Welcome!
I assume you are new, perhaps logging on from our nation’s great RACGP national conference in Melbourne 2015. Come in, sit down. Let me show you around! Firstly, you may have noticed there was no admission fee. Pretty exciting huh! Also, there is no one selling you something, telling you to prescribe something, or wanting a piece of you in any way, shape or form.
Wander through our virtual stall you’ll see several education ‘maps’ and other articles. These are written by hard working Australian GPs (just like yourself) who see patients every day and get asked surprisingly the same questions that vex us all! Over there in the top right are some links to other supports such as our ‘guide to guidelines’ (a great place to lead our trainees looking for study material) and other links to great websites.
Hear that helicopter? That is Minh Le Cong (@ketaminh) going on a retrieval out to the bush. You may be able to catch up with him when he returns. He often helps out with www.prehospitalmed.com. He’s usually in the back if you needs spare laryngoscope. Oh and over there on the left here we have Casey Parker (@broomedocs) in the recording studio of Broomedocs (www.broomedocs.com) sharing more of his ED experience. We won’t interrupt as he is having a great time. Penny Wilson (@nomadicgp) has just finished a Caesarian with Marlene Pearce assisting (@drmarlenepearce) and I’ll introduce them to you when they have un-scrubbed. They will be giving some gynaecology/O&G talks later if you are interested from bits and bumps (www.bitsandbumps.org).
I (@Robapark) will be doing some teaching later in a round circle Q&A format later in the ‘bullets’ free zone in the cafe. I think we are talking statins, vitamin D, dizziness and the meaning of life today – surprisingly all based on articles already here! How great does that sound?! That is Tim Leeuwenberg (@kangaroobeach) over there. He has been known to use shock and awe in his presentations – and is always entertaining (www.kidocs.org). Gerry (@ruralflyingdoc) and Melanie Considine (@ruralgreengp) (www.greengp.wordpress.com), our brilliant team from SA are taking some medical students through suturing and I believe wine tasting this afternoon – which is always bubbly and has the students in stitches!
We often have some other great guests who come in to visit such as Justin Coleman (@drjustincoleman), Edwin Kruys (@edwinkruys), Genevieve Yates (@drgenevieve), Tim Senior (@timsenior), Ewen McPhee (@Fly_texan), among many others. All are welcome in the spirit of open learning, discussion, and debate.
Let me explain. FOAM4GP aims to be the central repository (not suppository) of all Free Open Access Medical education specifically for the Australian GP. We know keeping track of the many many brilliant resources and educational materials available to us online is TOUGH and takes lots of time. ‘Keep it simple’ and let us do it for you.
So come in, explore, and enjoy a cup of tea between patients with us. Feel inspired? Write some articles for us. Here, write down our email – foam4gp @ gmail.com – and get involved.
If you want to keep track of what is going on you can link up with us by putting your email in the box on the top right (don’t worry – we are such bad business people we will never send your email to anyone else to make squillions of dollars).
I don’t have a goodies bag you can take away, any stickers, or free massages. What we do have is great medical education presented in a more conversational and entertaining way while keeping the massive machinations of brilliant evidence based medicine grinding away in the background.
Welcome! From Doc Rob and all the FOAM4GP team!
PS. Many of us will be at GP15. Come say hello in person. We might even tweet at you 😉 Alternatively, come and chat to us on GPDU – the brilliant Down Under GPs only facebook group
(Thx to XKCD for great cartoons)