Fifty-seven doctors celebrated the completion of their training as specialist GPs at the first regional Victorian Fellowship ceremony of the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) at Novotel Geelong today.
It marks a successful end to 11 years of education, training, rigorous assessment, and experience in primary care for the new Fellows of the RACGP.
New GP Dr Shruthi Vantakesh trained in Colac, west of Geelong. She said working in general practice means she gets to help patients at every stage of life.
"I've always wanted to treat all the parts of the body and you can see presentations from all systems, which I really like – it's very diverse. You get to be part of their journey, from birth 'till they pass," Dr Vantakesh said.
"Another thing is getting to see your patients after you treat them. You don't get that in a lot of other fields, like emergency medicine."
Dr Vantakesh said she had found living and working in a small town challenging, but the experience gave her opportunities she wouldn't have otherwise had.
"You get to be a bit more front-line, you get to be hands-on and make decisions," she said.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright told graduates at the ceremony that earning their Fellowship was a huge achievement that reflects they have displayed the skills and experience to help patients in their communities thrive at all stages of their lives.
"You're ready to support your patients tackle any problem, from a broken bone or a period of mental health challenges, to a long-term condition," Dr Wright said.
"Admission to fellowship shows a GP has the confidence of their mentors and peers to serve their patients in the broad discipline of general practice independently.
"You will have faced different challenges – for some that journey started from another country, while for others you some have gone through big life events – births, loss, and transitions. And it's important to acknowledge that you could not have made this journey without the support of your families and friends.
"GPs and general practice teams are needed by their communities more than ever before. The Government also recognises this, with record primary care investment planned off the back off the Federal Election.
"General practice is a fantastic specialty. No other specialty has the flexibility, variety, and independence that general practice offers us, or lets practitioners form such long-term relationships with our patients.
"Now, you are all the next generation of GPs caring for patients across Victoria, contributing to the growth of our profession."
RACGP Victoria Chair Dr Anita Muñoz joined Dr Wright in congratulating the newly fellowed specialist GPs, and emphasised the critical role of GPs within the health system.
"This is a moment to be proud after years of practice, learning, mentorship by your supervisors, and exams," she said.
"Gaining recognition as a specialist GP is an amazing and too often undersung achievement. As GPs, we're specialists in undifferentiated diagnosis, in examining a patient, determining the best course action to find the cause of symptoms from among an enormous range of possibilities, and the best way to manage it.
"GPs are also specialists in listening closely, carefully, and thoughtfully to our patients, knowing what to ask and when. It's a true privilege to be our patients' trusted confidants in times of stress and pain, and to help them live well throughout their lives. That's especially true for everyone who will continue to practice in the communities where you have been training and forming those bonds.
"We saw 22% more doctors enter specialist GP training in 2025 than the year before, and there's growing optimism about general practice. With the right funding and policy settings, we can rebuild the GP workforce to keep everyone healthy throughout their lives"
The RACGP trains 90% of GPs in Australia, across big cities, regional, rural, remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Multiple surveys show nine in 10 Australian General Practitioner Training participants are satisfied with the quality of the training.
The Fellowship graduation ceremony coincides with Crazy Socks for Docs Day, where GPs around the country are wearing their wildest socks to challenge the stigma around doctors' mental health.
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