On the cusp of my second year as a trainee GP

I was not upset by the delay until March next year of the GPEP1 clinical examination. I heard a lot of strong opinions about it.

I note that all registrars in Auckland have been in lockdown, with limited time spent face to face with patients, and education sessions via Zoom only.

No matter how great your team or your study plan, there is no substitute for having had a full patient load all year, in terms of experience and preparedness for the exam. So I believe it makes sense to give everyone an extra few months to get this experience.

There is also the COVID risk to consider. Obviously, any gathering of doctors from around the country for an exam will be risky. There is huge potential for harm from a super-spreader event at the exam, because the registrars could take COVID back to all corners of the country. This has to be managed in the safest way possible, and the RNZCGP has been committed to that.

However, I was disappointed that the exam was pushed back, as my study plan and preparation went out the window and my study leave had to be shuffled.

My main concern with the new plan was the fact the exam will now be held a month after we all start in new roles next year. This will be at an already stressful time, as we lose our blanket of close supervision and the catch-up sessions we may have. Having to prepare for the exam at the same time seems like burnout waiting to happen.

The other big thing I have been wrestling with is finding work for next year. Having gone straight to university from high school and then into a house officer job (which recurred each year without fuss), I quickly realised I had never really interviewed for a job.

As you can imagine, my first interview didn’t go particularly well. I hadn’t really prepared and was surprised by some of the curlier questions I was asked.

Is there a right answer to the question, “What was your last mistake?” I didn’t want to sound flippant with a nothing answer, but I didn’t want to sound like a fool either.

My second interview went better, as I was a bit more prepared, and I was offered a job. Being sent the contract was another first for me. To date, I have only ever had been on a collective agreement, where the union does the fighting for you and you just sign on the dotted line.

An indemnity company gave registrars a talk earlier in the year about GP contracts, so I vaguely knew what was a good rate. What I wasn’t sure about could fill this page.

Is it better to be an employee? Should I worry about the non-compete clause? Is a 5km radius big or small? Can I argue about how many patients I see per hour or how much admin time I get?

We keep being told about the GP shortage and how easy it is to get a job. But all I personally felt was anxiety. I felt suddenly cast adrift to fend for myself, finding and applying for jobs, not being sure if I’d get one, interviewing, waiting to hear back (patience is not one of my virtues) and then contract negotiations.

People in other professions don’t usually have to go through this process as often, and I now realise that I am grateful for not having had to do it in my junior years.

So, to all the other GPEP1s out there. I hear you! This is a stressful time for us all and I am sending out one huge collective warm fuzzy feeling. At least it’s Christmas soon, right?

Dr Cat is a trainee GP in year one of GPEP, working in a New Zealand general practice