Victoria welcomes 57 new GPs

Dozens of doctors celebrated the culmination of more than 11 years hard work and training at a Geelong Fellowship ceremony on Friday.
 
The achievements of the 57 new Fellows of the RACGP were recognised at the first regional Victorian Fellowship ceremony for the college.
 
New GP Dr Shruthi Vantakesh, who trained in the small town of Colac, said that while living and working regionally has its challenges, the experience gave her unique opportunities.
 
‘You get to be a bit more frontline, you get to be hands-on and make decisions,’ she said.
 
‘I’ve always wanted to treat all the parts of the body, and you can see presentations from all systems, which I really like – it’s very diverse. You get to be part of their journey, from birth until they pass.
 
‘Another thing is getting to see your patients after you treat them. You don’t get that in a lot of other fields, like emergency medicine.’
 
RACGP Victoria Chair Dr Anita Muñoz said gaining recognition as a GP is an amazing and ‘too often undersung’ achievement.
 
‘It’s a true privilege to be our patients’ trusted confidants in times of stress and pain, and to help them live well throughout their lives,’ she said.
 
‘That’s especially true for everyone who will continue to practice in the communities where you have been training and forming those bonds.’
 
The Geelong ceremony comes as 22% more doctors entered GP training in 2025 compared to the year before, with the RACGP pointing to a ‘growing optimism about general practice’ as the workforce rebuilds.
 
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said the graduates are now ‘ready to support your patients [to] tackle any problem’.
 
‘Admission to Fellowship shows a GP has the confidence of their mentors and peers to serve their patients in the broad discipline of general practice independently,’ he said.
 
‘GPs and general practice teams are needed by their communities more than ever before. The Government also recognises this, with record primary care investment planned off the back off the Federal Election.
 
‘General practice is a fantastic specialty. No other specialty has the flexibility, variety, and independence that general practice offers us, or lets practitioners form such long-term relationships with our patients.’
 
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