March 2019

Welcome to the March edition of our newsletter.

Mad March is finally upon us with the Fringe Festival and Adelaide 500 in full swing. I hope you enjoy this lovely time of year and make the most of the exciting events happening in our backyard.

Your specialist in life: The latest phase of the RACGP’s community awareness campaign

Recently, many new changes have been made to the RACGP website. Not only has the general layout changed, but the latest phase of the RACGP’s now well-known ‘Your specialist in life’ campaign has also been launched. The campaign aims to improve community awareness of the RACGP, and the breadth and impact of the role of specialist GPs in the community. I encourage you all to have a look at this campaign and explore the new changes to the RACGP website.

Choose AGPT with the RACGP

Expressions of interest are now open for the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) for 2020. AGPT is a leading program for doctors who wish to pursue a career in general practice and has been in place since 1958. Since then, over 23,000 GPs have achieved their Fellowship. For more information, please view the AGPT webpage.

Grants and awards

The 2019 RACGP Foundation Grants and Awards opened recently. RACGP Foundation is passionate about the importance of research in general practice and continues to provide GPs and registrars with the opportunity to conduct research in primary healthcare. If you would like to apply for any of the grants and awards on offer this year, please refer to the RACGP Foundation website for more details.

QI&CPD

You may still need to meet your requirements for the Quality Improvement and Continuing Professional Development (QI&CPD) 2017–19 triennium. RACGP SA&NT will be offering numerous education events during the year. View these events on the RACGP SA&NT events calendar. 

I hope you are having a great month.

Dr Zakaria Baig
Chair, RACGP SA&NT

Saturday 16 March 2019

This full-day, interactive and hands-on workshop will cover the assessment and management of ear infections, ear pain, nasal obstruction and foreign bodies, vertigo and undifferentiated dizziness, ear and nose trauma, and hearing loss.

Presenters

• Dr Leslie Shaw – Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist
• Ms Edwina Reid – Neurophysiotherapist
• Mr Ron Kendall – Audiologist

 If you have any queries, please call Roberta Morris on 08 8267 8334 or email roberta.morris@racgp.org.au

Register now.

Saturday 6 April 2019

The ‘Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound for GPs’ workshop is a full-day, active learning module (ALM) that will increase your understanding of point-of-care ultrasound applications in the diagnostic process. Ultrasound experts will guide you through the diverse applications of point-of-care ultrasound in primary care services. You will be introduced to basic techniques using advanced, high-end mobile ultrasound equipment provided by our sponsor, Sonosite.
 
This ALM is accredited for 40 Category 1 QI&CPD points. It is also approved for all categories of the Rural Procedural Grants Program.
 
Register now.

RACGP SA&NT is pleased to congratulate the following GPs who attained RACGP Fellowship in February:

• Dr Mohd Irwan Abdul Hamid
• Dr Kosala Abeysundera
• Dr Mohammed Ahmed
• Dr Ali Altalebi
• Dr Nandar Aye
• Dr Chi Chi Chu
• Dr Jarrod De Jong
• Dr Radhika Dhulipudi
• Dr Sankalpa Gurung
• Dr Dev Markan
• Dr Pyae Maung
• Dr Theingi Oo
• Dr Than Htike Oo
• Dr Xiaoxian Pan
• Dr Ridhish Pitalia
• Dr Udupitiye Poddalgoda
• Dr Jasmine Pradhan
• Dr Olivia Rygorowicz
• Dr Madeleine Shepherd
• Dr Phoenix Smith
• Dr Farukh Tehseen
• Dr Kerry Whannel
• Dr Hein Zar Ni Wi

In each edition of the RACGP SA&NT newsletter, we will profile one of our Council members. This month, we shine the spotlight on Dr Chris Clohesy, Deputy Chair of RACGP SA&NT Council.

Chris currently works in the remote Aboriginal community, Maningrida, in the Northern Territory (NT). He started his medical career in the NT by working in Darwin Hospital and in many remote communities. He is currently the Senior Remote Medical Practitioner for Malala Aboriginal Health Service.

He and his wife, Stacey (also a GP), moved to South Australia while their children were in high school. Their children are now on their own career pathways, thus allowing Chris and Stacey the ability to pursue their careers in primary healthcare. Chris is passionate about delivering primary healthcare to remote communities in the NT and believes that of all the specialities in medicine, GPs are best placed to deliver primary healthcare to those communities.

Chris considers membership and involvement with the RACGP as being very important throughout his career, especially for advocacy, education and training – not just for himself, but for all the registrars and medical students he has supervised and examined over the years.

Chris says, ‘If there is one thing I would recommend to doctors who are just starting their career in general practice, it is to be a lifelong member of the RACGP. It is important to maintain the relationships with your GP colleagues and other members of the RACGP, and being a RACGP Council member definitely provides this opportunity.’

