Current issues
Safe working hours for GP registrars
Much has been reported about the culture of long work hours as a ‘right of passage’ or ‘toughening up’ process within medicine. A newly released GPRA discussion paper calls for a move away from this attitude, and towards a whole of industry approach that will meet the challenge of ensuring safe working hours for registrars and GPs in a high-quality care environment.
Average GP earns $182k – Calculate what you could earn
New figures show the average Australian GP is seeing 124 patients a week and generating a fee-for-service income of $181,600 a year, putting them ahead of most non-medical professionals.
The figures are from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009-10 Health Care Services survey, which surveyed more than 4,300 business and organisations.
General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA) CEO, Amit Vohra, said that the actual amount an individual GP earns varies depending on the number of extra hours or after hours work performed.
“Just as there are many kinds of general practitioners, there is huge variety in the incomes earned,” Mr Vohra said.
“Factors that can have an impact on a GPs wage are: area of practice, type of work undertaken, private vs. bulk billing, hospital work and whether they are a practice owner, employee or contractor,” he said, “While it is good to know the average, it’s not unusual for a GP to be earning over $300,000 a year in an efficiently run practice that private bills.”
While the figures put GPs ahead of most non-medical professionals, they are still behind some of their specialist colleagues.
“Yes, it is true that GPs on average earn less than some other medical specialists. But many consider a lifestyle of flexible, sociable working hours and part-time options better than money in the bank,” Mr Vohra said.
Calculate what you could earn as a GP
The General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA) Earnings Calculator allows members to estimate their individual earning potential based on the kind of GP they want to be.
Members can move the interactive sliding scales up and down, according to how many patients they'd like to see per hour, the number of clinical sessions they'd like to do per week, and the amount of after-hours work they're willing to undertake.
The Earnings Calculator then provides a personalised guide to earnings potential.
ACRRM awarded full accreditation
The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, the first medical college in the world dedicated to rural and remote practice, has been confirmed as one of the nation’s specialist colleges. The Australian Medical Council has awarded full accreditation to ACRRM until 2014, reaffirming its role in setting and maintaining standards for general practice, especially in rural and remote contexts.
The college provides three pathways for doctors wishing to train as specialist general practitioners and receive Fellowship of ACRRM. In all three pathways, doctors complete four years of training in accredited posts while working in hospitals, community and general practices. ACRRM registrars complete their training with one year of advanced specialty training in an area that provides extended skills and knowledge relevant to rural and remote medical practice such as surgery, obstetrics, anaesthetics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, population health, paediatrics, or remote medicine.
For more on the accreditation process, visit www.amc.org.au.
For more on the ACRRM training program, visit www.acrrm.org.au.
GPRA launches ‘Future Series’ webinars to help registrars secure their future
General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA) has launched an interactive webinar series that puts registrars in touch with experienced GPs who give them first-hand knowledge about the business side of general practice.
The Future Series webinars, which are running until 2 December 2011, provide information to support registrars and newly-fellowed GPs’ through their journey from Term 1 to fellowship.
So far, more than 100 registrars have signed up to attend one of the webinars, which participants can log-on to at home or at work. They then listen to GP guest speakers, ask questions about the topic, and share information with other registrars.
GPRA Chair Emily Farrell said Future Series was developed after GPRA identified a gap in the market for first-hand information to help registrars to better understand their business options.
“The benefit of Future Series is that it puts registrars and newly-fellowed GPs in direct contact with GPs who have experienced a range of business options. They’ve been there, and done that, and are now ready to pass the knowledge on to the next generation of GPs.”
Future Series is made up of 16 webinars and covers four business streams: Successful Negotiation; Being the Contractor; Being the Boss (Solo Practice); and Sharing the Profits (Group Practice).
The first three webinars have been held and covered: the Bare Basics to Negotiating your GP Contract (Successful Negotiation); Limiting the Risks — to you and your patient (Being the Contractor); and GPT3 Contract Options – Examples and Experiences.
GP registrar Lawrence Tay, who attended the GPT3 Contract Options – Examples and Experiences, said the webinars gave him valuable practical business information.
“The business side of general practice can be a bit of a minefield, so it’s really great to get the nuts and bolts from GPs who have worked across all different business areas,” Lawrence said. “The webinars are great as you can ask questions, and hear other people’s questions and answers along the way.”
For more information about the Future Series, or to book your place, visit www.gpra.org.au/future-series
