She’s Australia’s top GP, and from Narooma

THE commitment of a regional NSW GP, a Sydney-based registrar and a Tasmanian general practice to teaching and training the next generation of doctors has been rewarded through the RACGP’s 2011 general practice awards.

Narooma GP Dr Jennifer Wray said she was shocked and humbled to have been named the college’s GP of the year at the RACGP’s GP11 conference held last week in Hobart.

Dr Wray set up a solo practice in Narooma in 1977, and two decades later commenced work to establish a group practice, but realised teaching would have to be the focus in order to make it work.

“Since then we have had a succession of registrars and have medical students in [for one day per week] about 36 weeks of the year now,” she said.

Dr Wray said while she felt that the contribution of GPs to training could be better acknowledged and remunerated by government, her involvement in training was its own reward.

“You do it because it is an obligation we have for the next generation of doctors coming through,” she said.

“I just love my job – I think what I do is absolutely amazing. I love my colleagues and my patients – they inspire me every day to go to work and I love every minute of it.”

Parramatta-based final-year registrar Dr Sarah Nakhel was meanwhile named the college’s registrar of the year in recognition of her commitment to quality care as well as her own contribution to teaching and mentoring medical students at the practices she has been placed with.

The college’s practice of the year gong went to Tasmania’s Latrobe Family Practice, which offers a range of co-located primary care services to its community as well as training registrars and students.