Doctor accepts accolade for supervising registrars, interns, and medical students

Mackay General Practitioner (GP) and James Cook University (JCU) GP Supervisor Dr Peta Cornwall has been honoured in the Mackay Excellence in Leadership, Teaching and Research Awards.

Dr Cornwall, of South Side Medical received the Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award from Northern Queensland Regional Training Hubs (NQRTH).

The awards are a collaboration between the Medical Education Unit (MEU), Mackay Institute of Research and Innovation (MIRI), JCU, and NQRTH, and is a platform for peers to recognise one another, and celebrate their achievements and contributions.

Dr Cornwall has been a GP in Mackay for 17 years and has been closely involved with Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) programs including focus groups, Cancer Screening Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities, the Breathe Easy program, and data sharing.

She said she was honoured to receive the award, “but humbled as there are many good supervisors in the area”.

Dr Cornwall said she enjoyed the supervisor role as “it allows me to meet new students and registrars as they come through”. 

“I also learn from them as they have access to the most recent evidence-based teachings which they share with us during teaching sessions. I enjoy watching them grow and develop their clinical reasoning skills,” said Dr Cornwall.

“Teaching at any level involves guiding the student through the process of taking a patient history, discussing their concerns, diagnosing the issue, and putting together a plan that will benefit the patient.

“This can be time consuming depending on the knowledge and ability of the student. This is all in addition to me seeing my own patients as well. It can be tricky at times juggling the patient needs, the doctor’s agenda, and teaching on the go.

“It is always lovely when I am at a conference or workshop and past students come up and say hi. 

“It is also great when you receive phone calls and correspondence from previous students and interns that end up working in the hospital system.

“You get to see how they progressed, and it gives you some sense of pride that you contributed in some way to where they are today.”

Dr Cornwall is a staunch advocate of general practice despite its challenges and actively encourages students to take up a career as a GP.

“The key to encourage students to consider general practice is to ensure they have a pleasant and engaging experience as a student,” said Dr Cornwall. 

“In our practice we have a hands-on approach to teaching and ensure students are given practical experiences and many opportunities to participate in procedural work.

“They have their own dedicated consulting room where they can see patients and work as a valuable member of the team.

“If there are any interesting cases within the practice they are brought into those consultations by other doctors as well (with the patients’ consent).

“The greatest thing about general practice is that no two days are the same.

“We have the honour and privilege of co-ordinating a patients’ life journey from birth through to their final moments. 

“We look after them as a whole person, and often have several generations of the one family as patients which enhances the continuity of care.

“This can seem quite daunting to some doctors, but it is very difficult to be bored and you are never alone.

“The benefits of general practice are the colleagues you have around you to support and assist you when required. 

“In regional areas you can build relationships with other specialties quite quickly and easily, and your work hours are often very family friendly.”

Dr Cornwall completed her medical degree at The University of Queensland after spending parts of her childhood in Brisbane, Hong Kong, Japan, and Sydney. 

The dual Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Fellow operated a solo practice in Alpha, 470km south-west of Mackay, for seven years before moving to Mackay with her husband Nathan and three children 17 years ago.

Dr Cornwall also received a recognition of service award in 2021 from General Practice Supervisors Australia (GPSA) for her work of over 15 years as a GP supervisor. As well as mentoring GP registrars and interns at South Side Medical, she oversees JCU medical students.