Tasmanian Rural Generalist Pathway Newsletter Edition 32 (January/February 2021)

Tasmanian Rural Generalist Program

 

In This Edition:

  • From the Director
  • TRHC 21 Keynote Speaker - Prof Paul Worley
  • New Fellowship - Congratulations Dr Jane Cooper
  • RDAT Awards for 30/21 - calling for nominations
  • Applications for AGPT Training or 2022
  • Applications for RVTS Training for 2022
  • Advanced / Additional Skills Posts in General Medicine
  • Rural Rotation Opportunities  for Students and Junior Doctor

2021 Tasmanian Rural Health Conference

“The future of Rural Practice”

Saturday 20 March 2021

(one day virtual conference via Zoom)

Hosted from the Rural Clinical School, Burnie

Click here to Register

This conference is aimed at current rural generalists, students and junior doctors aspiring to become rural generalists

There will be NO COST to participate, but it will be necessary to register to receive the latest conference program information and video links.

The program is still being finalised with the following sessions planned:

  • The future direction of rural health
  • The challenge of dementia across rural and regional Australia
  • The role of the rural doctor in pre-hospital care
  • The Rural Generalist in Palliative Care
  • Women in the Medical Workforce – managing the work-life balance
  • Impact of Climate Change on health care
  • Rural Training Pathways
  • Alternative models of delivering rural Primary Care
  • The role of the Rural Generalist Humanitarian Doctor
  • Further details on the program and presenters will be available shortly via the TRHC web page

    For other enquiries please email TasRuralHealthConference@health.tas.gov.au


From the Director

Welcome to our first newsletter for 2021 and hopefully a more stable and sustainable work/life balance than we experienced in 2020!  This time last year we were planning a fairly ambitious Tasmanian Rural Health Conference - which ended up being one of the many casualties of the COIVD-19 pandemic.  This year, we are taking a more cautious but realistic and safe approach with a one-day conference delivered as a virtual meeting via Zoom and hosted from the Rural Clinical School in Burnie.  Many of the presenters who were coming to the 2020 conference will be here for the 2021 meeting – including Professor Paul Worley who was the inaugural National Rural Health Commissioner and will deliver the keynote presentation for 2021.

Of other significant news, the Tasmanian Rural Generalist Pathway has secured a funding grant from the Australian Government that will maintain the TRGP activities until mid-2023.  As part of this, a new Governance Structure has been developed with a Coordination Unit that sits under the stewardship of the Centre for Antarctic, Remote, and Maritime Medicine (CARRM). There will be a “Collaborative Group” representative of a very wide range of stakeholders in the TRGP.  This includes medical students and doctors-in-training.  The day-to-day functions of the TRGP will be managed by the Coordination Unit and the Collaborative Group will be “action based” to raise issues as well as provide input and work collaboratively to address gaps and other matters relevant to delivery of the RG pathway.

Similar activities are taking place in the other states and the Northern Territory and we have been meeting collectively (via videoconference) with our colleagues in those jurisdictions as part of working towards the National Rural Generalist Pathway. We are eager to learn from the successes and challenges they have experienced so watch this space as things unfold during 2021!

Dr Peter Arvier – Director, Rural Pathways


Keynote speaker at TRHC2021 – Professor Paul Worley

Professor Paul Worley was the inaugural National Rural Health Commissioner and is currently working in South Australia as the Executive Director Clinical Innovation with the Riverland-Mallee-Coorong Local Health Network.  He has a distinguished career in academic rural health, rural medical education, and general practice in rural South Australia.

His presentation at TRHC21 is titled “The Global importance of Local.”  He comments: “In these turbulent and contradictory times, what can we learn from the past and the present to chart our direction forward in rural health? With insights from academia, national policy development and coal face health service leadership and practice, this presentation will present the case for change in rural health delivery and workforce.”


Dr Jane Cooper FACRRM

Congratulations to Dr Jane Cooper from the Don Clinic in Devonport who was recently awarded the Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (FACRRM) having obtained this via the Rural Experienced Entry to Fellowship (REEF) pathway.  This pathway is only open to experienced doctors with many years of service to rural and remote communities.  Jane also holds the Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) with the associated Fellowship of Advanced Rural Practice (FARGP). As a rural generalist, Jane also has Advanced Rural Skills Training in Adolescent Medicine.


