You're never too young to learn the joys of being a GP.
To grow the next generation of GPs, primary school children are being introduced to general practice, it has emerged.
An awareness program has been developed to introduce primary school children to the joys and challenges of a future career as a GP.
Seven-year-old Timmy told The Medical Republic: “A man came to our classroom with a big box. I thought it was going to be full of cool stuff like magic tricks and lizards – instead he told us how fun it was to be to be a general. But not a fun one like Alexander the Great or Napoleon. A really rubbish one called a general practiser. Instead of going and killing people, which is really cool, a GP has to listen to people complaining about how awful they feel. I don’t remember much else but he did say something about boogers strengthening your immortal system.”
Isla, who is seven and three-quarters, said “I felt sorry for the doctor. He looked really sad and his show and tell was boring. The box had some shirts and photos in it and a big bottle of ‘juniper juice’. He said it’s no biggie because a lot of doctors get divorced.”
An RACGP spokesperson told TMR: “We estimate that the awareness program will cost $7.5 million of members’ hard-earned, but it’s an essential component of the recruitment drive. Because, let’s be honest, we’re up Shit Creek without a paddle.
“Actually it’s worse than that: our canoe has gone all the way down Shit Creek, plunged over Shit Falls and is now swirling round a whirlpool. Of shit.”
“Next week,” said Timmy, “a lady is going to tell us how cool it is to be an astronaut and she’s going to bring in a space helmet! That punk GP with his stories and his stegoscope doesn’t stand a chance!”
Here are some learning materials the college has shared with us:
