As a medical professional reluctant to specialise in one area, then a career in general practice – or GP careers – might just provide the answer.
Becoming a doctor in Australia is a long and strenuous process, and certainly not for the faint of heart. To pursue a career in medicine, candidates need to finish Year 12 and graduate from a Bachelor’s Degree, which usually takes four years. From there, one then needs to complete a four year postgraduate medical program, before completing a year long internship in order to become fully registered – or almost a decade of study.
After finally receiving their qualification, young doctors are left with another big choice – what to specialise in? If you’re looking for flexibility, diversity and a true sense of community, then it might be time to consider GP careers as a serious contender.
Five Benefits Associated With GP Careers
For many doctors, GP careers offer a huge array of diversity when it comes to both patients and medical presentations, particularly for those who thrive on the variety and challenge of not knowing what will come through the door each day – but what else is there to look forward to?
Build Experience – If variety is indeed the spice of life, then there’s no shortage of it when it comes to GP careers. From acute, complex and chronic conditions through to the prevention of illness, general practitioners see a broad range of patient presentations every day.
Flexibility – Depending on your stage of life and career, most general practitioners have the freedom and flexibility to decide what hours they work (such as full time or part time), or even across multiple practices.
Sub Specialise – Opting to become a general practitioner doesn’t rule out other subspecialties. In fact, many use the opportunity to pursue other areas of interest such as paediatrics, anaesthesia, emergency medicine, and even academia.
See The World – Did you know that Australian medical qualifications are recognised abroad? With reciprocal arrangements with New Zealand (ACRRM and RACGP), Canada (ACRRM and RACGP) and Ireland (RACGP only), GP careers can literally help you to travel the world.
Be A Part Of A Community – Perhaps one of the most appealing factors associated with a career as a general practitioner is the patients themselves. Not only are you able to build long term relationships with people, but you may also treat their families for generations to come.
As the whole world continues to move forward into the digital age, options in regards to GP careers have also advanced accordingly.
Telehealth is classed as the distribution of health-related services and information via electronic information and telecommunication technologies. It allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring, and remote admissions – essentially, it’s made seeing a doctor easier than ever. Who would have thought that a career in medicine as a general practitioner, could also open the door to being a digital nomad?
Starting Your Career As A General Practitioner
It comes as no real surprise to see that the practice of becoming a locum doctor is on the rise. With increased flexibility and opportunities available, just a handful of the key benefits associated with this career path include greater flexibility, the ability to travel, increased earnings potential and ultimately – job satisfaction.
House Call Doctor are a team of medical practitioners who specialise in optimal at home health care, and provide after hours access to doctors across Queensland. As a wholly Australian owned and managed medical service, House Call Doctor cares about providing access to the very best medical care to people when they need it most, when their regular GP is closed.
If you’re intrigued by the idea of making your career count, why not register your interest with us to become a locum doctor and build the work life balance that you’ve always envisioned for yourself.
