GP and Patient Teaching Partnerships an Exciting View to the Future of Medicine in the Illawarra
More than 60 GPs in the Illawarra region have enthusiastically agreed to supervise the first cohort of medical students studying through the Wollongong University Graduate School of Medicine (GSM). 80 students will begin their four year journey of learning and development at the GSM during phase 1 of the program beginning February 2007 with 56 of those to be placed in our Illawarra General Practices.
Approximately 115 GPs have been awarded honorary academic appointment to the University of Wollongong. These appointments will see GPs involved in lecturing and tutoring medical students as well as providing clinical demonstrations to enhance student learning. 60 of these GPs have taken the extra step to provide their time, energy and expertise to engage students through clinical supervision in the field. The University's acknowledgement of the professionalism and expertise held by our GPs is an honour well deserved. GPs have been working long hours to be able to meet the health and wellbeing needs of our ever expanding community base in line with our ever shrinking medical workforce.
The enthusiasm and contribution GPs are making to the development of the GSM and indeed to the ongoing success of the GSM is an investment in a long term solution to workforce shortage.
"Your medical school, your general practice is the theme GPs are adopting across the Illawarra" says Dr Fiona Brown, a local GP who will be supervising medical school students within her practice from early next year.
"The opportunity to teach medical professionals of the future is very exciting. I see it as a chance for both my patients and I to teach the doctors of tomorrow about quality patient care. I believe that patients will feel empowered through this experience as they make a very worthwhile contribution. This is important as they are central to the success of this program."
"I have already begun to build a list of my patients who I think will benefit from working with the new students. Needless to say 2007 will be a very exciting time for General Practice," said Dr Brown.
Local consumers agree that there part in teaching the new medical graduates is an important one. Helen Gapps the chair of the Illawarra Division of General Practice's Consumer Consultative Committee is an avid supporter of the GSM and of the role that the local doctors and their patients will play.
"We the patients have a lot to offer in preparing medical students for the real world. We provide a unique opportunity for these students to put in to practice what they are being taught. I really like the idea that I am somehow apart of the whole teaching and learning experience, and that some day, what I have helped teach the medical students will make them better doctors," said Ms Gapps.
Professor John Hogg of the Wollongong University also believes that the team of GPs and their patients are critical to the success of the GSM. " GPs and their patients teaching students in the general practice environment is the optimal opportunity to help students integrate their knowledge of basic and clinical sciences with actual real clinical experience."
"We have been overwhelmed with the enthusiastic response from our local GPs regarding their commitment to the GSM. Their experience and expertise is highly valued and indeed will play a crucial role in the development of future doctors for our region, said Prof Hogg.
