Testimonials

Dr. Emma Gilchrist

I was already sure I wanted to be a GP, but my PGPPP placement in Gundagai gave me the chance to give general practice a try before committing to a training program. I enjoyed the mix of general practice and hospital work in a rural practice, and it confirmed for me that this was definitely the kind of work I wanted to do.

It was also nice to do something different from the usual ward based rotations offered in the hospital. It was a refreshing change to feel respected by both patients and staff, to have a bit more autonomy and to work patients up from their first presentation.

I enjoyed my PGPPP placement so much, I not only became a GP Registrar with CCCGPT, but went back to Gundagai for my first term as a Registrar!"

Dr. Emma Gilchrist - "Whatever specialty you're looking at, you won't regret the great learning experience"

Dr. Ruimin Ma

"Gundagai Medical Centre is a small family medical practice operated and owned by Dr Virginia Wrice and Dr Paul Mara. The Centre offers spacious consultation rooms, state of the art IT equipment and more importantly, has a multidisciplinary health team with excellent team work. Supervisors are very supportive with varied teaching measures, such as direct observations, case discussions, bedside teaching etc.

A wide range of presentations made my daily work challenging and very interesting. I gained valuable VMO experience doing hospital work in a friendly work environment with experienced and helpful nursing staff, cooperative and supportive colleagues.

CCCT were very supportive providing excellent orientation and the CCCT GPR weekly Tele tutorials were very useful.

My term was a great way of experiencing GP and VMO work, confirming General Practice is the right career choice."

Dr. Ruimin Ma - "Try before you buy"

Dr. Lilly Chen

I was honoured to be the first junior doctor to experience a PGPPP placement at Milton Medical Centre (MMC). It has totally changed my views of being a GP especially a rural GP.

I found the term was challenging and the most rewarding medicine I have undertaken. Most importantly, I realised that rural GPs were not only GPs, but also GP obstetricians, GP anaesthetists, GP surgeons and so much more at the same time. I enjoyed the mix and variety of General Practice, Nursing Home visits and hospital work, as well as the 9-5 lifestyle. My family also enjoyed visiting me in Milton at weekends.

There was a steep learning curve but my supervisors and CCCGPT have been excellent in providing lots of support and giving me independence. It was a great term. I was challenged, rewarded, excited and had lots of fun.

I would like to thank everyone involved (CCCGPT, Wollongong Hospital, Dr Brett Thomson and other supervisors and staff of MMC) in providing me the opportunity to try the world of general practice, and helping cement my decision to join the GP training program with CCCGPT.

I highly recommend PGPPP to all JMOs whether or not you are thinking about General Practice as a career."

Dr. Lilly Chen - "It has totally changed my views..."

Dr. Henry Tang

"I have undertaken a PGPPP rotation as part of my PGY2 training at the Wollongong Hospital. My placement is at Milton Medical Centre - a wonderful medical practice with a number of dedicated and reputable general practitioners.

It's an incredible experience of medicine which has been surprising me almost every day. It is amazing to see the range of issues. Consultations vary from skin to mental health to surgical to paeds; and that can be four consecutive consultations!

The flexibility of my work life also allows me to have a great work-life balance, and I'm sure this balance makes me a better doctor in the long run.

A big thank you to CCCT for organising such a wonderful term for JMOs to gain practical experience across the broad range of medicine and try out life as a true general practitioner (especially thank Dr Millers for ongoing personal mentoring).

I do enjoy this term so much and would like to share my experience with other JMOs after going back to the hospital. The first one will be my wife Cindy - another JMO who will start this term at the end of this year!

I have already applied for fellowship with CCCGPT and look forward to starting the GP training with CCCT from next year. PGPPP term definitely has increased my confidence and independence for future GP training and work environments.

So much of life ahead.

We'll find a place where there's room to grow. And yes, we've only just begun..."

Dr. Henry Tang - "We've only just begun."

Dr. Amali Mallawaarachichi

I had an invaluable experience during my PGPPP term in Gundagai. Although I was planning to undergo physician training, I was happy to do a PGPPP term and am really glad I did!

The term was a great learning experience for many reasons. Working in the Gundagai Medical Centre and at the Gundagai District Hospital allowed me to see an amazing breadth of pathology and made me realise how different practicing medicine is without endless tests and machines at your fingertips!

The term was one of my first exposures to outpatient medicine, and this is something I really appreciated. I had already been working at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and knew many of the staff there particularly those in the Emergency Department and it was very interesting to be on "the other end" of the process during my PGPPP term.

I would strongly recommend this experience as a rotation to give anyone working in Australian Health, regardless of their career plans, a holistic view of the relationships between small and tertiary referral hospitals, GPs and other providers of primary health care and specialists.

Dr. Amali Mallawaarachichi - "PGPPP - better than good from many perspectives."

Dr. Andrew Palfreman

My PGPPP term at the Interchange General Practice in Canberra provided a fantastic introduction to life in a busy practice. As a medical student I sat passively through many consultations. In retrospect, however, for reinforcing medical learning there is nothing like taking the lead role with patients. With expert GP supervision and encouragement, as well as excellent teaching at my local Academic GP Unit, I navigated through ten weeks' worth of patients with all sorts of issues. Substance dependence and abuse, pregnancy and paediatrics, sexual health and end-of-life issues were just a sample of items on the menu. It was hard to return to the relative drudgery of some of the hospital-based ward work.

The term is not just extremely useful for those JMOs set on the path to GP training (so-called 'preaching to the converted'), it provides experience in how the vast majority of medicine is conducted. I have found this primary health care experience useful back in the hospital setting, for example in understanding the importance to patient care of quality discharge summaries and ongoing interaction with GPs.

My thanks go to Dr Tuck Meng Soo (Practice Principal of the 2010 Practice of the Year!) and his team of dedicated colleagues, as well as Dr Sonia Res and the team at the Academic Unit of General Practice & Community Health at The Canberra Hospital."