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With so many GPs leaving the profession, how can I find a new one?

<p>Perhaps you have been happily attending the same GP for many years. They know your medical history better than anyone. Then all of a sudden they retire, or the practice closes, or it gets taken over by a bigger company and everything at the practice changes. Or maybe you’ve just had an unexpected visit to hospital and they ask who your GP is on discharge, then you realise you’re in need of one. </p> <p>More than 80% of Australians <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29779298/">visit a GP</a> each year and those with chronic medical conditions will attend multiple times within the same period. It’s important to have a good GP who can coordinate your care. So how do you find a new one to develop a trusted relationship with? </p> <p>As practising GPs ourselves, we are often asked: “Do you know a good GP?” This can be a somewhat difficult question to answer, as each person’s perception of “good” is highly subjective, dependent on many factors.</p> <p>Studies of peoples’ preferences have varied results. One study found the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21334160/">listening ability</a> of the GP to be important. Other studies found patients put more value in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18332402/">clinical competency</a>, a <a href="https://bjgp.org/content/70/698/e676">trusting relationship or continuity of care</a>. </p> <p>So a better question is: what GP will be a good fit for me?</p> <h2>What factors are important to you? 6 aspects to consider</h2> <p>Here are some tips to help speed up your search for your new GP. Remember though, it may take a few visits to develop a trusting relationship and know if the fit is right for you. </p> <h2>1. Your health needs</h2> <p>If you are young and healthy, a GP offering a convenient service and who is easy to book in quickly with may suffice. For those living with chronic complex conditions or disabilities who need to visit often, a consistent and thorough doctor is recommended. </p> <h2>2. Cost</h2> <p>Bulk-billing doctors are becoming rarer given the rising cost of services, salaries, equipment and utilities. To stay afloat, these doctors are having to see more patients in less time. </p> <p>This could result in a poorer understanding of you as an individual and your health values and goals. Again, this might not be a problem for simple consults. But if you get a serious disease down the track, you might wish you’d had a regular GP all along, because they would know you and your history. </p> <p>If you’re able to wear some extra cost but wondering how much to pay, consider the Australian Medical Association recommendation as your guide – a standard 15-minute <a href="https://www.ausdoc.com.au/news/rebate-gap-blows-out-47-standard-gp-consult/#:%7E:text=In%20its%20latest%20list%20of,currently%20sits%20at%20just%20%2439.10.">consult cost</a> is $86 with a $39 rebate from Medicare. </p> <h2>3. Accessibility and practice size</h2> <p>Consider the distance you need to travel and the opening hours you may need, including weekend availability. </p> <p>Bigger practices are more likely to be able to get you in to see a doctor, if not your doctor, and often have longer opening hours. Having more than one preferred GP within the same practice can provide more flexibility and they will each be able to access your medical records and results. You may want to enquire also about disability access and telehealth options.</p> <h2>4. Reviews</h2> <p>Online recommendations can be tricky to interpret. Only <a href="https://www.center4research.org/believe-online-reviews-doctors/">6–8% of people</a> post online reviews for doctors. And there are plenty of people out there who have inappropriate requests or expectations of GPs, which may be their basis for a negative review. Also, someone who has been happily seeing their GP for decades is less likely to post a rating than a one-off visitor. </p> <p>Be sure to consider what reasons were given for a negative review – was it because of actions taken, an attitude, or a personality clash? – and how those reasons align with your preferences. In saying that, community Facebook groups are often a hotspot for discussions about local GPs and recurrent positive recommendations can and should be held in higher regard. </p> <h2>5. New doctors</h2> <p>There are many young GPs starting off in the profession or new to the area. Many will be fantastically caring and competent. But these doctors are not going to come with recommendations yet. </p> <p>These GPs often have plenty of appointment slots, and the most recent up-to-date training. Being an early adopter of their services could be to your benefit. </p> <h2>6. Sub-specialists</h2> <p>Many GPs have special interests and advanced skills, such as skin cancer care, musculoskeletal medicine, women’s health or mental health. </p> <p>They may have done postgraduate training, usually listed on the practice website along with their special interests. They are likely to have a shorter waiting time and lower costs than specialists – so consider these doctors if your needs match their expertise.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The answer to solving the GP workforce crisis? Fix inequities in conditions and pay to attract junior doctors back to general practice. <a href="https://t.co/VnzF63mD4O">https://t.co/VnzF63mD4O</a></p> <p>— GPRA (@GPRALtd) <a href="https://twitter.com/GPRALtd/status/1541592411776090113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <h2>Other things to check</h2> <p>About 80% of practices go through a <a href="https://www.semphn.org.au/general-practice-accreditation">practice accreditation process</a>, which proves attainment of standards set by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Such practices will advertise this status on their website and at the entrance to the clinic.</p> <p>You can also ask about a doctor’s qualifications and about the standard consultation length. This may range from 10 to 20 minutes. Don’t be afraid to ask these questions when calling a practice about your first visit.</p> <p>The final and arguably most important test is how you connect when you meet them in person. Finding a GP can be like finding your favourite cardigan. You don’t know it’s your favourite until it has been worn in. </p> <p>Similarly you don’t know that your GP is great until you’ve journeyed with them through some potentially challenging times of your life. We encourage you to use the above tips to find a suitable GP, then give them some time to get to know you and grow a therapeutic relationship. </p> <p>With continuity of care, trust will grow, as will knowledge about you and your values. This will ultimately improve your overall health care experience.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-so-many-gps-leaving-the-profession-how-can-i-find-a-new-one-190666" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Caring

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The most attractive careers according to Aussies

