FAQ

Q. Is this a paid service?

A. The GP Living Library is a not-for-profit project. We do not take commissions when a Human Book is borrowed, and we do not restrict content or access to opportunities based on subscription plans. We are not operating in competition with any organisations, and we do not have any corporate sponsors or donors. We welcome donations to feed our Living Librarian, but this project is primarily fuelled by grassroots efforts to promote transparency and diversity in medical media.

Q. What is involved in a speaking engagement?

A. We use speaking engagements to describe anything from panels to conferences to workshops - events where you might want to talk or present specifically to other people in the health world.

If you are looking for a GP to bring in for a speaking engagement, you can contact us with a request for a specific GP (if you know who you’re looking for) or with a broad request for a GP who fits your general requirements (such as areas of clinical interest or availability). If you request a specific GP and they are unavailable, we will let you know, and we are happy to broaden our search as required.

If you are a human book, we use the information you provide when you volunteer to decide whether or not to contact you if we receive a broad request for GPs who have either clinical or lived experiences. If you receive a request for a speaking engagement you cannot do, just let us know and we will continue our search.

We understand that these can be potentially sensitive negotiations, but we ask that all parties understand that we do not mediate communications between parties, nor do we recommend any one GP over another based on any information other than matching profile categories to request categories. We are not able to negotiate rates if it is a paid speaking engagement, nor are we able to ensure that your speaker remains available on the expected date. These are all responsibilities shared between the parties involved in the event itself; we are merely the first point of contact.

 

Q. What type of media enquiries are expected?

A. Media enquiries are a good place to start if you are a GP who wants to contribute to the library but who is uncertain about whether you’re comfortable taking on a speaking engagement. Media enquiries of all kinds are welcome, from local news to national news, from radio spots to opinion pieces.

We also use media enquiries as a broad term for any engagement which is intended to bridge the gap between the health world and the everyday world. This opens us up to smaller-scale or more specific opportunities like attending a local primary school to talk about hand washing.

 

Q. What is a GP Peer support about?

A. We use GP Peer Support to recognise members of the GP community who engage in work to maintain the wellbeing of their colleagues. Historically, this work has often been invisible and unpaid, as untangling the boundaries of formal clinical supervision and peer mentorship can be a vexed question. At the GP Living Library, our entire organisation is focussed on making expertise visible and accessible, and making networks between GPs formalised and clarified. By engaging as a GP Peer, you can sidestep the impostor syndrome that prevents you from advertising yourself as a clinical supervisor, but you can still formalise and manage your experience in mentorship so that it doesn’t get swept under the carpet.

The other reason that the GP Living Library promotes GP Peers is that expert GPs are often happy to engage in forms of mentorship, but it can be intimidating to approach a senior colleague to ask a question that you know you should be able to answer yourself. It is often easier to overcome that starstruck sensation if one if merely sending an email to a database to ask if there is anyone out there who can answer your questions. In this way, we can equalise access to expertise, mentorship, and opportunities for clinical supervision.

Q. Why is formal clinical supervision important?

A. Clinical supervision can offer:

  • Case discussion

    • do you have consultations or patients that you find perplexing, challenging, or emotionally difficult?

    • do you need to debrief when you have a patient who you find confronting or deeply distressing?

    • clinical supervision can offer a safe and confidential space to discuss this with a senior colleague so you can better understand how you manage your patients and your own feelings

  • Consultation structure

    • sometimes new GPs struggle to manage time and structure (and bill!) their consultations effectively

    • clinical supervision can offer a chance to talk this through confidentially with an experienced GP and think about ways to adapt your consulting style

  • Work-life balance

    • juggling general practice with life in all its complexity can be very difficult. Sometimes we feel we are mediocre at everything, and not managing anything the way we want to. Clinical supervisors can offer opportunities to explore different ways of dealing with the complexity, with someone who knows what it’s like to keep all the balls in the air

  • Self care

    • Clinical supervisors are senior GPs who have histories of navigating and managing burnout. Preserving your future as a clinician involves learning to take care of yourself now, and supervisors are a valuable source of self-care strategies and techniques.

  • Vicarious trauma

    • there is no doubt that cumulative trauma can be damaging. Clinical supervision can offer time to heal this vicarious trauma and manage the inevitable grief and loss that comes with clinical care

Q. How does clinical supervision work?

A.   Our catalogue includes a number of GPs who are happy to engage as clinical supervisors who you can find here. Clinical supervision occurs over a secure (HIPAA accredited) platform, where we can see each other, and can use an electronic whiteboard to take notes. You will need a computer, a headset, and a secure internet connection. The platform needs little technical skill, but we have technical support available for those who struggle to connect.

Supervision sessions last for up to an hour. If you wish, some supervisors are happy to run sessions for small groups (up to three) where the cost is shared. Each hour long session costs $200 which is paid through our electronic system once the session is booked. If technical issues occur, and the session is not viable, the fee is refunded.

To request clinical supervision by a particular GP, or to send out a generalised call for help, get in touch with us here and we will send out the call.

Q. How will the library handle my personal information or request?

A. The Librarian handles all requests, matching the requirements of the client to the abilities of the GP. Personal information is never made available to the public, and is only used when specifically relevant. Cases we might consider relevant include:

  • A young trans GP has just moved to a small remote community and would appreciate help with managing their image and relationships within the community

  • A GP who trained overseas would like to find someone who can relate to the insecurities and uncertainty that transitioning practice internationally can hold, and who can suggest coping strategies