Dr Kuljit Singh (BMedSC, MBBS (Hon), FRACGP) (1993)
National Chair RACGP, Social Prescribing Special Interests Group, Clinical Director - Projects, KnG Healthcare and General Practitioner
1. What path did you take after completing your education at St Hilda's School?
After graduating from St Hilda’s, I joined Medicine straightaway at the University of Tasmania, where the 6 years course was divided into 3 years first for Bachelor of Medical Sciences and then 3 years to obtain my Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery MBBS degree, with Honours!
I was seriously contemplating the research pathway into neuroscience and stroke rehabilitation at the end of 3rd year, but decided to complete the course instead.
After graduating as a doctor, I moved back to Brisbane and did my internship and residency at the Princess Alexandra Hospital (seconded to other local hospitals over 2 years). I knew in 5th year of Med School I was going to be a GP, so the postgraduate pathway was simple to follow (2 years prerequisite hospital and rural terms followed by 2 years supervised in General Practice) at the end of which I obtained my FRACGP (Fellowship with the Royal Australian College of GPs).
I did spend a year as the Asst Professor of General Practice at Bond University, and mentored a few medical students in practice.I worked with (and learned a lot) from my father who is also a local GP - my inspiration in medicine!
2. Were there any unexpected or unplanned outcomes throughout your journey?
Recently becoming Clinical Director of Projects for KnG Healthcare and leading their innovative Low Acuity Facility has been eye opening and extremely rewarding. It is a different style of general practice where we work heavily with both the Hospital and Community sectors for our patients.
Knowing we are making a real difference in the Bed Crisis situation is super satisfying. I’ve also been able to set up TLC@Splash (a social prescribing pilot project for the betterment of our residents and staff).
Towards the end of last year I was honoured to be appointed the National Chair for RACGP Social Prescribing Specific Interest Group, chairing approximately 540 GPs across the country!
Humbled and exhilarated as this is my true interest area which I’ve silently been working on in practice but now will be able to spread the word, educate and create awareness, and help implement Social Prescribing nationally into primary care (and society at large).
Along with this, something exciting could be cooking for the health of our beautiful Gold Coast and it’s residents! Stay tuned.
3. Can you share a fond memory from your time in School and explain how your journey at St Hilda's has influenced the person you have become?
Attending science class with Miss Caughley (who retired only recently!) was one of the highlights of my school years. She was such an enthusiastic, passionate teacher whose love for science was palpable and obviously transferred over to me.
Being at StHilda’s for 6years allowed me to experience so many different subjects and activities - exposure to the performing arts, sports, and languages definitely has made me who I am today.
I love dancing, singing, writing poems, cycling, learning about different cultures, spending time in nature and volunteering in whatever capacity I can.
I believe the Non Nobis Solum has inherently stayed with me & hence my strong desire to want to help more of society in terms of health and wellbeing.
4. What does being appointed National Chair for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Social Prescribing Specific Interest Group mean to you?
Becoming the National Chair is a sizeable, but very welcomed responsibility. It goes hand in hand with my ever growing desire to prevent rather than cure, to help in wellness rather than illness and to fix us collectively rather than just as individual “I’s”!
My love for social prescribing and lifestyle medicine can hopefully be passed on to the many who want to be empowered to fix things before they occur….with our team of likeminded, passionate GPs around Australia, I think this is a very real possibility.
I hope with Social Prescribing we can bring down the rate of social isolation, loneliness, chronic medical diseases and mental health ailments throughout our communities, thereby creating healthier, stronger and more resilient ones!
5. What are you currently pursuing and how has this changed your life as it is today?
My roles of Lead GP & TLC@Splash, as well as National Chair are keeping me quite busy!
It means I have many more online and F2F meetings & workshops (both locally and internationally), conferences and travel, and obviously plenty of bedtime reading to keep uptodate with the latest in social prescribing globally and in Australia.
This means a fine balance between work, play and family - plenty more multitasking, better time management and delegation of duties to my Village (without whom none of this would be possible).
