About our Program

The principal goal of the GP Wellbeing Program is to is to promote the health and wellbeing of GPs within the Monash Division. The GP Steering Group is represented by GPs who are committed to General Practice. This also includes ensuring that General Practice is seen as a rewarding career choice for Medical Graduates.

Critical Incident Counselling

Research shows that GPs are susceptible to high levels of stress which may have an adverse impact on their personal and professional lives, even even though dedicating their professional lives to the care of patients they often find it difficult to recognize and seek help for their own medical needs.
The Division provides a ‘GP Support Counseling token’ for each in boundary GP member to access short term professional support counseling when the need arises. From time to time issues arise in our professional or personal life which causes us great concern. These may be resolved by talking to a professional, supportive and objective listener.
The ‘GP Support Counseling Token’ has a currency of one year and provides a subsidy of up to $110. A list of psychological health providers who have indicated interest in this service is also available on our website. The service is anonymous and the only details forwarded to the Division will be the GP’s practice postcode as this service is funded only for GP members working within the Monash boundaries.
If you would like to recommend another provider please contact Toni at the Division.

Doctors Walk their Talk Program
This innovative program developed by Division GPs in conjunction with a local consultant aims to assist GPs cope with work related stress and burnout. The repercussions of work related stress also spread to members of the doctor's family, with studies finding high reates of suicide among women married to doctors and psychiatrists reporting high attendance by doctor's children

The "Doctors Walk their Talk" program consists of 3 x 2.5 hr modules which can be run over a weekend or consecutive weeks.
The key learning objectives for the program are:

• Deepen doctor’s awareness of the factors that brought them into this profession and how this impacts on their capacity to cope with the strains of general practice.
• Assist doctors to better understand themselves, be better equipped to make changes and develop more resilience.
• Assist GPs to change thinking and attitude.
• Educate GPs about professional burnout, stress management and the latest developments in the field of peak performance, in particular energy management.
• Develop a range of strategies for dealing with the stress of General Practice.
• Reflect on the challenges and solutions to work/life balance.
• Assist GPs to define a personally sustainable lifestyle— develop a model for wellbeing to Happiness, Resilience and Wellbeing.

The roll out of the program commenced early 2007 with a the module running over 2 days. See the Education Page for latest running dates.

The Division is able to offer a packaged program that other organisations can utilise. For details on the costs associated please contact Toni Lamarche.

Courses & Contacts

Please contact the Division for information on upcoming courses.

Resources

• “Why YOU too, need a GP” - A personal experience by Dr Gary Kilov
• "Better Health & Fitness – A personal journey" by Dr Tim Foo
• "Summary of Achieving Authentic Lasting Happiness" by Dr Mary Stavropoulou
• "GPs are Human's Too - The Broader issues in GP Stress" by Associate Professor Peter Schattner
• "Laughter is the Best Medicine" by Dr Susan Kloot
• "Are GPs more stressed than Lawyers?" by Dr Peter Tsoi
• "Peer Support Balint Groups - A Reflective Space for GPs" by Dr Marion Lustig

A full listing of useful books and websites is available on our Resources Page.

For further information about this program contact Toni Lamarche at the Division.