Supporting the Supporters: Inside the SLO Experience of Dr James Best

As a Supervisors Liaison Officer, Dr James Best plays a vital role behind the scenes supporting, advocating for, and connecting those who guide the next generation of GPs. His journey reflects the heart of what it means to support the supporters.

We caught up with James in the lead-up to the ACRRM Supervisors Summit, taking place in Sydney from 13–15 August. As the Summit’s MC, James plays an important role and we look forward to seeing him bring his energy and insight to the event.

How did your journey into the SLO role begin? What drew you to it?

"I became a supervisor fairly early in my career when I was about 30 years old. Not long after, I stepped into a supervisor educator role with GP Synergy. That was quite a while ago now. I remember Jeremy Bunker, who was Director of Training at the time, asking me to take it on. Honestly, I don’t think any of us really knew what that role looked like back then, but I said yes, and I found I really enjoyed it.

"What’s always drawn me in is the theory behind supervision; the techniques, the intellectual side of helping someone learn to teach well. There’s real skill involved in being a good supervisor, and I’ve always liked helping others see that. I stayed in that space for many years with GP Synergy, and when the colleges took over training, I moved across to ACRRM, where I’ve been for the past three or four years. Altogether, I’ve been in supervisor education for over 20 years now.

"I’ve always loved being a supervisor. Having registrars come through - many of them inspiring, full of ideas, fresh from the hospital system as it brings great energy to the practice. The challenge is helping them take that knowledge and start becoming a GP. I especially enjoy working with first-term registrars; that transition is such a formative time.

"What really motivates me is sharing that passion with other supervisors. Too often supervision is seen as just another task, but to me it can be one of the most rewarding parts of the job. That’s what pushes my buttons, as they say."

Can you describe in your own words what your job as SLO is?

"I have to smile when people use the term Supervisor Liaison Officer, because to me, it’s not really about “liaising.” That word suggests negotiation or managing conflict between parties. What I actually do is support. And that support can take many forms, often unpredictable and highly varied, depending on the individual supervisor, practice, or registrar.

"It’s rarely just about teaching clinical content. The issues supervisors bring are often tied to the broader domains of general practice: professionalism, ethics, communication, cultural safety, rural and remote contexts. Supporting a supervisor might mean helping them navigate those challenges just as much as educational ones.

"My role is to listen, understand what’s going on, and then figure out how I can help. That might be
problem-solving, mentoring, connecting people, or just being a sounding board.

"The reality is, there’s no one way to do this job. When new SLOs ask, “What exactly are we meant to be doing?”, it’s hard to define. The work is often reactive, responding to needs as they arise, but it can also involve proactive outreach, education delivery, or simply checking in. What an SLO does depends on their strengths, the needs in their region, and the time and resources available.

At its core, the role is about helping supervisors feel supported - professionally and personally - so they can do their job well.

In what ways have your past experiences prepared you for the work that you're doing now as an SLO?

"My role shifted significantly when I moved into a rural and remote training organisation. Suddenly, I was supporting rural generalists; doctors training in anaesthetics, emergency medicine, obstetrics and while I have advanced skills in paediatrics and am now a FACRRM fellow, I did feel a touch of imposter syndrome at first. I was teaching the general practice side of rural generalism, which is a huge and essential part of what they do.

"It took some time to adjust and recognise that I do have validity in this space, even if I haven’t worked in some of the more remote or resource-limited settings my registrars are heading into. The experience has been eye-opening and inspiring. Seeing what’s possible in those contexts has deepened my respect for the breadth of rural practice.

"The SLO role, in whatever form it's taken over the years, is really about problem-solving. The challenges vary, sometimes it's the dynamic between supervisor and registrar, sometimes between the registrar and patients, or even issues within the practice itself. Entering a new environment as an SLO is both a diagnostic and a therapeutic process: What’s going on here? And how can I help?

"It’s rarely just about clinical knowledge. More often, it's about communication, relationships, and how people work together especially in smaller, more isolated teams. So, the ability to listen, understand context, and support people through complex interpersonal and professional challenges has been essential.

What does GPSA bring to its members and what would you say is the most compelling reason for supervisors to join GPSA?

"I think GPSA’s two biggest strengths are its resources and its collegiality.

"The people behind GPSA do a fantastic job producing high-quality, up-to-date materials that are genuinely useful, whether you're a supervisor or in an SLO role. These resources are practical, relevant, and make an excellent reference point for day-to-day supervision.

"But beyond that, it's the sense of connection. You engage with other supervisors and educators - online through forums, at college or national conferences, and during education sessions like webinars and tutorials. That shared experience, that collegial support, really matters.

"I’d encourage every supervisor to join GPSA as it’s an invaluable source of support and connection in what can sometimes be a pretty isolating role.

What aspect of GPSA's work do you personally value the most?

"For me, it’s the opportunity to be involved in developing and delivering materials, especially in collaboration with people like Simon Morgan that I really enjoy. That’s where I get the most personal satisfaction.

"I also regularly use GPSA resources when preparing my own education sessions, whether for ACRRM or elsewhere. It’s become my go-to place for anything related to supervision. The resources are practical, well-developed by experienced educators, and they really stand the test of time.

"What I also value is the sense of community. In this supervisor and educator space, it’s often the same familiar faces - people who’ve been doing this for years, sometimes decades. Whether it's at conferences, meetings, or webinars, you see those same names and faces again and again. It’s not a huge group, but it’s a strong, connected one.

"So it’s like a family. A community of practice that shares knowledge and supports each other."

What are some of the biggest challenges facing supervisors today?

"The biggest challenge, especially in rural Australia, is simply access to registrars. That’s what most supervisors will say first: “I really want to supervise; I’ve enjoyed it in the past—but I haven’t had a registrar in years.” The further you are from metro centres, the harder it gets. It's not just a training issue; it' s a broader workforce and profession-wide problem. That said, I’ve noticed a slight improvement in the past year or two, which is encouraging.

Once a registrar is in place, there are different challenges. Thankfully college-led training models offer solid resources and support for supervisors but not everyone knows what's available. That’s where SLOs come in, helping bridge that gap.

"Then there are the broader changes happening across general practice: the rise of AI, the shift to
telehealth, ongoing funding changes, and the increasing involvement of other health professions in primary care. These trends are reshaping how we work and how we supervise. It can be tricky, especially for those of us who’ve been in the game for 20 or 30 years, to keep pace with such rapid change.

"Supervision today isn’t what it was a decade ago. General practice is evolving, some of it for the better, some of it more challenging, and supervisors are navigating all of that while continuing to support the next generation.

A final message to fellow supervisors

"A message my SLO colleagues and I have championed for years is that supervisors matter. They are the most important part of registrar training acting as the eyes and ears of the training organisation on the ground.

"Unlike many countries, our model has registrars working as employees, often generating income for their supervisors, who are also their educators. That means the bulk of meaningful learning, up to 90%, should happen in-practice with the supervising team. While colleges and training organisations acknowledge this, the message doesn't always land, and there can be a perception of disconnect, of being told what to do from afar. We’re working to break down that barrier. The message is: we’re here to help you do this well.

Return to the August enewsletter