Rose-Hunt and General Practice Supervisor of the Year

‘I often get asked and I always find it hard to answer. I thrive on the comprehensive and continuous care that I can provide in my practice,’ Dr Knowles, the 2017 recipient of the RACGP’s Rose-Hunt Award, told Good Practice. ‘I see a lot of people with diabetes and we run a dedicated nurse-led clinic at our practice, I see a lot of patients with haemochromatosis and manage their venesections, I do dedicated travel sessions.

‘My community influences my skillset.’

This attitude also influences Dr Knowles’ approach to education, especially fitting given his is also the RACGP’s 2017 General Practice Supervisor of the Year.

‘I want to inspire our medical students and registrars, just as I have been inspired by my mentors,’ he said.
As a person who describes himself as ‘not someone who likes the limelight’, Dr Knowles took the news of winning the Rose-Hunt, the RACGP’s highest accolade, in his stride, though the significance of the award was certainly not lost on him.

‘I am honoured and humbled that my peers and the RACGP would deem I was worthy of this award. Many of my GP heroes and mentors are previous winners of this prestigious award and to be included on a list with them is hard to fathom,’ he said. ‘I am actually delighted that my college would have chosen someone who works more in the background and whose primary job is at the coalface.

‘I think for every member who is out there working with their communities, this year’s award is a recognition of what they do, because that is what I do and I know this is valued by our college and our Council.’

While the Rose-Hunt is a major honour, acknowledgement as a general practice supervisor ‘sits most comfortably’.

‘To be recognised for this role is a great honour,’ Dr Knowles said. ‘Our practice creates an environment where everyone aims to be the mentor, and we create an environment where medical students, registrars, nursing students and pharmacy students feel comfortable to ask any question, challenge themselves and learn.

‘Is does not take long for everyone to realise they are teachers themselves. I am taught something new every time I turn up to work.’
 
 

GP17