Research

Summary: Key Findings on Female Supervisors in General Practice

The research explores the findings of the “Women in Supervision” study, focusing on the role of female supervisors in Australian general practice and the unique challenges they face. It aims to provide insights into supporting female professionals in supervisory roles.

For convenience, you can read through this summary here, or use the pdf tools at the top of the document to download and / or print the file. 

Date reviewed: 17 July 2026

Please note that while reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the time of creation, we frequently update content and links as needed. If you identify any inconsistencies or broken links, please let us know by email.

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Research

Helping you meet your CPD requirements

From 2023, all doctors across Australia are required to complete and record 50 hours of CPD each year. CPD activities must include of a mix of:

  • Educational activities (EA) – Activities that expand General Practice knowledge skills and attitudes, related to the GP’s scope of practice;
  • Measuring outcomes (MO) – Activities that use a GP’s work data to ensure quality results; and
  • Reviewing performance (RP) – Activities that require reflection on feedback about a GP’s work.


GPSA has now achieved official CPD Provider status with RACGP for both our educational webinars / workshops and our research focus groups / interviews.

While we are being set up in the RACGP CPD Home platform, we are happy to email you a Certificate of Attendance for these activities using the details you provide in your registration and evaluation forms.

Noting that equivalent CPD Provider status is in progress with ACRRM, we likewise offer Certificates of Attendance for this and any other non-RACGP CPD Home in accordance with the details you provide us.

GPSA’s comprehensive range of supervisor and general practice resources also count towards your CPD. You can access these here.

The RACGP has packaged GP supervision activities into a simple, pre-approved format for all GP supervisors.

If RACGP is your CPD Home, depending on your role in supervision, a specific number of CPD hours will automatically be applied for the year.

For example, if you are registered with the RACGP as a primary supervisor of one or more registrars, up to 30 hours will automatically be applied to your CPD.

 Secondary supervisors will benefit too, but for a smaller number of hours (we will share this once RACGP provides this information).

The RACGP also recognises the activities of GPs who teach and supervise medical students as CPD.

As a GP supervisor you have at least 2 roles. One is as a GP in clinical practice and the other is as a teacher / supervisor. Your role as a supervisor is very important and much of what you do in this role is captured as CPD.

Your CPD comprises 2 parts: that done to prepare to be a supervisor (modules, workshops) and the supervision you do in practice, week to week, with a registrar.

1.  Preparation for supervising and teaching involves:

  • learning
  • reading
  • participation in online modules and workshops

2. The act of supervision involves:

  • regular reflection on action and interaction with colleagues
  • case review
  • deconstruction of clinical decisions
  • sharing and testing ideas and skills

Date reviewed: 15 July 2026

Please note that while reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the time of creation, we frequently update content and links as needed. If you identify any inconsistencies or broken links, please let us know by email.

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Research

Burnout? It's more common than not

At the GP22 conference in Melbourne at the end of November 2022, GPSA’s Director of Research, Dr Samia Toukhsati, presented the findings she developed with Monash University’s Dr Rebecca Kippen and GPSA’s former and current CEOs, Glen Wallace and Carla Taylor.

The aim of GPSA’s study was to explore the wellbeing and selfcare of GP supervisors in Australia.

The method included use of the 16-item Oldenburg Burnout Inventory to evaluate disengagement and exhaustion through a procedure involving:

Monash Human Research Ethics Committee approval (#19442) Feb 2022
Completion of the GPSA National Supervisor Survey by GPSA members in March-April 2022
Analysis of survey data, in particular socio-demographics, GP supervision experience, access to leave, indications of burnout and selfcare

 

What the literature says about burnout...

 

Burnout is an ‘occupational phenomenon’(1)

  • Unrelenting workplace demands
  • Unmeetable goals

Burnout is common in GPs around the world(2, 3), including GP registrars(4)

  • Stressful, high pressured environments
  • High workload and long hours
  • Emotional strain(5)

Burnout occurs when one’s ‘wellbeing reservoir’ is depleted(4)

 

 

Discussion points

Burnout impacts over 70% of GP supervisors

Modifiable personal risk factors include:

  • Working when unwell
  • Selfcare (need to increase daily balance / self-awareness and mindfulness)

Benefit of increasing personal agency to set boundaries: empowerment and choice

Burnout represents a systemic workplace and workforce problem

Create resilient workplaces, not just resilient workers(6)

  • Supportive culture
  • Supportive policy
  • Supportive tools

REFORM!

Change needed at the sector level, requiring a systems and government response(7)

  • Urgent and increased government investment in general practice and workforce training
  • National guidelines and organisational policies to prevent healthcare worker burnout(7)
  • Model Work Health and Safety Regulations (as at 14 Apr 2022)(8) – 55A Psychosocial hazards; 55B Psychosocial risks; 55C-D Control measures

References

  1.  World Health Organisation. International Classification of Disease for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (ICD), 11th revision, Geneva, 2018
  2. HIMMS and NUANCE Communications. From overload to burnout. What clinicians think. 2021. Available at www.nuance.com/content/dam/nuance/en_uk/collateral/healthcare/white-paper/wp-from-overload-to-burnoutwhat-clinicians-think.pdf
  3. Shen et al. (2022). The global prevalence of burnout among general practitioners: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Family Practice, 2022, XX, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmab180
  4. Prentice et al. Burnout, wellbeing and how they relate: A qualitative study in general practice trainees. Med Educ. 2022; 1-13.
  5.  Zarei et al. Prevalence of Burnout among Primary Health Care Staff and Its Predictors: A Study in Iran. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 2249; doi:10.3390/ijerph16122249
  6. Henderson JD. Self-Care is Not the Solution for Burnout. Medium, 14th Jan 2022. Available at https://index.medium.com/self-care-is-not-the-solution-for-burnout-6969bc0a2de6
  7. Warby T. Why Australia needs a systemic response to burnout. newsGP 24 Aug 2022. Available at https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/gp-opinion/why-australia-needs-a-systemic-response-to-burnout
  8. Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011. Available at https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-06/model_whs_regulations_-_14_april_2022.pdf

THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE RESEARCH GPSA UNDERTAKES IN OUR EFFORT TO DEVELOP BEST PRACTICE RESOURCES, CREATE POLICIES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF GP TRAINING CONDITIONS, AND ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF OUR MEMBERS.

TO REPRESENT YOU FAITHFULLY, WE NEED TO HEAR YOUR VOICE. PLEASE CONSIDER PARTICIPATING IN OUR MEMBER SURVEYS AND RESEARCH INTERVIEWS, AND REACH OUT TO US WITH ANY ISSUES / CONCERNS / QUERIES AT SUPPORT@GPSA.ORG.AU.

Date reviewed: 02 July 2026

Please note that while reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the time of creation, we frequently update content and links as needed. If you identify any inconsistencies or broken links, please let us know by email.

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