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To coincide with the 20th anniversary of the ANU medical program the Academic Unit of General Practice held a dinner at the Boathouse restaurant for general practitioner (GP) ANU alumni working in Canberra.

It was wonderful to see 37 alumni from the first graduating cohort right through to recent cohorts connecting over dinner.

Associate Professor Katrina Anderson created conversation and discussion across the evening asking people to reflect on their journey to becoming the practitioner they are today using the visual metaphor of growing into a strong tall tree.

Alumni were initially asked to reflect on the seeds that took root during medical school that enabled then to become the doctor they are today.

They then discussed moments or experiences during their junior doctor years that contributed to their formation as general practitioners with many talking about challenging experiences that led to meaning and purpose around their choice of General Practice.

Finally, after reflecting on the “trunk development” years, everyone was asked to reflect on their work as a general practitioner today and to identity one key quality or attribute that they bring to their work as a doctor.

By the end of the evening the group had created a visual poster showing the magnificent tree top canopy full of so many qualities that are at the heart of General Practice and the work they do for their patients and the community.