The GP Show

In a time when lettuce costs are skyrocketing and healthcare access is slipping out of reach for  many, how can GPs continue to deliver excellent care with dwindling resources? In this compelling conversation, Dr. Rob Park speaks with Dr. Edmund Poliness — medical director of Wathaurong Aboriginal Medical Service and GP at The Living Room in Melbourne — about how to do more with less. Ed takes us inside the world of homeless healthcare, where the clinical gold standard often meets real-world constraints. From adapting chronic disease management to improvising physio with peer supports and printouts, this episode is packed with creative, practical ways to stretch your care further. You’ll also hear about the importance of team-based care, warm handovers, and building trust with patients who face complex social and health barriers — all while staying grounded, compassionate, and resourceful. Whether you work in a city clinic or a regional practice, this episode is a must-listen for any GP navigating cost pressures and rising patient need. It’s an inspiring look at how thoughtful medicine, community partnerships, and a little bit of creativity can still go a long way — even on a tight budget! ... If you find this podcast valuable then subscribing, sharing, rating it 5 stars and leaving a review is appreciated. If you would like to request a topic, please contact us via thegpshow.com or contact@thegpshow.com  Thank you for listening and your support. ...  Job opportunity: Are you a GP, psychiatrist or nurse based in Sydney interested in mental health and whole of person health care?  Exciting job opportunities have come up, please contact Dr Sam Manger for more contact@thegpshow.com  Interested in whole of person clinical practice and research that addresses the lifestyle and social determinants of illness and wellbeing?  Check out the JCU postgraduate courses: Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, and Master in Lifestyle Medicine. Dr Sam Manger on YouTube: Using lifestyle as medicine: A new era in chronic disease remission Our 3 week online microcredential in Lifestyle Medicine and Mental Health: Life and Mind available here.    

How do you explain a blood test, a referral, or even shared decision-making when the entire healthcare system is foreign to your patient? In this deeply thoughtful and practical episode, Dr. Linny Phuong, paediatric infectious diseases physician and founder of the award-winning Water Well Project, joins Dr. Rob Park to explore how we as clinicians can better connect with patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Drawing on personal stories, community experience, and years of frontline advocacy setting up and running The Water Well project, Linny shares how a simple, respectful conversation can build trust, shift health outcomes, and empower patients—especially those navigating an unfamiliar system. From chaotic first health sessions in church foyers to calm insights about interpreters, symbols, and the power of pausing, this episode is packed with memorable lessons and practical tips for any GP. Whether it's making sense of preventative health, navigating language barriers, or just knowing when a nod doesn’t mean understanding, Linny offers real tools to make your consultations more inclusive, compassionate, and effective. If you've ever had a moment where something felt "lost in translation," this one’s for you. https://www.thewaterwellproject.org/ ... If you find this podcast valuable then subscribing, sharing, rating it 5 stars and leaving a review is appreciated. If you would like to request a topic, please contact us via thegpshow.com or contact@thegpshow.com  Thank you for listening and your support. ...  Job opportunity: Are you a GP, psychiatrist or nurse based in Sydney interested in mental health and whole of person health care?  Exciting job opportunities have come up, please contact Dr Sam Manger for more contact@thegpshow.com  Interested in whole of person clinical practice and research that addresses the lifestyle and social determinants of illness and wellbeing?  Check out the JCU postgraduate courses: Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, and Master in Lifestyle Medicine. Dr Sam Manger on YouTube: Using lifestyle as medicine: A new era in chronic disease remission Our 3 week online microcredential in Lifestyle Medicine and Mental Health: Life and Mind available here.    

Host Dr Sam Manger is joined by Dr Johanna Lynch, an Australian General Practitioner who has spent the last 15 years working as a psychotherapist with adult survivors of childhood trauma and neglect. She founded a transdisciplinary trauma-informed clinic in Brisbane named Integrate Place which operated from 2009-2013 offering psychology, social work, trauma-informed yoga, art therapy and mental health nurse support. In 2019 she completed a PhD, in whole person approaches to distress, championing the sophisticated craft of generalist approaches to distress – integrating social science and biomedicine. This PhD, entitled Sense of Safety: a whole person approach to distress in primary care sought to integrate trauma-informed care into primary care.  Dr Johanna Lynch works as a Senior Lecturer at The University of Queensland, teaching medical students about trauma-informed whole person care. She is an advisor to BlueKnot foundation, trains rural GPs as a Fellow of the Australian Society for Psychological Medicine and The Royal College of General Practitioners. Her website and Sense of Safety for Practitioners Course is available at https://www.drjohannalynch.com/ and you can use the code “PODCASTGIFT” to receive 5% off. Other resources mentioned:  Australian Childhood Foundation  Number Story BlueKnot  Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association  ... Job opportunity: Are you a GP, psychiatrist or nurse based in Sydney interested in mental health and whole of person health care?  Exciting job opportunities have come up, please contact Dr Sam Manger for more contact@thegpshow.com  Interested in whole of person clinical practice and research that addresses the lifestyle and social determinants of illness and wellbeing?  Check out the JCU postgraduate courses: Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, and Master in Lifestyle Medicine. Dr Sam Manger on YouTube: Using lifestyle as medicine: A new era in chronic disease remission Our 3 week online microcredential in Lifestyle Medicine and Mental Health: Life and Mind available here.   If you find this podcast valuable then subscribing, sharing, rating it 5 stars and leaving a review is appreciated. If you would like to join the team, send in feedback or request a topic, please contact me via thegpshow.com or contact@thegpshow.com  Thank you for listening and your support.

