‘A moment to be proud’: 215 new Victorian Fellows

The hard work and dedication of 215 new RACGP Fellows was celebrated at a ceremony in Victoria on Sunday.
 
The new GP cohort also included three rural generalists, with these Fellows completing extra Additional Rural Skills Training in fields needed in rural practice, such as anaesthesia and obstetrics.
 
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins congratulated the new GPs and welcomed them to the world of general practice.
 
‘Our 215 new Fellows in Victoria are at the start of a fantastic career,’ Dr Higgins said.
 
‘General practice is as rewarding as it is challenging; it has flexibility, variety, stimulation, and long-term, meaningful relationships with patients.
 
‘No other specialisation has this combination.’
 
RACGP Victoria Chair Dr Anita Muñoz joined Dr Higgins in congratulating the new Fellows.
 
‘This ceremony is the culmination of years of work, study, reflection, mentorship by GP training supervisors, and rigorous exams to gain Fellowship as specialist GPs,’ she said.
 
‘Everyone here has been working as a GP under expert supervision, but in gaining Fellowship, you are being recognised for your own expertise.
 
‘It’s a moment to be proud of what you’ve achieved.’
 
Also featured in the Melbourne ceremony were three award winners, who received the highest marks in their fellowship exams.
Dr Krystal Green and Dr Karolina Novak received Rural Workforce Agency Victoria (RWAV) awards for Semester 2 2023 and Semester 1 2024.
 
Dr James Townsend, who has recently moved to Victoria, received the RACGP Queensland Duke and Marian Sullivan Memorial Award for Semester 2 2023 for his clinical exam.
 
Dr Muñoz said every one of these 215 GPs will now enter a profession which is the ‘heart and eyes of the medical system’.
 
‘We’re the first doctor most patient speak to about their mental health, and we’re the ones who make sure they’re recovering well after an unexpected trip to the emergency room,’ she said.
 
‘[We’re] the ones patients speak to as they’re planning to start a family, and the doctor who helps a patient stay healthy and adjust to change as they grow older.
 
‘We are essential and invaluable.’
 
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