Tips for new GP Trainees

It’s that time of the year where new GP Registrars are starting, so here are some of my tips for our new trainees.

1. In General Practice, think biopsychosocial for every patient. Consider getting patients to rate their Bio health out of 10. Psychological health out of 10. Social health out of 10. Anything less than 7-8/10 may need attention.

2. “Paint” first before you “point”. That is... Think bigger picture first before hyperfocusing onto the small details. Zoom out first before zooming in. Big wide differentials first before committing to one single diagnosis.

3. You got a “lifetime” with the patients, albeit, they are made up of multiple short visits. So take your time.... Breathe. Be present. Listen to understand before taking action. Exception are emergencies of course.

4. Remember that there are three things you have to work on during your training. Mindset, process, and content. Many will focus too much on the content and forget about the mindset and process. Don’t fall into this trap.

5. Learn more about emotional literacy. People are full of emotions. You will not escape it.

6. Patients will teach you a lot about life through their triumphs and mistakes. Be curious. It’s one of the unspoken perks of the job.