I am Chandra Jayaraman, currently working as a GP in a high needs area of South Auckland. Prior to Auckland I have worked as a GP in Hamilton, Te Kuiti and Te Awamutu.
I continue to be actively engaged with our college, having served as Secretary, I am now the Chair of the Auckland Faculty. I have completed my full term of five years as Auckland Faculty representative on the National Advisory Committee of the College. I successfully chaired the programme committee of the College Conference 2016 held in Auckland and delivered the highest number of attendees in Conference history. I was a member of the 2018 College Conference Organising Committee. I am currently on the Steering Committee for WONCA 2020.
One thing that has concerned me in all the years that I have been involved with the College is the lack of member engagement. I have had some success in correcting that with the attendance at Faculty AGM (X4), College Conference (X3), the successful annual Auckland Faculty CME (oversubscribed). Round the Bay’s attendance doubled this year to 200 participants. In 2018 we started a new Xmas event for Auckland faculty members which was well attended. I think there is lot more work to be done both at Faculty and College level.
If elected to the Board, my aim is to build on the success I have had in member engagement at faculty level and try to replicate it at national level, thereby making the College truly a College of the Members for the Members and by the Members. Any activity by the college is meaningful only when there is good member engagement.