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Work–life balance shines for GPs in training: Survey


Jolyon Attwooll


3/12/2024 6:53:49 AM

The annual Medical Training Survey has revealed positive feedback for RACGP training, with some areas for improvement. 

GP holding his bike.
GPs in training have reported more satisfaction with work–life balance than other medical specialties.

Better work–life balance, greater flexibility and high-quality supervision: the results of a temperature check for doctors in training paint an encouraging picture for the RACGP.
 
Feedback from the annual Medical Training Survey, commissioned by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), was released on Tuesday and uses data from the responses of 23,859 doctors in training, including 2721 with the RACGP.
 
Providing insight into experiences across medical specialties, the survey shows more than half of GPs in training (52%) have accessed flexible working arrangements in their current post, compared to 26% of respondents overall.
 
Meanwhile almost four in every five GPs in training (78%) agreed they have a good work–life balance, compared to 65% across all medical specialties.
 
For the Chair of RACGP GPs in Training, Dr Rebecca Loveridge, the findings reflect a compelling aspect of general practice.
 
‘The RACGP supports flexible training, significantly more so than other specialty training programs,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘This is a huge drawcard for both GP training as well as a career in general practice.
 
‘Similarly, GPs in training report better work–life balance than trainees in other programs.’
 
Almost two thirds of GPs in training (64%) describe their workload as moderate compared to 49% in the survey overall, while more also tend to view their workplace more favourably, with 84% saying they would recommend their current placement compared to 80% overall.
 
Meanwhile almost nine in 10 GPs in training (88%) rank the quality of their clinical supervision as excellent or good, findings that were particularly welcomed by RACGP President Dr Michael Wright.
 
‘It is really encouraging to see the trainees’ positive feedback on clinical supervision and training standards,’ he told newsGP.
 
‘This is a great reflection of the successful transfer of general practice education back to the college last year, and also an indication of the dedication of our many wonderful medical educators.’
 
Dr Loveridge also views the transition as a success.
 
‘Training quality has certainly been maintained, if not improved, and I’m thankful that the GP training team is so open to feedback from GPs in training about areas for improvement,’ she said.
 
However, there were several areas for concern both for GP training and among doctor trainees more broadly, most notably around bullying, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and racism.
 
Experiencing or witnessing these issues was reported by 20% of GPs in training and one in three medical trainees overall. Almost half of the behaviour affecting GPs in training came from patients and their families.
 
‘The college has zero tolerance for discrimination,’ Dr Wright said.
 
‘There is still work to do here as while the numbers are significantly lower for general practice than for many other specialties, any discrimination, bullying or racism is unacceptable.
 
‘One finding of the survey suggests GPs feel more comfortable reporting this type of unacceptable behaviour than in other programs, and I absolutely encourage any GP in training to do so – we must work tirelessly to eradicate this behaviour.’
 
Medical Board of Australia Chair Dr Anne Tonkin said she was ‘appalled’ by the overall figures across medical specialties, which showed 38% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trainees experiencing or witnessing racism, compared to 17% of other trainees.
 
‘Clearly, our efforts to strengthen cultural safety in medicine and the health system more widely are urgent and well targeted,’ she said. ‘Our health system and our community need to do better.’
 
According to Dr Loveridge, other key focus areas for the RACGP include broadening support beyond the Australian General Practice Training Program, with an increasing number of doctors coming through other pathways.
 
‘The college is working on increasing supports, particularly around exams, for this cohort which would improve their experiences and consequently the survey results,’ she said.
 
‘The quality and timeliness of exam feedback also needs to be improved.’
 
She said this process is already underway with changes to the format for the Key Feature Problem exam that are designed to deliver faster results.
 
The RACGP could also provide more transparency on how registrar funds are spent, she said, while also sounding an optimistic note on the potential to improve research options, which was another area where general practice training lagged other specialties in the survey.
 
‘I hope that the launch of the new Australian General Practice Research Foundation will include specific opportunities for GPs in training to participate and upskill in research,’ she said.
 
The medical training survey has run since 2019, and is designed as a confidential means of gathering data around trainee doctors’ experience to provide insights into potential improvements.
 
Dr Loveridge said her presence on the RACGP Board and the adoption of faculty initiatives such as the formation of a National Wellbeing Committee showed the importance the college gives to GPs in training.
 
‘The college is committed to continuing to elevate the trainee voice and continues to take steps to ensure trainees are represented as a key stakeholder in training delivery,’ she said.
 
‘General practice is the best specialty there is: the 11% of interns and 15% of pre-vocational doctors intending to complete GP training are making a great choice.’
 
The latest Medical Training Survey is available here.
 
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Dr Mark Raines   3/12/2024 9:54:53 AM

Lets get rid of the doctor stereotype!
Who rides a bike with a stethoscope around the neck?
You're likely to be smacked on the nose by it going over a bump