Our Story
Once upon a time there were three rural GPs. As true rural generalists, the two owners had built a reputable practice in a small coastal town, and they each served about 4 decades. One of them looked out at the ocean from his consulting room and wondered, "When I am old and grey, who will take over my practice?" Their third colleague suggested taking on a registrar at the clinic. The rest, as they say, is history. The clinic continued to grow as registrars came and stayed – some for a year or more, some for a perceivable lifetime.
Two of the registrars fellowed at the clinic and went on to become owners, taking over from our esteemed senior colleagues. As the owners have now stepped gracefully into retirement, we want to continue to build upon the wonderful culture of warm collegiality and excellent rural medicine that they entrusted us with. We are committed to good stewardship of the business to ensure it is profitable, attractive, and sustainable for generations to come. The team has continued to grow, and so has our town! Read on to see if you would like to become part of our story.
Typical Work Day
After a refreshing walk or ride to work along the esplanade, you meet at 8:30am in the hospital board room for a combined handover. This discussion includes all the doctors, medical students, allied health, lead clinical nurse and hospital management, and is then followed by a combined ward round. This is a great opportunity for teaching, liaising with other care providers about your patients, and seeking feedback and ideas from colleagues regarding diagnosis and clinical care. You then have some time for writing notes at the hospital, and it may be your day for booked outpatient procedures.
Once over at the clinic, there is time for checking results and mail, and perhaps a cup of tea, before commencing your morning clinic session which runs from 10am-12:30pm. The afternoon session then runs from 2-5pm which allows time for a decent lunch break and tidying up paperwork, to hopefully not need to stay back at the end of the day. If it is a Tuesday then a lovely lunch is provided by the clinic – this “family lunch” as well as Friday night “wind down” are a few of our regular opportunities to celebrate team wins, debrief about challenges and support each other as colleagues.
Training Opportunities
Tumby Bay Medical is an accredited training site with both RAGCP and ACRRM. In addition to basic GP terms (including emergency) we are now able to offer Advanced Skills Training in Small Town Rural General Practice. We believe that having registrars is not a right, it is a privilege, and while they do form an important part of our working team, they are also primarily here to learn. As a registrar at Tumby Bay Medical, you will not just receive highly protected teaching time but also mentoring, coaching, and a supportive family environment.
Caring for our registrars is seen as a whole-clinic responsibility, not just the primary supervisor. Our supervisors are well-equipped to help registrars prepare for fellowship exams, especially as most of us have fellowed in the last decade. We have senior medical students from the University of Adelaide rotating through the clinic over the year. If you are interested to come and experience Tumby Bay, please speak with your university rural coordinator. Alternatively, you can contact the clinic directly if you are looking to organise an elective placement.
The Invitation
If you are passionate about practising rural medicine in a varied, vibrant, and supportive team environment, we would love to hear from you! We are seeking fully qualified GPs / RGs as well as GP registrars to join the Tumby Bay Medical family. Please get in touch with us if you would like to further discuss these opportunities.
Contact details
T: 08 8688 2200
F: 08 8688 2009
E: manager@tumbybaymedical.com.au
Clinic opening hours
9am to 5pm (Mon-Fri)
“Tumby Bay Medical combines a fast-paced and broad clinical workplace with incredible support that creates a situation in which registrars are supported to thrive.”
GP Registrar, 2023