'A sense of self, empowerment and purposefulness': professional diversification and wellbeing in Australian general practitioners.

Background: Burnout and workforce shortages comprise a vicious cycle in medicine, particularly for Australian general practitioners (GPs). Professional diversification, whereby individuals work multiple roles across their week, may help address this problem, but this strategy is under-studied.

Methods: We surveyed 1157 Australian GPs using qualitative and quantitative questions examining professional diversification, values, autonomy, and wellbeing.

'Being in a place where it matters': GPs who do and do not work in Aboriginal Health Services.

Background: Few general practitioners (GPs) pursue a career in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. This research examined factors motivating Australian General Practice Training Program (AGPT) graduates to remain in, or leave, Aboriginal Medical Services (AMSs).

Methods: AGPT graduates who remained (n =11) and left (n =9) AMSs after placements participated in semi-structured interviews across two studies.

Burnout and wellbeing in the Australian general practice training context: Stakeholder-informed guidelines.

Method: This study forms part of a larger evaluation of general practice registrar burnout and wellbeing. Feedback on preliminary guidelines developed from this evaluation was sought through two rounds of consultation within one regional training organisation. Qualitative data were thematically analysed.

A qualitative exploration of burnout prevention and reduction strategies for general practice registrars.

Background And Objectives: Burnout interventions for trainee doctors have typically overlooked specialty-specific factors as well as presumed centralised training models. The aim of this study was to explore stakeholders' views of burnout interventions within Australian general practice training, where both factors are pertinent.

Method: Forty-seven trainees, supervisors, medical educators and program coordinators from a regional training organisation participated in interviews and focus groups.

Burnout, wellbeing and how they relate: A qualitative study in general practice trainees.

Purpose: Although research has explored burnout risk factors among medical trainees, there has been little exploration of the personal experiences and perceptions of this phenomenon. Similarly, there has been little theoretical consideration of trainee wellbeing and how this relates to burnout. Our study aimed to conceptualise both constructs.

Australian general practice registrars' experiences of training, well-being and support during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

Objectives: Providing well-supported general practice (GP) training is fundamental to strengthen the primary health workforce. Research into the unique needs of GP registrars during disasters is limited. Registrar burnout and insufficient support have been associated with personal and professional detrimental effects.

Promoting Wellbeing among Family Medicine Trainees: A Hermeneutic Review of Intervention Mechanisms of Change and their Delivery Methods.

Phenomenon: Efforts to promote wellbeing and reduce burnout amongst postgraduate medical trainees have been hampered by little consideration of interventions' underlying mechanisms, as well as how interventions are delivered. The critical role of trainee specialty has also been overlooked, despite the unique personal and work-based stressors faced among subgroups - such as those completing Family Medicine/General Practice. A consolidation of intervention research can help to guide the design, implementation and evaluation of future targeted programs and potentially enhance their effectiveness.

Wellbeing Conceptualizations in Family Medicine Trainees: A Hermeneutic Review.

Phenomenon: High levels of burnout have been widely reported among postgraduate medical trainees, however relatively little literature has examined what 'wellbeing' means for this group. Moreover, the literature that does exist has generally overlooked the potential role of specialty factors in influencing such conceptualizations. This is particularly true for family medicine and general practice trainees - a specialty considered to be unique due, in part, to its focus on community-based care.

Adaptation and initial examination of the psychometric properties of the Short Supervisory Relationship Questionnaire (SSRQ) for use with general practice registrars.

The relationship between general practice (GP) registrars and their supervisors underpins the training experience for the next generation of medical practitioners. Building on recent research into the development and validation of a measure of the relationship between registrars and supervisors from the perspective of the supervisor, the current study focuses on the educational alliance from the perspective of the registrar. This paper presents an adaptation and initial validation of the clinical psychology supervisory relationship measure for GP registrars in an Australian context.

Burnout Levels and Patterns in Postgraduate Medical Trainees: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: Postgraduate medical trainees experience high rates of burnout; however, inconsistencies in definitions of burnout characterize this literature. The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis examining burnout levels and patterns in postgraduate medical trainees, using a continuous conceptualization of burnout, consistent with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) framework.

