Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Education Unit
Visit our Aboriginal health website
Find out more about Aboriginal health GP training opportunities, our partners and useful resources.
The importance of Aboriginal health in GP training
We are proud to work with 33 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) to deliver high-quality GP training across 64 accredited sites in NSW and ACT.
Aboriginal health is an important element of a GP Synergy GP registrar's training.
All GP Synergy registrars have access to a cultural mentor, in addition to cultural awareness education during their training.
Since 2016, more than 300 registrars have completed a placement in an Aboriginal health training site, undertaking over 634,000 consultations in Aboriginal communities.
Feedback from GP registrars in these placements are overwhelmingly positive and a reflection of the strong and highly valued relationships we have with the ACCHS sector.
How do we work with our ACCHS partners?
In this video, Lisa Ologo, CEO at Biripi Aboriginal Corporation Medical Centre and Chair of the GP Synergy Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Advisory Committee, and Anthony Paulson, Manager of the GP Synergy Aboriginal Cultural Education Unit explain how GP Synergy and the ACCHS sector work together.
This is explained further below.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Advisory Committee
GP Synergy is committed to ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health is an integral component of the GP registrar training program.
In collaboration with the NSW/ACT Aboriginal Community Controlled Health services, in 2011 GP Synergy established the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Advisory Committee.
The committee is a sub-committee of the GP Synergy Board. Committee membership comprises CEOs and other community-based health professionals from the NSW/ACT Aboriginal Community Controlled Health sector including the peak body for NSW - the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW.
The committee plays a critical role in the development, implementation, and compliance of GP Synergy’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategic Plan. It also supports the delivery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health education and promotion, registrar recruitment, and the aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through the governance and operations of GP Synergy.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Education Unit
GP Synergy’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Education Unit is the operational mechanism for implementing and supporting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategic Plan.
Through its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health training days, GP Synergy brings together experienced GPs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals. The training supports GP registrars to understand the complexities and opportunities that working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health contexts offer.
The unit also supports the committee and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) to develop processes, resources and activities to support GP registrar training within services. This builds on the existing capacity of services to ensure the training experience for GP registrars is positive, and has positive outcomes for the services and their communities.
Supporting GP registrars and ACCHS facilities
We have developed a standalone Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health website. The subsite supports GP registrars and ACCHS facilities by providing information about Aboriginal health training posts in NSW and ACT, and GP Synergy initiatives and support available to ACCHSs. The site is also a great starting point for a better understanding of Aboriginal health.
The site includes:
- information about GP Synergy, our Aboriginal Cultural Education Unit and our strategic vision to help Close the Gap including our Reconciliation Action Plan
- details of accredited NSW and ACT Aboriginal health training posts, and testimonials from registrars who have trained in an Aboriginal health training facility
- access to a range of cultural resources including key dates of significance, cultural awareness resources, clinical resources, as well as links to key health and population data
- ACCHS educational programs and ACCHS support resources
- information about how to become an accredited GP training facility
- the latest news on our activities and initiatives we are undertaking to improve opportunities for registrars to train in ACCHS facilities and improve access to primary healthcare provision for Aboriginal communities.