Annual Report - ntgpe

This year saw the fruition of a collaborative venturebetween NTGPE, UniSA and ANU in piloting theplacement of 6 students at Danila Dilba in an Inter-Professional Learning (IPL) team. The team consistedof medical, physiotherapy, pharmacy and occupationaltherapy students. These students completed a projecttogether, met weekly with an IPL tutor and weresupervised by a health professional in their field ofstudy. Interestingly, the best rating learning wasfrom each other in a social environment at the NTGPEstudent accommodation (the hidden curriculum at play– a common observation in the NT context). We areplanning to have a limited number of IPL groups againin 2011.NTGPE has placed resources in Katherine to develop theregion as a viable education and training hub. AssocProf Fred McConnel has been working in Katherineon expanding opportunities for training towards theFACRRM. Despite the remote nature of the NorthernTerritory’s health facilities and services, practices differconsiderably from the standard rural and remote trainingposts in other states, and the scope and organisation ofpractices requires specific considerations for teachingthe ACRRM curriculum. However, almost all practicesin the Katherine region are now accredited for ACRRMtraining.Fred McConnell is continuing his work in developing andconsulting with the community and health professionalsin and around Katherine. The key to providing a balancedand comprehensive training is seen to be in bringingthe combined skills and expertise of all of the GPs inthe region together in a single ’training precinct’ wherecomponents of the primary and advanced curricula canbe delivered by GPs with the appropriate skills, andsupplemented by local and visiting specialists and otherhealth professionals. This concept has been supportedin principle by a representative meeting of local GPsHospital doctors and specialists. Further, the educationteam ran the first GPR conference in Katherine topromote Katherine to the GPRs cohort as a great placeto train and live.We are grateful for everybody’s time, expertise andeffort in making the event a great success and a lot offun. Certainly the Katherine Gorge dinner cruise was anevent highlight.The PGPPP program continues to grow and a greatamount of effort has gone into reviewing the programseducation delivery and curriculum. The curriculumintegration with the GPR program and building on itsstrengths in formative assessment towards generalpractice and rural medical practice are our main focus.This year also sees an increase in John Flynn Scholarsplaced in the NT through our student placement program.The IPL team of medical and allied health students isalso managed through the student placement program.Although we did reach our full quota of GPRs, we hada great number of GPRs transferring into the GPRprogram for rural and Indigenous health experience. Asignificant number of these transfers were or change topermanent transfers. This is a trend that NTGPE will tryto capitalize on.The cohort of GPR training in the NT is changing withmore International Medical Graduates and exclusiverural pathway GPR applicants as a result of the changein Remote Area classification taking effect in 2010.This trend is welcomed and will present its ownopportunities and challenges for the program in thecoming years.I would like to especially congratulate Kishan Pandithagefor being honored as the NT Educator of the Year at thepre-vocation education forum, November 2010. Kishanhas been a passionate educator and supporter in thePGPPP program and it is fitting for the NT to honor himin this way.Well done to all the Aboriginal cultural educators andmedical educators for their achievements this year andtheir hard work in increasing NTGPE’s presence in theNT and interstate through its activities at conferencesand other forums.Local GP Trainers from the health services in Katherinedelivered most of the sessions. Even the visitingPalliative Care team from Darwin came down to assist ina session. It truly shows up the commitment, expertiseand capacity for education and training in Katherine.Annual Report 2010 11