College of GPs welcomes newest GP and rural hospital medicine trainees

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners welcomes the 221 year 1 registrars who have started their journeys to becoming specialist general practitioners or rural hospital doctors.

Of this group, 201 registrars are starting on the General Practice Education Programme (GPEP) and 20 are starting on the Rural Hospital Medicine (RHM) training programme.

With 90 percent of medical conditions being treated in the community, the College continues to advocate for well-resourced training programmes for our community-based workforce who are valued and supported to care for their patients.

College Chief Executive Toby Beaglehole says, "We’re delighted that our new registrars have recognised the impact they can have on improving health outcomes by working on the frontline in their communities.

"Growing our workforce continues to be a priority for the College this year. The new Health Minister has signalled his commitment to increasing access to general practice, which will come from having more specialists trained and working in the community, and we welcome the opportunity to discuss this with him."

College President Dr Samantha Murton says, "We know the value that we bring to healthcare, which comes from the vast depth and breadth of knowledge and skills that we build on during our specialist training, and throughout our careers.

"To all our new registrars I say welcome, we’re so glad you’ve joined us, and I hope you take every opportunity to get involved, ask questions and share your own experiences about your journey that has led you into choosing this highly rewarding career."

Chair of the College’s Division of Rural Hospital Medicine (DRHM) Dr Andrew Laurenson says, "Having these new rural trainees entering the programme is a great boost as we work towards having an accessible and thriving rural health workforce for the approximately 900,000 New Zealanders who live rurally."

More information about the programmes and how to apply is available on the College website.