On behalf of the RACGP SA&NT, we thank Dr Chris Clohesy for sharing his story with us.

Assessment calendar 2019

A list of upcoming Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) exam-related events and key dates is available below. Up-to-date listings of the FRACGP exams are also available.

 NT pre-exam courses and events

 SA pre-exam courses and events

Thinking about a career in general practice or know someone who is? Expressions of interest are now open for the 2020 intake of the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program with the RACGP.

AGPT with the RACGP is a three to four year, full-time training program offered in metropolitan, rural, remote or very remote locations around Australia. It comprises hospital training, general practice placements and extended skills training.

During the 2020 intake, RACGP applicants will have the opportunity to express interest in undertaking Rural Generalist Training through the Fellowship in Advanced Rural General Practice (FARGP) while training towards Fellowship of the RACGP (FRACGP).

Applications open at 10.00 am AEDT, Monday 25 March 2019 at and will close at 10.00 am AEST, Monday 28 April 2019.

Express your interest to stay up to date with the latest information and resources.

This year, RACGP Foundation is proud to offer 16 research grants and awards to GPs and registrars. With the support of its funding partners, RACGP Foundation is able to provide these vital research grants each year.
 
The research conducted by the recipients of the RACGP Foundation grants contribute to advancing medical achievements within the general practice community. You could play a vital role in shaping the health of Australia. RACGP Foundation is where general practice research begins.
 
Online applications will close on Monday 6 May 2019.

Every day, you and your practice team are discovering ways to improve the quality of healthcare you provide to your patients.
 
If you can capture that improvement by describing, documenting and evaluating your practises, then you can use your experience to complete the quality improvement (QI) requirement for the QI&CPD 2017–19 triennium.
 
The following activity options capture quality improvement:
 
•           Small group learning (SGL)
•           Clinical audit
•           General practice research
•           Evidence-based medicine journal club (EBMJC)
•           Supervised clinical attachment (SCA)
•           Plan, do, study, act (PDSA)
•           Planning learning and need (PLAN)
•           Quality improvement reflection form
 
The RACGP is here to support you with meeting your QI&CPD requirements. If you require assistance, please contact us.

Most Australians enjoy one of the highest life expectancies of any country in the world, but this is not true for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
 
The Close the Gap campaign was established over a decade ago to work towards closing the health gap and achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equality within a generation. It has transformed from a popular movement into a force that has shaped government policy.
 
But, there is more to be done!

You can join in and support change during the National Close the Gap Day on Thursday 21 March 2019.

To participate, you can:

• register your own event
• attend a Close the Gap event in your area
• sign the online petition calling for action from governments, or
• share information with your networks via social media.

 
No matter how big or small, every action is important to help raise awareness.
 
For more information and advice, visit the Australians for native title and reconciliation website or email RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.

Developed and delivered by members of the RACGP Expert Committee – Practice Technology and Management (REC—PTM) and eHealth experts, the RACGP eHealth webinar series will present monthly webinars throughout 2019 on eHealth topics pertinent to general practice.

All webinars are accredited for two Category 2 QI&CPD points for the 2017–19 triennium and are free of charge for all participants.

Webinar recordings are made available via the RACGP website at the conclusion of each month’s sessions.

Join in the exciting new program changes for GP19 supporting 'Your patients. Your community. Your solutions'.  Session submissions are now open – this is your chance to be a part of something innovative.

With the introduction of new and dynamic delivery styles, such as 'wisdom in small episodes' or WISE, PechaKucha and speed-dating style presentations, there will be an exciting range of hands-on, interactive and engaging program sessions.

Session submissions close at 12.00 am AEST, Tuesday 30 April 2019. To learn how you can be a part of GP19, visit the GP19 website.

Multi-drug resistant (MDR) Shigella

The Communicable Disease Control Branch (CDCB) recently issued a Public health alert noting an increase of MDR Shigella sonnei biotype G cases in Adelaide, in men who have sex with men (MSM). Please request faecal culture and sensitivity testing on all persons presenting with diarrhoea who identify as MSM. Antibiotics are recommended for treatment of Shigella gastroenteritis.

Syphilis outbreak extends to Adelaide

Another Public health alert advised that a syphilis outbreak affecting mainly rural and remote Aboriginal communities had extended to Adelaide, with 15 cases notified in Adelaide in the last six months. The alert provides advice on syphilis testing and treatment for Aboriginal people and their partners.
 
For more information on communicable diseases, visit the Communicable Disease Control Branch website or call 1300 232 272.

The Know your options website provides individuals, families and health professionals with information about alcohol and other drug treatment and support services that are available in South Australia.
 
The website is evidence based and has had a positive impact on people seeking information, particularly for people in regional and remote areas when access to information may be limited.

The website includes:

• a service directory
• information about alcohol and other drug treatment options for individuals, families and health professionals
• A link to 24/7 online counselling
• information about selecting a service.