Dr. Geoffrey Spurling, a GP with expertise in Indigenous health and antibiotic therapy, joins the discussion to share pivotal updates from the latest Therapeutic Guidelines on Antibiotics. He covers new insights on doxycycline for kids, the first-line antibiotic for UTIs, and distinguishes between types of orbital cellulitis. They also delve into effective management strategies for diabetic ulcers and updates on STIs, challenging long-held beliefs and encouraging evidence-based practices. Get ready for practical tips that can enhance patient care!

In his inaugural episode, host Dr Rob Park is joined by Dr Michael Bonning, GP, past NSW AMA President, media spokesperson and advocate to explore how we can answer difficult questions in the media with clarity, confidence, and care. From TikTok trends to political hot potatoes, today’s patients are more curious—and sometimes more confused by the volume of information—than ever. With warmth and wisdom, Dr. Bonning shares practical strategies for staying on message, building trust, and turning confusion into connection. Whether it’s a patient worried about vaccines or a journalist chasing a soundbite, this is a masterclass in calm, evidence-based communication—straight from someone who’s done it all.   ... Job opportunity! Are you a GP, psychiatrist or nurse based in Sydney interested in mental health and whole of person health care?  Exciting job opportunities have come up, please contact Dr Sam Manger for more contact@thegpshow.com  Interested in clinical practice and research that address the lifestyle and social determinants of illness and wellbeing?  Check out the JCU postgraduate courses: Grad Cert, Grad Diploma, and Master in Lifestyle Medicine including social prescribing, health coaching and implementation science. YouTube: Using lifestyle as medicine: A new era in chronic disease remission Our 3 week online microcredential in Lifestyle Medicine and Mental Health: Life and Mind available here.   If you find this podcast valuable then subscribing, sharing, rating it 5 stars and leaving a review is appreciated. If you would like to join the team, send in feedback or request a topic, please contact me via thegpshow.com or contact@thegpshow.com  Thank you for listening and your support.

Dr Tim Senior has worked as a GP at Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation, the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service in Campbelltown, South-West Sydney for the last 18 years. Prior to this he has worked in Central Australia, the Torres Strait and the UK, each time in low-income communities. Tim combines his clinical work with work as the Medical Advisor for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and has been heavily involved in the development of guidelines and resources for all GPs working with First Nations Australians. He established two specific interest groups within the RACGP, one on poverty, and one on environmental impacts in general practice. In 2023 he completed his Churchill Fellowship on how to investigate how to provide high quality primary care to disadvantaged communities in Australia.    ... YouTube: Using lifestyle as medicine: A new era in chronic disease remission Interested in addressing the lifestyle and social determinants of illness and wellbeing?  Check out the JCU postgraduate courses: Grad Cert, Grad Diploma, and Master in Lifestyle Medicine including social prescribing, health coaching and implementation science. Our 3 week online microcredential in Lifestyle Medicine and Mental Health: Life and Mind available here.   If you find this podcast valuable then subscribing, sharing, rating it 5 stars and leaving a review is appreciated. If you would like to join the team, send in feedback or request a topic, please contact me via thegpshow.com or contact@thegpshow.com  Thank you for listening and your support.

Dr Flavia Fayet-Moore is a Brazilian-born, Canadian-raised, Australian-made keynote speaker, scientist, space nutritionist and entrepreneur.   An alumna of the University of Toronto, she earned an Honours Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences, followed by a Master of Nutrition and Dietetics and a PhD from the University of Sydney. She is also a Fellow of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine.  Dr Flavia completed the Space Studies Program at the International Space University, bringing a unique perspective to space nutrition.  She is the founder and CEO of FOODiQ Global, which leads game-changing research, communication and education that provides strategic and meaningful impact on people’s health.  She is also the co-founder of Food is Cool, where nutrition in schools is done differently. Dr Flav website FOODiQ Global Food is Cool ... YouTube: Using lifestyle as medicine: A new era in chronic disease remission Interested in addressing the lifestyle and social determinants of illness and wellbeing?  Check out the JCU postgraduate courses: Grad Cert, Grad Diploma, and Master in Lifestyle Medicine including social prescribing, health coaching and implementation science. Our 3 week online microcredential in Lifestyle Medicine and Mental Health: Life and Mind available here.   If you find this podcast valuable then subscribing, sharing, rating it 5 stars and leaving a review is appreciated. If you would like to sponsor an episode, send in feedback or request a topic, please contact me via thegpshow.com or contact@thegpshow.com  Thank you for listening and your support.

