharing her knowledge with others working with NTGPE

Over 120 nominations were received for the awards across four categories and NTGPE congratulates all the nominees and winners.

Amalie Andropov at the 2012 Management Excellence Awards

For more information and photos visit www.aimnt.com.au