Dr Eliza Hannam comes from a family of GPs
My father and grandfather were both GPs in a small, family-run practice, so I grew up seeing it as a rewarding career, and with realistic expectations about working in General Practice.
I have wanted to work as a GP since early in medical school, and applied for training in my first year out. Since starting work in the community, I haven't looked back!
Starting work in primary care has been the highlight of my career and education so far. It is a privilege to have patients confide and trust in me as a doctor, and to be able to help them with conditions and problems that affect their every-day lives.
I particularly enjoy the continuity of care in general practice. A great example is consulting a woman for preconception advice, then providing obstetric shared care during her pregnancy, through to seeing her and her baby for two and six-week post-natal checks, and then continuing to look after the woman and baby into the future.
I also enjoy patient education and practicing preventative health. Empowering patients in this way is incredibly rewarding.
Sometimes the scope of practice can be overwhelming – trying to keep on top of the huge range of conditions that we see and manage is certainly challenging. It can also be challenging to work within the confines of 15 minute appointments. Only so much can be done in this time!
My advice to patients is, with the help of your GP, specialists and allied health, take control and responsibility of your health. You only get one body, and it pays to look after it as well as you can.