‘The how and why of becoming a supervisor’

Associate Professor Michael Clements can speak first-hand of the benefits of working as a rural GP, but also of putting down roots in a rural community.
 
As a regional practice owner and RACGP Rural Chair, Associate Professor Clements is eminently qualified to deliver one of two upcoming RACGP webinars aiming to not just attract registrars to rural practice, but to advance GPs’ careers in it.
 
As part of its Rural Webinar Series, on 12 June the RACGP will present ‘The how and why of becoming a supervisor in your rural practice’.
 
This will be followed on 3 July by ‘Growing your practice: How rural supervisors can attract registrars’, featuring Associate Professor Clements.
 
Speaking during a break from an outreach clinic at a practice in the small Queensland town of Karumba, on the Gulf of Carpentaria, Associate Professor Clements told newsGP that he is seeing more and more GPs wanting a balance of clinical work with patients and non-clinical work.
 
Being a supervisor is an ideal way to achieve that mix, he said.
 
‘Being a supervisor is a wonderful way of giving back to the community, giving back to the profession, but also including a number of hours of supervision is way of fulfilling a supervisor’s own professional satisfaction,’ he said.
 
‘There’s a lot of joy that comes from seeing a registrar’s growing experience and confidence from the first day all the way through to Fellowship.
 
‘Certainly everybody that’s got a Fellowship should be thinking about being a supervisor as part of their plan.’
 
However, Associate Professor Clements advises registrars to ‘check your motivation and check your maths’ before becoming supervisors.
 
‘Supervision isn’t a way of getting rich quick, so it needs to be done willingly, knowing that it does impact potential to earn money through billings,’ he said.
 
‘But then there’s the benefit of the joy.’
 
For existing supervisors, Associate Professor Clements said positive training experiences – and understanding the different needs of different registrars – are important in attracting doctors to rural areas.
 
‘The secrets of success include understanding the registrars that you’re trying to attract and what drives them,’ he said.
 
‘As a supervisor, you’ve got to understand the trainee and what it is that they’re seeking and be able to meet them, ideally, where they want to be.
 
‘You have to provide a supportive training environment where they’ve got plenty of access to support so they don’t feel that they’re alone.’
 
For more information and to sign up to the webinars on 12 June and 3 July, visit the RACGP’s Rural Health Webinars page.
 
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registrar rural supervisor trainees webinar