RDAT Awards for 2021 – Calling for nominations

The Rural Doctors Association of Tasmania (RDAT) is calling for nominations of the Rural Student of the Year, Rural Doctor-in-Training of the Year, and Rural Doctor of the Year.  These awards will be presented at the Tasmanian Rural Health Conference and recognise outstanding commitment to, and engagement with Rural Communities and Rural Medical practice.  Nominations can be made by the nominee or any person or organisation that wishes to do so via the following link: RDAA Tasmanian Rural Doctor of the Year-2021 .

The 2020 Award winners were:

Dr Alice Thompson (Rural Student of the Year) and currently working at the Launceston General Hospital

Dr Rob Dickson (Rural Doctor-in-Training of the Year) and currently working with the Australian Antarctic Division

Dr Nicole Anderson (Rural Doctor of the Year) and currently working at  the Deloraine Medical Centre


Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) for 2022

The Australian General Practice Training Program (AGPT) is a fully government-funded program with training, education and support delivered in-person and online through Regional Training Organisations (RTOs). Training on the AGPT Program is tailored to the individual registrar’s needs and supported by a team of case managers. This pathway is suited for people who prefer structured learning.  You will need to be a member of either RACGP or ACRRM.

The AGPT Program provides

  • Face-to-face case management from a dedicated Training Officer
  • Personalised Medical Educator guidance
  • A structured learning experience
  • Face-to-face education delivery with your cohort
  • Up to two years Recognition of Prior Learning

Applications for the 2022 open on 22 March.  For further information, visit either RACGP AGPT application or ACRRM AGPT application


Applications for the Remote Vocational Training Scheme pathway

This pathway is a three to four-year program delivering structured distance education and supervision to doctors while they continue to provide general medical services to a remote and/or isolated community.

It is not too late to secure a training position with the Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS) for the 2021 intake. Applications are now open for round four of the Fellowship training program commencing in April 2021. Positions are available nationally for training in the Aboriginal Medical Service and remote training streams. In addition, there are targeted recruitment positions available in selected areas of high workforce need across Australia, offering exciting opportunities for GP training and employment. Registrars can be affiliated with either RACGP or ACRRM.

Visit the RVTS website for more information.


Rural Generalist Advanced Skills positions at NWRH for 2022

Two Medical Registrar positions at NWRH are available for doctors on (or intending to join) the Rural Generalist pathway and who are interested in pursuing Adult Internal Medicine (General Medicine) as their Advanced Skills Training.  These positions would be for 12 months and would share responsibilities with other registrars on the medical team.  If this is of interest to you, please contact Dr Rob Fassett or Dr Shantha Dewage in the Department of Medicine or Dr Peter Arvier in the RG office or email tasrural.pathways@health.tas.gov.au


Opportunities for students and junior doctors for longitudinal experience in Tasmanian rural communities

Are you one of the medical students who enjoyed undertaking a rural and remote rotation in one of the communities of King Island, Queenstown, St Helens or Scottsdale and would be interested to go back to that community for a rotation in your intern year and/or your PGY 2 year?  If so, please let the RG office know via the tasrural.pathways@health.tas.gov.au email as we may be able to help make that happen for you.  It is likely that other communities will be added to this list in the future.

The aim of this it to provide a deeper immersion in these communities through a longer-term relationship.  There is also the possibility that this could extend to your registrar training years further down the track and open career opportunities on completion of your RG training.


Have you completed your FACRRM or FARGP in Tasmania?

Don’t forget to apply for your Tasmanian Rural Generalist Pathway Certificate of Completion


Current Vacancies

For THS Registrar Recruitment and other THS/DoH jobs, please visit Tasmanian Government Jobs

For GP registrar placements through GPTT, refer to the GPTT placement process information

For GP vacancies, please visit HRPlus


Events –2021

Check out the Tasmanian Rural Generalist Pathway calendar for events of interest to rural practitioners.

Email rural.pathways@health.tas.gov.au to have your event included in the calendar.


This project is funded by the Australian Government through the National Partnership Agreement on Improving Health Services in Tasmania.