GP Registrars

I’d worked in Alice Springs for four years and I’d spent a bit of time in Aboriginal health and I always wanted to get back into it when I started my GP training. I was working in Bathurst and was looking for a placement in Zone 2. When I came to Maari Ma for the interview and looked around the clinic setting I really liked it. After starting here I’ve liked it even more. There’s patient continuity, there’s good interest in the community, it’s very peaceful and really enjoyable, and it feels like a family – we all help each other - both health workers and GP’s. The GP’s are all really supportive, very friendly and approachable, and you can ask for any help at any time. They all have diverse knowledge and experience too so you get different points of view. If you want to work in Aboriginal health don’t hesitate.

For me Indigenous health is one of the most challenging and interesting areas of general practice and I’ve worked in many Aboriginal health services. I have to say Maari Ma is the best run and has the best support for doctors of any I have experienced. You get plenty of time to see patients, there’s lots of support from all of the other staff and everyone is very friendly. There’s also a great referral network and backup such as the mental health and drug and alcohol team, dentist, diabetic educator, optometrist, podiatrist – they’re all on site – and there are many excellent visiting consultants on site monthly including a paediatrician, cardiologist, renal physician, paediatric ENT and endocrinologist. Management is really supportive and there are regular doctors’ meetings to give feedback, tackle organisational problems and improve the running of the clinic. 

Overall the health service management is really efficient and effective. My contact with the GP trainees is informal. We have plenty of time to talk about clinical and other issues – to give and to get advice. The trainees really benefit from the variety of patients and pathology - there’s a good spectrum of chronic disease and complex medical problems with associated management challenges – there’s child health, complex mental health, drug and alcohol, medicine and there’s the opportunity to work one or more days a week out of Broken Hill in Wilcannia and Menindee with their special challenges.

It would have been great to have come here as a trainee plus Broken Hill is such an interesting environment. There are good sporting facilities here and the Base Hospital provides good support for acute problems and emergencies as well as being a good teaching hospital.

While Broken Hill may be remote geographically, in terms of support it’s not at all. The GP registrars have the opportunity to work alongside endocrinology, cardiology, nephrology, pain management and addiction medicine specialists. It’s a team environment with great nursing, diabetic educator, Aboriginal health worker, dietician and mental health support. 

The GPs are accredited educators and we have dedicated times for tutorials and educational sessions. What’s really good too for the registrars is the opportunity they have for input into how to improve the scope and quality of service delivery and we’re all working out of a modern purpose built facility. You wouldn’t find a better facility anywhere, even in capital cities.

This is my second practice – my first was more mainstream and it’s a very different work environment here. There’s no time pressure. I can spend time with my patients and I don’t have to rush through an appointment and that’s really important. Just recently for example, I picked up two heart murmurs in kids during Healthy Start checks. Without spending the time, the murmurs may not have been detected. 

"The supervisors are really helpful, there’s a great team spirit and what’s really good is that we get to have exam preparation with them. We have tutorial supervision once a week, which helps us to practice and prepare for the exams. You can’t get the sort of knowledge I’m getting here reading books, it only comes from experience.

As a GP registrar at Maari Ma Aboriginal Medical Corporation in Broken Hill, I have had an incredibly enriching and fulfilling experience. Moving and settling to Broken Hill was an easy process thanks to the staff at Maari Ma, who have welcomed me with open arms and have made me feel like a valued member of the team. The work we do at Maari Ma is truly important and makes a difference I the lives of our patients. I have had opportunity to work alongside some incredible health professionals who are dedicated to improving health outcomes for our patients. Despite Broken Hill’s location and isolation, the specialist services were readily available either through Maari Ma’s visiting specialists or through the Broken Hill Base Hospital system. Additionally, you will find Maari Ma will constantly evolve to deliver the best care possible for our patients. Educational opportunities were readily available and senior GPs are easily approachable for advice and guidance. I feel I have grown as a GP registrar, and I would recommend working in Maari Ma to all registrars.