Trafalgar’s local doctor, Dr James Brown, leads a very busy life. Besides performing clinical work at Trafalgar Medical Centre, associate professor Dr James Brown OAM is Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ (RACGP’s) current principal medical educator and, from February 2023, is set to become RACGP national director of training.
From February 2023, RACGP will be taking over responsibility for most of Australia’s training for general practice.
This means providing the training of some 5500 doctors to become GPs. As the RACGP principle medical educator, James has provided leadership at RACGP in preparation for delivering the training.
This has required building a curriculum, an educational program and a medical educator team.
From February 2023, James will be the national director of training leading a large team of medical educators to deliver the training.
In undertaking these roles, he brings 35 years of experience as a GP in Trafalgar, 25 years as a lead medical educator in Gippsland and 15 years of research into GP training.
His work has been widely published and has informed the evolution of GP training over the past 20 years. He has recently completed a PhD focusing on the GP supervisory relationship.
James, and his wife Helen, raised their family in Trafalgar. They have three daughters, now all adult, and all specialising in mental health.
In reflecting on being a GP in Trafalgar, James says, “Being invited into the lives of our patients is an extraordinary privilege, and I treasure this.”
Outside of the busy practice and RACGP role, James isn’t one to sit still. He loves to ride his bike of a morning, ski mountaineering, making a fence or two on their small farm and enjoying his spectacular view of Mount Baw Baw.
10 questions with associate professor James Brown
What are you looking forward to in your new role?
I am looking forward to working with the teams who will be training doctors to become Australia’s GPs.
I am very excited about the opportunity to be part of the next chapter of GP vocational training.
I believe that College led training will offer an environment that will enable many new developments for Australian General Practice training enabling it to continue to address the changing challenges and needs of the primary care for the Australian community.
What inspired you to start working for RACGP – while still juggling work as a GP for your practice?
I joined the RACGP in 2020 because I wanted to be part of college-led training.
I saw this as the next challenge in my work in GP education.
What kind of leader are you?
I perceive myself as collaborative, consultative and enabling.
I consider that the shared objective of high-quality GP training is the primary imperative and that we need a shared vision of this.
What strategies do you employ that help you switch from ‘GP’ to ‘RACGP leader’?
I continue to be a GP. I find that there are many parallels in the work of general practice and being a leader.
As a clinician, a GP needs to take leadership in sense making with their patients and enable them to realise their chosen direction.
Tell us about how you manage your work/life balance
I start the day early with a time of reflection, I have a bike ride with my wife most days and I prioritise my relationships. I also have lots of adventures.
Why did you choose a career in general practice?
Because I like people, I want to make a contribution to the world and I seek challenges.
What did you want to be as child/teenager?
A fire fighter and then a scientist. As a teenager I also had a list of initiatives I would take as the prime minister!
As a practice owner for over 30 years, what memories do you reflect on?
Being involved with families over a long time is an enormous privilege.
As a GP, I have been part of many shared significant events with patients and families and these become part of my ongoing connection with them.
What advice do you have for your colleagues?
I think that it is important to start from a position of trust: trust that registrars want to be excellent clinicians; trust that supervisors want the best for their registrars; and, trust that educators and program staff care about training.
Trust doesn’t however mean naivety.
What advice do you have for young doctors in training?
Being invited into the lives of our patients is an extraordinary privilege, treasure this.
Make sure you establish supportive professional relationships as you train and maintain these after graduating as a GP.
Photo caption: Associate professor Dr James Brown OAM enjoying feeding out hay away from his busy professional life