Method: The authors searched 5 electronic databases (Cochrane Library, Embase, ERIC, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid PsycINFO) between January 1981 and July 2019 for studies reporting postgraduate medical trainees' burnout levels using the MBI-Human Services Survey.

Maintaining capacity for in-practice teaching and supervision of students and general practice trainees: a cross-sectional study of early career general practitioners.

Objectives Expanding learner cohorts of medical students and general practitioner (GP) vocational trainees and the impending retirement of the 'baby boomer' GP cohort threaten the teaching and supervisory capacity of the Australian GP workforce. Engaging newly qualified GPs is essential to sustaining this workforce training capacity. The aim of the present study was to establish the prevalence and associations of in-practice clinical teaching and supervision in early career GPs.

Home visits and nursing home visits by early-career GPs: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Home visits (HVs) and nursing home visits (NHVs) are accepted as core elements of general practice. There is concern regarding declining rates of HVs and an increasing demand for NHVs together with a perceived decreased willingness of younger GPs to provide these services.

Objectives: To establish the prevalence and associations of recently vocationally qualified GPs ('graduates') performing HVs and NHVs.

Personality characteristics and attributes of international medical graduates in general practice training: Implications for supporting this valued Australian workforce.

Objectives: To describe the personality profiles of International Medical Graduates (IMGs) undertaking General Practice (GP) training in Australia. A better understanding of the personal characteristics of IMGs may inform their training and enhance support for their vital contribution to the Australian rural workforce.

Design: Cross-sectional self-report questionnaires.

Exploring resilience in rural GP registrars--implications for training.

Background: Resilience can be defined as the ability to rebound from adversity and overcome difficult circumstances. General Practice (GP) registrars face many challenges in transitioning into general practice, and additional stressors and pressures apply for those choosing a career in rural practice. At this time of international rural generalist medical workforce shortages, it is important to focus on the needs of rural GP registrars and how to support them to become resilient health care providers.

GP surgeons: what are they? An audit of GP surgeons in South Australia.

Introduction: In many parts of Australia where there is no access to local specialist services, procedural services are provided by local GPs. Within the range of procedural skills offered, a small group of GPs is able to provide surgery. Unlike other procedural areas, there remains no defined training or assessment pathway for GP surgeons.

Fostering registrar research - a model to overcome barriers.

Background: Research and critical thinking are essential skills for general practitioners. However, evidence indicates that GPs tend to lack confidence in their research ability. Regional training providers can address this by integrating primary care research education and skills development into their general practice training programs.

Expectations and experiences associated with rural GP placements.

Introduction: Evidence indicates a need to recruit more GPs to a career in rural general practice (GP). Research has indicated that placement experiences have the potential to impact on medical career decision-making. Research also suggests that rural placements can raise both professional and psychosocial concerns, but there is no existing evidence about whether pre-placement expectations translate into actual placement experiences.

Investigating naturalistic decision making in a simulated microworld: what questions should we ask?

Computer-simulated microworlds can provide a controlled method for investigating concepts related to naturalistic decision making (NDM). However, the extent to which these tools can be used to generate meaningful outcomes is unknown. The current study used a microworld called Networked Fire Chief (NFC) to explore the range of skills and knowledge acquired as participants gained practice on the program.

When, what and how South Australian pre-registration junior medical officers' career choices are made.

Objectives: This study aimed to provide better understanding of how pre-registration junior medical officers (PJMOs) make their career choices by investigating when decisions are made, what factors impact on choices, and the role of experience in this process.

Methods: A third (n = 54) of PJMOs from the 2003 cohort at South Australian teaching hospitals participated in the current research. Inductive content analysis was used to discover themes in data gathered from semistructured interviews.

Assessment of English-language proficiency for general practitioner registrars.

Introduction: English-language proficiency of medical practitioners is an issue attracting increasing attention in medical education. To best provide language education support, it is essential that learning needs are assessed and that useful feedback and advice are provided. We report the outcomes of a language assessment that was embedded within the context of a comprehensive general practice learning-needs analysis.