Dr Zac Seidler is a clinical psychologist, researcher and leading men’s mental health expert. He currently holds dual roles as Global Director of Men’s Health Research at Movember and Senior Research Fellow with Orygen at the University of Melbourne. Through his research and PhD, Zac has advocated for a change in the way we think about treating men’s distress. As part of his research, he has uniquely focused on creating mental health services that account for masculinity. This has evolved into a fully funded project, Men in Mind, the world’s first training program for mental health clinicians, to help them better understand and respond to men’s distress and suicidality. Movember's Men in Mind Training Movember's What is Therapy? Short videos Movember's Healthcare Practitioner Insights Survey ... Webinar: 12 February 7:00pm AEDT - How to safely stop antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs with Dr Mark Horowitz and Dr Sam Manger  YouTube: Using lifestyle as medicine: A new era in chronic disease remission Interested in addressing the lifestyle and social determinants of illness and wellbeing?  Check out the JCU postgraduate courses: Grad Cert, Grad Diploma, and Master in Lifestyle Medicine including social prescribing, health coaching and implementation science. Our 3 week online microcredential in Lifestyle Medicine and Mental Health: Life and Mind available here.   If you find this podcast valuable then subscribing, sharing, rating it 5 stars and leaving a review is appreciated. If you would like to sponsor an episode, send in feedback or request a topic, please contact me via thegpshow.com or contact@thegpshow.com  Thank you for listening and your support.  

Professor Shantha Rajaratnam is Professor of Sleep and Circadian Medicine and Head of the School of Psychological Sciences at Monash University. He is Chair of the Sleep Health Foundation and Chair of the Monash Sleep Network.  He is also a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. Sleep Health Foundation resources ... YouTube: Using lifestyle as medicine: A new era in chronic disease remission Interested in addressing the lifestyle and social determinants of illness and wellbeing?  Check out the JCU postgraduate courses: Grad Cert, Grad Diploma, and Master in Lifestyle Medicine including social prescribing, health coaching and implementation science. Our 3 week online microcredential in Lifestyle Medicine and Mental Health: Life and Mind available here.   If you find this podcast valuable then subscribing, sharing, rating it 5 stars and leaving a review is appreciated. If you would like to join the team, sponsor an episode, send in feedback or request a topic, please contact me via thegpshow.com or contact@thegpshow.com  Thank you for listening and your support.

Professor Michael Berk is a NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow and is Alfred Deakin Chair of Psychiatry at Deakin University and Barwon Health.  He is Past President of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders and heads major research initiatives including the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence for the Development of Innovative Therapies for Psychiatric Disorders (CREDIT) and the Mental Health Adult General Trial Network (MAGNET), Australia’s first mental health clinical trials network.  He has published over 1400 papers and has received multiple awards including but not limited to the RANZCP Senior Research Award in 2021 and in 2024 the Australian Mental Health Prize. He is listed by Thompson Reuters as amongst the world’s most influential scientific minds. Today we discuss Bipolar Affective Disorders Type 1 and Type 2.  Some additional resources for this podcast: Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) and International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) 2018 guidelines for the management of patients with bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disord. 2018 Mar;20(2):97-170. doi: 10.1111/bdi.12609. Epub 2018 Mar 14. PMID: 29536616; PMCID: PMC5947163. (Due to be updated in 2025) Non-canonical pathways in the pathophysiology and therapeutics of bipolar disorder. Front Neurosci. 2023 Aug 1;17:1228455. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1228455. PMID: 37592949; PMCID: PMC10427509.   ... YouTube: Using lifestyle as medicine: A new era in chronic disease remission Interested in addressing the lifestyle and social determinants of illness and wellbeing?  Check out the JCU postgraduate courses: Grad Cert, Grad Diploma, and Master in Lifestyle Medicine including social prescribing, health coaching and implementation science. Our 3 week online microcredential in Lifestyle Medicine and Mental Health: Life and Mind available here.   If you find this podcast valuable then subscribing, sharing, rating it 5 stars and leaving a review is appreciated. If you would like to join the team, sponsor an episode, send in feedback or request a topic, please contact me via thegpshow.com or contact@thegpshow.com  Thank you for listening and your support.