TAMWORTH DOCTOR HONOURED: Dr Jenny May received the Brian Williams Award this week for her advocacy work for rural doctors.
TAMWORTH rural doctor advocate Jenny May has been honoured with the highest accolade awarded by the Royal Australian General Practitioners’ (RACGP) national rural faculty.
The Brian Williams Award is presented to a member of the college who has made a significant contribution to the personal and professional welfare of rural doctors.
National rural faculty chairwoman Kathryn Kirkpatrick presented the award at the RACGP academic session during GP12 – the conference for general practice – on the Gold Coast on Thursday.
“Dr May’s passion for rural practice is unquestionable, as it is her great passion for the future of general practice and the education of the next generation of general practitioners for rural and remote Australia,” she said.
“She has consistently shown a dedication to general practice, through her professional and personal endeavours.”
Dr May is the chairwoman of the Rural Doctors’ Association of Australia’s female doctors’ group, which supports female participation in rural general practice. Under her leadership, the group is also raising the profile of violence against rural professionals, particularly general practitioners in rural and remote Australia.
She is the immediate past chairwoman of the National Rural Health Alliance, a position she held for three years. The alliance’s aim is to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Australia’s rural and remote areas.
Dr May said she was honoured and humbled to receive the award.
“I am extremely pleased to be this year’s recipient of the award – although, like all past and future recipients, I am just doing my bit to improve and sustain the rural and remote general practice
profession and the health and wellbeing of their respective communities,” she said.
Dr May’s commitment to supporting her peers is evident through her academic appointments for RACGP clinical examinations.
She has provided extensive peer support to all of her medical colleagues, as well as nursing and allied health staff in her local area.
The award commemorates the work of the late Brian Williams, who was a rural general practitioner.