‘I don’t have any doubt whether I’m making a difference’

It was 34 years ago that Dr Sam Patterson was born at the Katanning Hospital.
 
Today, he is referring patients to the very same doctor who delivered him.
 
In a town located around 300 kilometres southeast of Perth, Dr Patterson is now a GP in the town he grew up in, and he cannot recommend the rural lifestyle enough.
 
‘I don’t have any doubt whether I’m making a difference,’ he told newsGP.
 
‘The amount of people you’ve been taking care of for five years, and who’re in a better spot than what they were when you first met them – that’s really rewarding, because you can just see the change that’s happened.’
 
Dr Patterson is one of the faces of the RACGP’s new GP training campaign, ‘Become a GP’, aimed at seeking out the next generation of GPs.
 
Featuring stories and videos of several GPs and their life in the role, the campaign is all about attracting new doctors to the profession and to where they are needed most.


 
The campaign’s launch comes as junior doctors are invited to apply for specialist GP training with the college, as applications for the second intake for the GP training program, including rural generalist training, are now open.
 
For Dr Patterson, he said being a rural generalist is both professionally challenging and rewarding, and also gives him and his family work-life balance.
 
‘You probably deal with more advanced illnesses and challenging situations than GPs in the city because of a lack of nearby medical services,’ he said.
 
‘But in saying that, we are well supported by lots of specialists who come and visit periodically, and you form a relationship with them – you refer them patients and occasionally call them or text them for advice.
 
‘It’s really nice being in this position, where the world is your oyster. You’ve got the skills and you’ve got the abilities, and you get to pick and choose what you want to do, which is nice at this stage.’
 
With around seven million people, or 28% of the Australian population, living in rural and remote areas, the need for regional healthcare workers is greater than ever.


 
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins described being a GP as ‘a career you can take wherever you want to go’.
 
‘The connection to patients and community is incredibly rewarding,’ she said.
 
‘GPs get to see the difference we make, whether it’s ensuring a child is growing healthily, or helping someone with chronic conditions to turn their health around.
 
‘No one day is the same – that’s especially true for rural GPs because the local community often relies on them for most of their health needs, from mental health to setting fractures.’
 
Australian General Practice Training Program 2025 second intake applications will remain open until 13 August.
 
Log in below to join the conversation.

GP training GP workforce rural and regional general practice