Doctors keep coming back! - ntgpe

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RACGP Annual Scientific ConventionIntroducing May Rosas - Cultural Mentor (Katherine) presenting at the RACGP Annual Scientific Convention,Darwin September/October 2005.The following articles present two views on the RACGP Annual Scientific Convention.The Convention was held over4 days and offered a very fullprogram. There were speakers at thestart and end of each day, and morningand afternoon sessions running inbetween. At any one time, one couldchoose from several different 2-hourworkshops, procedural skills sessionsor two different rooms which ran 15-minute presentations of scientificpapers on a wide range of issues andresearch. A difficult choice every day!attended a mixture of longerI workshops and busy presentationsessions, and found the few daysreally inspiring. The most powerfulmessages I noticed about the wholeconvention were the very strongvisibility of Aboriginal issues, and thevery positive presentation of ruraland remote health practice. Throughseveral keynote speeches andsessions, a very positive impressionof life as a more remote GP in the NTwas made. I found it very appropriatethat all these issues were so stronglytabled; the Territory location really wassetting the scene for the conventionattendees to come and get a dose ofreal life stories from the NT. I felt veryproud to be a Territory GP and to seethe NT network of GPs and registrarstalking so passionately about their workand lifestyle, and to see Aboriginalwellbeing strongly prioritized. Thetopics covered throughout the 4days were very diverse and revealedthe variety of research and projectsbeing undertaken by GPs Australiawide.I knew GPs who attended onlythe medicolegal sessions, otherswho used it as an opportunity todo Emergency Life Support Skillstraining. People were brushing up onsuturing skills, learning how to set uptheir own general practice, learninghow to get published in a medicaljournal and being taught guidelinesto manage families experiencingdomestic violence.There was a myriad of papersto listen to about anything fromasthma to computer programs. Panelsdiscussed political hot topics andmade College commitments to moveforward on issues such as supportingInternational Medical Graduates. Itappeared to be a forum for GPs togenuinely influence the RACGP andhave a say.NTGPE was represented not only inthe audience but through severalspeakers on stage and in a displaybooth, where admin and support staffdid a great job promoting NTGPE andhanding out the only healthy foodsnacks in sight! Ada Parry’s keynotespeech had the large audience inthe Darwin Entertainment Centrespellbound as she shared her family’sstory, as well as her very astuteobservations from years of workingcross-culturally. Penny, Kevin andLatisha Petterson ran a full-day culturalsafety training workshop, developedby ACWA. NTGPE Registrar DebbieStach was commemorated througha Memorial Presentation speech(unfortunately cancelled but planned tocontinue in the future). Other NTGPEfigures (past and present) who madesignificant contributions through theirspeeches or presentations includedDoug Lloyd, Ngaire Brown, SimonMorgan, Danielle Esler, registrarSara Renwick-Lau, Sam Heard, PaulBurgess, Fay Johnston, GP TrainerLionel Crompton and Emma Kennedy(Chair of the organising committee).For me, the Convention was agreat exposure for Australian GPsto Territory and remote health, andAboriginal cultural and health issues.It reinvigorated my feelings for generalpractice, made me feel proud to bean NT GP, and made me appreciatethe diversity and passion of generalpractitioners.Dr Danielle Stewart Medical EducatorJunior Dr Wellbeing ProjectNorthern Territory General Practice Education - Newsletter Page 4
RACGP Annual Scientific ConventionThis year was the firsttime I attended a RACGPASC. The following is somehonest feed<strong>back</strong> about myexperiences at the conference.My first impression of the ASCwas reading the outline for theconference and then ofcourse seeing howmuch it would affectmy hip pocket. Realitybeen it not only coststo attend but also youincur the cost of a lostday’s work. The twoissues combined, I couldactually only justify goingto the one day-Friday 30 thSeptember. I rocked up at8.30, a little bit nervous andalso a tad excited. After all,this is my future college’speak annual conference.The day started with agood laugh when I waspresented with my showbag and also a largeumbrella, the sort moreaccustomed tobeen usedon a golftee. Maybeit reflectedthe average pastime of generalpractitioners? The morning plenarysession was spent listening to JohnSalinsky and Ada Parry, tellingtheir life stories. Both were veryinteresting and Ada’s talk was byfar the highlight of the day.Kathy Jannis - Program Manager at the NTGPE trade exhibit RACGP AnnualScientific Convention DarwinWhat an amazing story shetold, which gave an indepth insight into not only herown life experiences, but alsothe chequered history of thiscountry, one that is so often untold.Unfortunately for me, the quality ofthe day took a nose-dive from thereonwards. After morning tea and asocial chit chat, I had a chance touse my umbrella as I walked downto the Crowne Plaza in blazingTerritorian sun, for a session onprocedural skills. Unfortunatelyit was quite disorganised, overbooked, and in contrast to theadvertised brochure, went for halfthe time and had changed all thetopics.Used my umbrella again andmade my way <strong>back</strong> to themain conference, hoping that lunchwould make up for the proceduralskills mish-mash. Again, I hadquite fun chatting to a few friendsand catching up with some othersI hadn’t seen for a while. I wasbeginning to think that this wasperhaps the hidden agenda!Also frequented the stalls run byvarious organisations and drugcompanies. Plavix was givingaway a free pair of sockswith Plavix scrawled allover them. They wouldhave gone well with myumbrella on the golf tee.I did manage to souvenira purple dragon for mytwo year old son though!Afternoon sessions alllooked terribly drab,except for a session onMalaria. Unfortunatelythe first half wasmicrobiology based,presented by an Englishfellow who had one ofthose low monotonevoices that hypnotisedme to sleep. I washaving a terribly goodcatch up sleep from abusy week, when I wasrudely awoken by an usher, whosternly advised me that I shouldnot have my feet on the chairs.But she was kind enough to wakeme just as Nick Price startedhis presentation, which was agood summary of anti-malarialmedication. The last session ofthe day was a bit mixed, and I mustadmit that I only went because Ithought I better get my $400 worth.The last two speakers were ruralGPs working in remote Indigenouscommunities. Again, interestinganecdotal slide shows but notmuch beyond that. And so myday ended. On reflection, myexpectations were completelysurreal. I was thinking I was goingto get an educative day with a mixof evidence-based general practiseresearch and some proceduralskills knowledge. Not so, but Iguess my biggest gripe at the dayis that I don’t even play golf!Peter Silberberg GP RegistrarNorthern Territory General Practice Education - Newsletter Page 5
Page 2: For several years Galiwin’ku has
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Doctors keep coming back! - ntgpe

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