Darwin Wrap Up
Leonie Chamberlain shares her thoughts on GPSA's participation at AAPM and RMA24 as GPSA COO and Director, Practice Manager and AAPM member.
October saw a very hot and humid two weeks for the GPSA team in Darwin.
In week 1, GPSA PM Lead Jen Flakemore and I attended the Australian Association of Practice Managers (AAPM) national conference. In GPSA’s second year as exhibitors, our goal was to reconnect with the many PMs we met in 2023, encourage them to fully utilise the resources on the GPSA community platform including the newly released NTCER employment templates and tools, and to cheer on Namarata Malhotra – who was representing Victoria in the AAPM Practice Manager of the Year.
Tuesday night we had a very well attended GPSA networking event: not only the ‘usual suspects’ but some of our guests were new to the crew! It was great to see the new networks being formed around the tables. As Practice Managers, life can be lonely - we are often the only practice member who is not part of a bigger team - but the GPSA Practice Manager Community is the place to be, both in person when opportunities arise and on the GPSA Community platform!
Over the next 3 days, the booth was buzzing – Practice Managers from all over the country were making the most of the opportunity to catch up, ask questions and make new friends.
The highlight of the conference for me was Nam being awarded AAPM National Practice Manager of the Year. When the GPSA team first met Nam in late 2023, it was obvious to us that this was a young lady who will achieve a great deal in her professional life. To be there to see her being presented with this award was a privilege (and a tear jerker). Congratulations, Nam – I am sure that this is only the beginning.
In week 2, the GPSA team grew as Jen returned to a cooler clime and CEO Carla Taylor, Chair Dr Srishti Dutta, Education Manager Dr Simon Morgan and Director of Research and Policy A/Prof Samia (‘Sami’) Toukhsati lobbed in for RMA24. In a whirlwind 3 days, the team:
● presented ‘Fun and games!’ – a workshop demonstrating how to use games for teaching core general practice skills. Simon was able to showcase ‘Consultation!’ – the Board Game that brings real life GP scenarios into the Supervisor’s toolkit - and GPSA’s online version of the Clinical Reasoning Game
● hosted the RMA Supervisor’s lunch – a great time for supervisors past and present to catch up with each other and on all the latest tips, tricks and trends in supervision
● presented a poster – ‘GP placements in rural, regional, and remote practices: perspectives of supervision teams’. Sami explained the perspectives of supervision teams hosting learners in rural, regional and remote training practices and factors linked to their continuation in the future
● facilitated a workshop introducing the GPCLE tool for practices to use as they assess, monitor and strive for excellent training quality in rural and remote training settings. Sami and Simon presented the tool and then guided small group discussions of the tool as a means of supporting and showcasing excellent quality learning environments.
Supervisor's Networking Lunch
Whilst this was happening, I had the opportunity to engage with supervisors, doctors in many stages of training and other exhibitors at our booth. Along the way, we were able to demonstrate our wonderful resources - ‘Consultation!’, Scenario, the GPSA app that provides medical educators with a library of scenarios to assist with engaging learners, and ScenarioEd: the learner-facing app that builds on Scenario. ScenarioEd takes Scenario beyond the realm of flash cards and provides learners with a digital log book and a global community of practice while offering educators the means to remotely teach and assess medical students, prevocational doctors and registrars.
Carla and Srishti did what they do so well – engaging with members and stakeholders and identifying new opportunities for GPSA as we continue to establish our value outside of the AGPT program.
I was also lucky enough to meet some native Territorians – the reptile variety that are not everyone’s favourite creatures. I am in awe of their grace and beauty.
After 14 days, I was pleased to return home to Melbourne, put on a jumper, hug the family, and reflect on a whirlwind trip that had so many, many highs and not one low!
Thanks to everyone who stopped by and chatted with us – and to the amazing conference organisers and venue management and staff who ensured that we were well looked after.
A couple of weeks at home and then the next adventures begin for the GPSA team – back to Darwin for the 28th Australian and New Zealand Prevocational Medical Education Forum (where we will be co-hosting a stand with GPRA), Creswick for the Deakin University GP Supervisor Workshop, then Perth for the RACGP annual GP Conference ‘GP24’, and rounding out the year with PRIDoC 24 – the Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress – presented by Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (‘AIDA’) in Adelaide.
Please make sure you come to see us if your own travels take you to any of these special destinations this side of Christmas!