GENERAL practitioner Dr Gregory Caddy, who practices at Mead Medical in Forrestfield and Kalamunda, has been named Western Australia’s GP supervisor of the year by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

Dr Caddy was recognised for his wealth of knowledge and for nurturing generations of doctors towards a rewarding career in general practice.

He was born in the small town of Three Springs, around 300km north of Perth and said he was inspired to become a GP by learning from the work of rural doctors.

“Country GPs did everything, I remember countless times when I was young my siblings and I being treated by a GP for all manner of things,” he said.

“A country GP often does everything you can think of, and does it with very little support, but they’re always there for their community.

“That’s the kind of medicine I wanted to practice and that’s what I try to teach all my registrars.

“Most of the time people don’t need knowledge. You can get knowledge from anywhere. Mostly they need to learn how to be caring and gentle with people in tough situations, I think that’s the most important part of being a GP.”

Dr Caddy has been working in the Perth Hills for more than three decades and said he felt like a real part of the community as a local GP.

“There really is a sense of community up in the hills, it’s great to be part of, especially as I have been for so many years,” he said.

“It’s a great place to start for any young medical practitioner, and I’m proud to help so many young registrars come through.

“I’ll have ex-students of mine that I see go on to run their own clinics and travel round the country and branching out to do all sorts of things, and that’s the beauty of teaching, I guess, is seeing your students grow and go on to become as good or much better than you are.”

Dr Caddy said he wants his students to be the best they can be and is proud of his role in helping the next generation of doctors grow and flourish.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners WA chair Dr Ramya Raman said the awards were an opportunity to reflect on the important work of GPs and their teams.

“This year’s winners are all exceptional GPs who have done brilliant work – not just for their patients, but for their wider communities and colleagues,” she said.

“They are standout examples of why general practice is such a wonderful, challenging and rewarding career, and the impact that is possible in the role.”