RACGP Mentoring Program applications open

Support and mentorship in the early days of a general practice career can make the road less bumpy for New Fellows, and an RACGP program is offering just that.
 
Applications for the 2025 intake of the RACGP Mentoring Program are now open, offering an opportunity for GPs in the early stages of their career to build a relationship with seasoned GPs.
 
The program pairs mentors with mentees and provides a platform for GPs to seek support, guidance and advice on navigating a career in general practice, with a particular focus on wellbeing, collegiality and career development.
 
For mentors, the program gives them an opportunity to share their own experiences and insights, while supporting and nurturing the development of another GP.
 
For mentee and Tasmanian GP Dr Wesley Saunders, the program came at just the right time.
 
‘I was going through that transition phase of having a supervisor to being fully autonomous clinically, and it was a bit of an adjustment,’ he said.
 
‘As a GP, sometimes it’s a bit isolating, and we don’t really have that peer support always to rely on … so, when the invitation came into my email, I just jumped at the chance.
 
‘You could really do so many things with this program. I’ve pretty much chosen to focus on clinical practice and problem solving but equally, you could take it down the path of developing the business skills and developing business sense in general practice, or you could talk about sub specialisation.’
 
Tasmanian GP Dr Tim Jones was Dr Saunders’ mentor throughout last year, and will be taking part as a mentor again for 2025.
 
Dr Jones told newsGP he was drawn to the mentorship program after reflecting on how valuable his mentors have been throughout his career. 
 
For himself and Dr Saunders, their partnership involved a combination of regular catch-ups, both formally and informally, where they tackled topics they were experiencing in the profession.
 
‘I wanted to make sure that, particularly for anyone who is a New Fellow and has just moved out of having a supervisor, we provide a team-based culture as GPs, where we all look out for each other and give to each other what we need to support and sustain our practice,’ said Dr Jones.
 
‘How do we keep evolving our practice? How do we meet the needs of our patients? How do we work with patients who are truly stuck, and how do we build healthy cultures within our practices?
 
‘It’s very much aligned with the idea that general practice is a great job, and we want to make sure we can do it for the long term and not burn out as we go.’
 
It is feeling supported in the early years can help GPs navigate the challenges as they arise, Dr Jones added.
 
‘When I talk to my GP colleagues, the majority of them say that what happens in the room is wonderful, and what happens outside of the room can be really challenging,’ he said.
 
‘The structures around general practice, the workload people are under – you don’t really get a lot of training in that. This is the next evolution of how everyone’s finding a good path through that.’
 
Whether you were being mentored or taking on the rewarding role of a mentor, professional support goes both ways, and Dr Jones said he had much to gain while mentoring Dr Saunders.
 
‘Wes and I are not that many years apart in experience as GPs, so we are more near peers to each other, but it was that idea that there are things we all find difficult, but we all really believe in the value we have as GPs,’ he said.
 
‘It’s about solving problems together and learning from each other. And that was what really came up during the program – we’re all going through the same stuff, and we helped each other evenly.
 
‘We’ll definitely continue as an informal mentor and mentee, even though the program for us is finished, just because it’s been a wonderfully positive experience to sustain us as professionals.’
 
Reflecting on his experience, Dr Saunders said he would recommend this program to other GP fellows starting out.
 
‘I think there’s a huge need for this type of program, especially for the New Fellows,’ he said.
 
‘You can feel a bit all at sea and overwhelmed by the breadth and all the different directions you can take your career in. I just encourage anyone in my situation, just to give it a go. You’ve got nothing to lose.’
 
Dr Jones has high praise for the role of mentor, too, and said there are high rewards for being involved.
 
‘There are probably busy GPs out there but I’d say that it’s not that much time, it’s very flexible, and you will get out far more than you have to put in,’ he said.
 
‘The second thing I would say is that everyone would have something valuable to contribute, that there isn’t a single GP working in a context around Australia who wouldn’t have some of that shared experience to support and validate those who are in our profession.
 
‘I firmly support that and I think we need more of this. I think it’s one of those elements that’s very anti-burnout for our college and for our profession as we move into the future.’
 
Log in below to join the conversation.

mentee mentor mentoring program