GP15 Academic Session: Honouring GP achievements

The first major event of the GP15 Conference for General Practice took place last night with the Academic Session, Fellowship and Awards Ceremony. The evening began with a Welcome to Country from Carolyn Briggs, a Boon Wurrung Elder and representative of the Boon Wurrung Foundation, before RACGP President Dr Frank R Jones officially opened the Academic Session.

The event provided the RACGP with the opportunity to recognise the achievements of its members. The next generation of GPs was also showcased with the induction of more than 160 New Fellows.

Some of the major award winners of the night included:

• The Rose-Hunt Award – Emeritus Professor Max Kamien, WA
• The Brian Williams Award – Dr Ken Wanguhu, SA
• General Practitioner of the Year Award – Dr Kean-Seng Lim, NSW
• General Practice Supervisor of the Year Award – Dr Cathryn Milligan, WA
• General Practice Registrar of the Year Award – Dr Ashlea Broomfield, NSW
• General Practice of the Year Award – Collie River Valley Medical Centre, WA

‘I would like to congratulate all GP15 award winners,’ Dr Jones told Good Practice. ‘Each has made a significant contribution to Australian general practice and they represent the best of what we strive for.

‘General practice has been enriched by their dedication and hard work. They are true assets and a source of inspiration to their patients and the profession.’

Dr Alessandro Demaio, a Melbourne-born doctor with a special interest in non-communicable diseases and global health who is visiting from Harvard Medical School, delivered the 44th William Arnold Conolly Oration at the Academic Session. In his presentation, ‘Tomorrow’s challenges are today’s mandate: Leveraging impact through practice’, he challenged today’s GPs to ‘empower change and be spokespeople for their patients’ on the three great global challenges: climate change; non-communicable diseases; and social, economic and health inequalities.

‘You are a formidable force for change,’ Dr Demaio told GPs in the audience. ‘Primary health has to be the platform [to make changes] and general practice needs to take the lead.

‘You cannot underestimate your ability to advocate for your patients.’

With the GP15 program getting underway today at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Day 1 has much to offer. Dr Demaio will again address the conference, delivering this year’s keynote address – ‘Rethinking the future of general practice’. The editors of Australian Family Physician, the RACGP’s peer-reviewed medical journal, will be meeting delegates from 12.30–1.30 pm at the RACGP booth in the exhibition hall, followed by an oral session in Room 219 at 3.00 pm. Look out for members of the RACGP’s Publications Unit throughout the conference at the dedicated lounge near the registration desk. 

For further information about the conference, please visit racgpconference.com.au or download the app from Google play or the App store.

Plans are also underway for next year’s conference, GP16, to be held in Perth, Western Australia, from 29 September to 1 October. Prospective delegates can register their interest online at gp16.com.au