Support your registrar
Supporting your registrar’s wellbeing
It is appropriate for a supervisor to take an interest in and monitor the wellbeing of their registrar. The transition from hospital to general practice work can be stressful. For many registrars this is the first time they have had significant responsibility for patient care. Studies show that the highest levels of emotional distress in a doctor’s life occur early in their careers. Registrars value the supervisor’s experience and sage advice about the professional and ethical challenges of working as a GP and being a doctor in the community.
Registrars can lack influence in the general practice environment and about specific decisions that impact on them. You should check that your registrar is being treated equitably in the apportioning of in-hours and out-of-hours work. For example, they should not do any more out-of-hours than is expected of other GPs in your training site. You may need to advocate for the registrar to ensure that they have sufficient teaching time and clinical exposure to meet their educational needs.
While supervisors should not enter into a formal therapeutic relationship with their registrar, they play a vital role as a mentor and role model in promoting wellbeing. This includes actively encouraging and role modelling self-care and a healthy work–life balance. If you have concerns about your registrar’s wellbeing, please reach out to your local RACGP team for guidance and support.
For helpful information and a list of resources for registrars, refer to the Registrar safety and support section of the AGPT registrar handbook and the RACGP Wellbeing Hub.
Supporting a registrar who isn’t progressing as expected
Leaving the hospital system to become a general practice registrar is a difficult transition. With training program support registrars generally adapt well and progress through the training program.
For some registrars this adjustment is more difficult. As a supervisor, you are an important member of the education team and uniquely situated to identify these registrars at an early stage, through your close working relationship in the training site. Important sources of information about the registrar’s progress will come from patients, training site staff and colleagues as well as from your own monitoring of the registrar through formal teaching, corridor consultations, direct observation, and review of the registrar’s notes, prescribing and test ordering.
Communicate your concerns to the registrar in a timely manner, clearly and with compassion. This allows the registrar to become aware of any unrecognised learning needs, and with your support, adjust their learning plan to address these areas. The registrar’s local medical educator and/or training coordinator should also be notified about any relevant concerns with the registrar so that they can support both the registrar and you to address learning needs and monitor the registrar’s progress.
For more specific information on how to support International Medical Graduates (IMGs), please refer to a guide to understanding and managing performance concerns in international medical graduates.
GPSA also has useful information about performance management; refer to the GPSA website for more information.