Notre Dame medical students focus on Breathing NEWLIFE into General Practice

Five medical students from The University of Notre Dame Australia’s Fremantle School of Medicine attended the Breathing NEWLIFE into General Practice Conference held at Parliament House, Canberra in March. Hosted by the General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA), General Practice Students Network (GPSN), General Practice Education Training (GPET) and Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA), the conference sought to bring stakeholders together with the General Practitioners of the future to engage with current leaders from the industry to develop positive directions for Australian General Practice. 2nd year medical student and Notre Dame’s GP Student Executive Officer, General Practice Students Network (GPSN), Jeanita Wong explains: “The main issue emphasised over the two-day event was the importance of general practice within the national health framework. Key figures in the health industry were invited to discuss the concerns and targeted solutions to address future workforce shortages, training standards, infrastructure, capacity and workforce requirements. They also addressed other important contributions to help foster best practice for the future of Australian General Practice. “ Patron of the event, the Hon Nicola Roxon delivered a keynote speech on the first day. The conference was also attended by Senator Bob Brown; Professor John Horvath, DoHA; Associate Professor Simon Willcock and Erich Janssen, GPET; Dr Rosanna Capolingua, Australian Medical Association (AMA); Mr Joe Hockey MP and Professor John Murtagh, GPRA Patron. It was the first time that the General Practice Students Network had attended the conference as the organisation was only formed in 2007 when members of Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) and GPRA met to discuss the current perceptions of General Practice in medical schools. From this meeting a network was designed that would allow students to take an active role in contributing to the future of Australian General Practice and medical workforce. GPSN’s mission is to foster a greater awareness of General Practice as both a lifestyle and a career. It aims to provide a forum by which members can provide feedback on medical student issues relating to General Practice. They also produce educational and professional resources for medical students to promote General Practice, and seek to work with other key stakeholders such as the State and Federal Governments, GPET, AMA, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, Divisions of General Practice and Rural Training Providers. Media contact: Jeanita Wong GP Student Executive Officer The University of Notre Dame Australia (Fremantle) General Practice Students Network (GPSN