‘Incredibly special’: New Victorian GPs welcomed to Fellowship

In a Melbourne ceremony last Saturday, 167 new Fellows celebrated success in their journeys to become GPs.
 
RACGP Victoria Co-Deputy Chair Dr Aadhil Aziz congratulated those in attendance, which formally recognises the successful completion of 11 years of education, assessment and in-practice training.
 
‘These GPs have already started to contribute to their communities throughout their training in Victoria, and this ceremony recognises they’re ready to support any patient through any health challenge or life change, from parenthood to living a long and healthy life in their senior years,’ he said.
 
‘General practice provides flexibility, variety, stimulation, and the chance to build long-term, meaningful relationships with patients.
 
‘No other medical specialty gives you the same opportunities to build trusted long-term relationships, and the benefits for patients’ mental and physical health and wellbeing are not just visible, they’re measurable health outcomes.’
 
New Fellow Dr Raghu Nandan Devkota, who has worked in Gippsland during his training, described his journey to fellowship as ‘incredibly special’.
 
‘It began just as my daughter was expecting, and she ended up being my ultimate study partner through it all,’ he said.
 
‘Navigating the intense late nights and rigorous study alongside her pregnancy made the experience completely new, exciting, and deeply meaningful.
 
‘This achievement isn’t just mine – it belongs to both of us and the new life that was part of the journey every step of the way.’
 
Of those 167 graduates, four are Rural Generalists.
 
Two GPs also received awards recognising outstanding academic achievements: Dr Jessica Del Gigante with the Richard Gutch Medal and Dr Brooke Healey with the Rural Workforce Agency of Victoria Award.
 
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright also congratulated the new Fellows.
 
‘GPs don’t just care for our patients when they’re sick, we help them stay well at every age – there’s no career quite like it,’ he said.
 
Nationally, 1772 doctors started GP specialist training this year, a 19% rise on last year, which was itself a record intake.
 
This year’s intake includes 363 future GPs who are training in Victoria, which is a record for the state.
 
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