Call for WA and NT rural medical educators

Recruitment is now underway for medical educators in Western Australia and the Northern Territory to join the RACGP Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program’s rollout of profession-led training (PLT) from February 2023.
 
RACGP members in WA and the NT, New Fellows, as well as existing medical educators in regional training organisations within WA and the NT are encouraged to apply for the part- and full-time flexible positions, to contribute to a strong national general practice workforce as part of the AGPT Program.
 
Driven by community need, and led by the GP profession, medical educators in the program will work collaboratively with peers to achieve the best outcomes for both GPs in training and supervisors, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality nationally consistent general practice training program.
 
As part of the transition to PLT, the RACGP has announced a new National Deputy Director of Training Rural, Dr Karin Jodlowski-Tan.
 
Based on a small acreage outside of greater Sydney, Dr Jodlowski-Tan is most looking forward to collaborating with her GP colleagues across Australia to support rural community needs through training, workforce solutions and ongoing advocacy.
 
‘It is a very exciting new chapter full of possibilities,’ she told newsGP.
 
Prior to joining the RACGP in March 2020, Dr Jodlowski-Tan already held leadership roles across a number of specialities, including RACGP Rural Council Provost, Deputy Director of Training for the Remote Vocational Training Scheme and National Director – GP Education and Wellbeing with Healius.
 
She has also been Clinical Director of Bourke Aboriginal Health Service, a consultant at Walgett and Brewarrina Aboriginal Medical Service, Chair of Education at the Australian Medical Acupuncture College, and a consultant with South Coast Women’s Aboriginal Health Service.
 
Inspired to join the college’s PLT program to help ‘make a difference’ on the frontiers of rural generalist training and recognition for the work of rural GPs, Dr Jodlowski-Tan has worked with Aboriginal communities from across the deserts of the NT to the far north-west of NSW.
 
Although she always wanted to be a doctor ‘to help people’, she somewhat ‘fell into’ general practice – and has never looked back.
 
‘I’m glad I followed my initial desire to become a doctor as it is definitely the right one for me,’ Dr Jodlowski-Tan said.
 
‘It allowed my husband and I to work in different rural communities across Australia, and I was also able to learn many different skills, such as integrative medicine, obstetrics, musculoskeletal medicine, mental health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, medical education and clinical governance.
 
‘It really is the best medical career.’
 
In her newly appointed role as National Deputy Director of Training Rural, Dr Jodlowski-Tan vows to deliver ‘service with a smile’ as one of her leadership qualities.
 
‘I’m a mixture of transformational and servant leader,’ she said. ‘I put on different hats – real and imaginary – for my different roles.
 
‘A lot of what we do as a GP is also leadership work. I ask myself, “What do we want to achieve and how can I support my patient/team to reach our goals together?”.’
 
Dr Jodlowski-Tan’s advice to her fellow GPs, and to those still in training, offers some insight into how to reach those goals.
 
‘Follow your heart and life will always offer you a path,’ she said.
 
‘It doesn’t matter whether it’s a straight path or the scenic route.’
 
As part of the transition to profession-led training, the RACGP will continue to announce leaders appointed to the Senior Management Team of the training program. Current medical educator opportunities are listed here, and more information is available on the RACGP website.
 
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AGPT Program medical educators PLT profession-led training rural general practice