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Pond-Dimity

Prof Dimity Pond

General Practitioner
While I was in the later years of medical school, I decided that I really wanted a discipline within medicine that allowed me to get to know my patients really well and develop relationships with them. I thought that either general practice or psychiatry would do this. However, when I considered the breadth of general practice, I found that more exciting I really enjoy the mix of mental and physical health challenges in general practice. Later I found that as a GP in the same practice for 30 years now, I have the opportunity to develop relationships with patients and families in depth to get to know people over many years and understand them in that context as well and I find this really satisfying.
Of course the clinical work is complemented by my work as a GP academic, and I really enjoy the teaching and research I am involved in.
There are many best moments as a general practitioner but one of them occurred quite recently and relates to the academic work. I have been interviewing carers of people with dementia to understand their difficulties. Recently I have been trying hard to understand some particularly difficult material in these interviews, as the interviewed carers struggle to understand the diagnosis of dementia. This week I attended a workshop in which GPs from Australia and France and a geriatrician from the Netherlands helped me to understand how to approach this material and of course from this, a new way to approach my patients who are in this situation. This is an example of where the world of academia and the world of clinical practice can meet very fruitfully.
I really enjoy the regional nature of my workplace. The clinical practice is in a small outer metropolitan community that has a strong sense of identity. Newcastle University, being part of a regional centre, also has a strong sense of community. Newcastle is a great place to work and the GPs in Newcastle are really fantastic in the way they get behind the university for teaching and research.
I think other GPs could all benefit from an ongoing commitment to teaching and learning. There is nothing like teaching a medicals tudent to highlight what you have forgotten! It is often helpful to have the student then look that up! More broadly, I think conferences like the College conference always offer both ideas and practical strategies than can enrich and improve our practice, and keep our interest alive. I would like to encourage GPs to attend.
As for something no one knows about me – I do like a warm bath, a glass of red wine and a good murder mystery. Bliss!

More from this expert

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Mild cognitive impairment – Personalising care, planning and follow up: Part 4

After the diagnosis of MCI is made, sensitive yet important discussions along the course of progression need to occur

By Prof Dimity Pond, Leanne Emerson
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