Dr Angelina Salamone

Can you share a bit about your background and what led you to your role as RACGP Regional Director of Training?

I’ve been part of general practice for over 34 years and a proud RACGP member for even longer – now honoured as a Life Member and Life Fellow. My journey in medical education began in 2001 at the RACGP, where I discovered a passion for assessment and accreditation. I’ve held various leadership roles across Victorian Metropolitan Alliance GP training and Murray City Country Coast GP training, helping shape training programs, accreditation processes, and standards. Becoming Regional Director of Training for Victoria was a natural progression. I truly enjoy working in this space – it’s a privilege to collaborate with so many dedicated and inspiring people across our profession. 

Dr Anne Saunders

Tell us about where you practice, and some of the other roles you have?

I work part time as a general practitioner in private practice. I see a wide variety of patients in this role including offering addiction medicine services depending on clinical need. I also have the privilege of working in a tertiary emergency department as a consultant GP part time. I am the immediate past co-chair of the RACGP Victoria Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Committee and was in this role for four years. As an RACGP educator, I teach medication assisted treatment for opioid dependence and the family violence program.
 

Dr Antony Bolton

What motivated you to get involved in the AOD space alongside your work in general practice?

As a kid I watched family members struggle with alcohol dependence and face some pretty harsh treatment, including from healthcare providers. At the time I didn’t understand why there seemed to be nothing that could be done to help them. So, I think the curiosity has been there for a long time, and after I left emergency medicine I had the opportunity to do an unaccredited post in addiction medicine and really loved the work. So, I knew before starting GP training that I would sub-specialise and look to undergo further training.

Dr Catherine Sloan

What was the transition to practising medicine in Australia like for you as an international medical graduate?

Hard work at first. We arrived in Melbourne in January 2020, just in time for COVID-19. One effect of COVID-19 was that clinics weren’t taking on any new GPs, and I needed a new clinic because the IMG rules had just changed – meaning that I was unable to work in the clinic where I’d been offered a place. I had 10 months of being a stay-at-home mum before my first day of work.

And then, on the first day, I felt like a new trainee all over again, having to ask for help with every patient, about real basics: drug doses, the referral system, how to book a follow-up appointment with me. But my supervisors were friendly and generous with their advice, and the human body is the same whichever country you’re in, so I soon started feeling more at home.

Dr Edmund Poliness

What advice would you offer to GPs who are interested in getting involved in this area or supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health?

It’s amazing and so worth giving it a go; either as part of your training or at any stage of your career, using the supports and resources available to GPs who are keen to get involved. ACCHOs have a focus on team-based care within the community and look to GPs to use your skills and work with others – offering holistic care while considering the community and environment.

I’ve loved the humour and support that I’ve experienced over the last 25 years working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities around Australia, and the ongoing, dynamic learning that is part of my clinical work every day

Dr Edward Vergara

What initially motivated you to consider joining RACGP Victoria Council? 

I have been involved with the RACGP Victoria Council for many years now so trying to look back on the motivation to join is getting hazy. I nominated and was elected on to the council soon after getting my FRACGP. I wanted to be involved in the College, so that made a lot of sense to me. For me it was about being able to contribute to the profession in a different capacity and being able to provide a voice. Since then, I have been part of the Council in different capacities; as a general member, as a Victoria New Fellows Chair and currently as the Victorian Censor.

Dr Marita Long

What message would you like to share with other women GPs this International Women’s Day?

Your work matters. The relational, preventive and holistic care you provide shapes families and communities in ways that are often unseen but profoundly important. Back yourself and recognise your leadership – whether in your consulting room, your practice, medical education, or policy advocacy. Support one another and seek mentors. Advocate for flexibility and sustainability across the different stages of life and career. We know equity doesn’t happen by accident; it requires persistence and collective effort. This International Women’s Day, celebrate how far we’ve come, acknowledge the work still to do, and remember that your voice and expertise are essential to the future of general practice.

Dr Matthew Suen

What does becoming a Fellow of the RACGP mean to you?

Becoming a Fellow of the RACGP was a proud moment for me. It represented years of hard work, learning, and growth as a doctor. More than just passing exams, fellowship felt like recognition that I had developed the skills and confidence needed to practise independently as a GP. It also reinforced the responsibility we have to provide high-quality, patient-centred care. Fellowship marked the beginning of a new stage in my career and opened opportunities in teaching, research, and leadership.

Dr Yota Yoshimitsu

What was your journey to become a GP?

I work as a GP in Geelong and Spotswood. I’m also medical educator with the RACGP VIC South West medical education team, and Co-Chair of the Victorian New Fellows Committee along with my colleague Dr Seung-Hoon Baek, and our fellow committee members. I was an optometrist for about 15 years before I did medicine. I started off going through physician training, but then I “saw the light” and decided that general practice was a more suitable pathway for me in terms of my interests and personality.

Dr Yousuf Ahmad

What was your journey to become a GP?

My journey spans across three different continents. I graduated in Pakistan, and in my early career I moved to South Africa and Zimbabwe where I worked in rural and regional areas for seven years as a procedural GP. That was my goal, to be a rural generalist. When I moved to Australia in 2000, I first moved to Queensland, where I was also a procedural GP. Then in 2003, I moved to Sale where I continue to work as a Rural Generalist, with a focus on small town rural generalism, palliative care and mental health.