<p dir="ltr">In what could be a saviour to your lack of dating, did you know your profession helps you with finding someone? </p> <p dir="ltr">According to research from eharmony, knowing what a potential partner does for work influences attraction.</p> <p dir="ltr">At the top of the list of the most attractive jobs is healthcare workers for both men and women, showing COVID-19 has made us feverish for partners who can take care of us. </p> <p dir="ltr">For Australian women, doctors, tradies and firefighters are the top three most attractive professions. </p> <p dir="ltr">For Aussie men, nurses, models and flight attendants are the top three most attractive professions. </p> <p dir="ltr">So when it comes to a first date, unless spoken to prior, at least 59 per cent of Aussies ask the other party what they do for a living on a first date.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/most-attractive.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr">eharmony psychologist Sharon Draper said a person’s profession usually helps with associating their traits and what they would be like as a person.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We commonly associate traits with certain careers; nurses are caring, lawyers are strong-willed and so forth,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We then use these traits to make judgements about a potential partner and our compatibility with them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not only does someone’s job tell you about their personality, but it also tells us about the compatibility of your lives together. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We know some jobs keep people away from each other longer than others or require more hours working late at home, and this may or may not fit with our lifestyle and what we’re looking for in a relationship.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Ultimately, it’s just another way to get to know a potential partner and learn more about them. </p> <p dir="ltr">“One aspect of a person’s life doesn’t define them, but acts as a puzzle piece that may or may not fit our picture of our future lives.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Supplied/Shutterstock</em></p>

Relationships

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Do arts teachers have to be artists?

<p>Do arts teachers have to be artists? It’s a question that is often raised when talking about our chosen profession across the dinner table. There is an expectation that if we teach the arts then we must be practising artists. </p> <p>It is a presumption that doesn’t seem to exist in other teaching paths. We do not assume that the English teacher is writing the next great novel. Nor do we envisage that the science teacher is a consultant for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). </p> <p>Still, an assumption exists that arts teachers exhibit or perform their art. Where does this expectation come from?</p> <h2>Hierarchy of subjects</h2> <p>According to the foremost advocate of creativity and the arts, Sir Ken Robinson, there was – and still is – a hierarchy of subjects that exist in all Western schools. At the top are mathematics and languages, followed by the humanities and, at the bottom, the arts.</p> <p>This is somewhat unusual given that arts teachers are required to complete the same years of training as non-arts teachers. Some come to teaching after finishing their fine arts degree, while others complete an education degree with one of the arts as their teaching method.</p> <p>We could ask if this presumption of the arts teacher as artist is an attempt to raise the status of teaching the arts in our schools. Do these subjects require professionals to be taught effectively?</p> <p>The low status of the arts in schools has resulted in myriad challenges. </p> <p>Artistic subjects are often seen as frivolous extras in an already overcrowded curriculum. And as “elective” subjects they are not always prioritised, especially in a high-stakes testing regime which emphasises literacy and numeracy as core components of our educational system. </p> <p>For example, in NSW alone almost <a href="http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/">9,000 students</a> are enrolled in visual arts in year 12, close to 5,000 in both drama and music, and only 900 in dance. </p> <p>While low compared to compulsory subjects such as English, for which approximately 60,000 students sit their Higher School Certificate, these numbers continue to grow due in part to dedicated arts teachers in our secondary schools.</p> <p>There is little doubt that the arts require specialised facilities and resources, so funding becomes yet another challenge. And, of course, there is the issue of the well-trained arts teacher who must possess certain artistic skills in order to help their students acquire a higher level of proficiency in their chosen art form.</p> <p>Early career teachers face a plethora of challenges, but for arts teachers they face the added expectation that they are maintaining a personal arts practice – the music teacher is in a band, the drama teacher directs plays, and the art teacher is working on their next Archibald entry.</p> <p>However, little research exists detailing exactly how many teachers practise their chosen art form outside of the school. </p> <p>The University of Melbourne is undertaking a research project exploring the common myths surrounding artists who become teachers. Starting in 2013, the researchers have been <a href="http://www.teacherartmaker.com/">following 100 Victorian graduate art teachers</a> to explore whether new arts teachers make art and, if they do, what impact it has on their teaching. </p> <p>Anecdotally we know that many artists become teachers because they struggle to sustain a profession as an artist. But do making and teaching art require the same set of skills?</p> <p>A teacher has to have a certain mastery of an art to teach it. A dance teacher needs to know about the choreography of dance. A music teacher needs to know how to make music.</p> <p>The arts are not core units; they are electives. They need to be taught by someone with a passion for their chosen field. Yes, artists have this passion. But to argue that a person has to be an artist to teach the arts implies that mastery of artistic skills and techniques equates to an understanding of current pedagogy when, in reality, they can be mutually exclusive. </p> <p>Just because a person is an artist doesn’t necessarily mean that they are, or will be, a good teacher.</p> <h2>Teaching as an art form</h2> <p>Perhaps we need to move this conversation in another direction. Let’s consider teaching as an art form in and of itself. </p> <p>Effective teaching has been described as <a href="http://edr.sagepub.com/content/33/2/12.short">“scripted improvisation”</a>. Good teachers require passion, creativity and imagination.</p> <p>Arts teachers, whether artists or not, have made a decision to be arts educators. They do not wish to live the life of an artist, to feel pressured to produce, to pursue galleries and theatres, to live off commissions and sales. They want to be a teacher, to inspire an appreciation for the arts, to encourage their students to reach a higher level of proficiency, and to give confidence and life skills to their students.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-arts-teachers-have-to-be-artists-64964" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

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