General Practice Registrars Australia Announce New Chair

General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA)  has announced Dr David Chessor will take up the position of GPRA Chair, effective 8 January 2014.

“I would like to extend an extremely warm welcome to Dr David Chessor. "He is a remarkable registrar who will strongly build on the foundations of GPRA," Dr Edward Vergara, Chair of GPRA said.
"In the two years I have held this position, I have had the honour to witness first hand the passion and commitment of our members towards bettering general practice. "As I speak my final words as Chair of GPRA, I am excited for the future of this wonderful organisation,” Dr Vergara concluded.
Dr Chessor is a GP registrar from the mid north coast of New South Wales, where he works at Durri Aboriginal Corporation Medical Service in Kempsey. He is currently completing his FRACGP and FARGP in Aboriginal health. He is passionate about advocacy and supporting registrars through their training and is a Registrar Liaison Officer for colleagues at North Coast GP Training.
“I’m honoured to be appointed the new Chair of GPRA, and relish the opportunity to continue the work of Dr Vergara, whose leadership over the past two years has been inspirational. I will strive to promote general practice as the medical specialty of choice to students and junior doctors, and advocate for excellence in education and training for GP registrars.
GPRA has been proud to host the Indigenous GP Registrars Network, and I look forward to working closely with IGPRN Chair Dr Aleeta Fejo. A particular personal passion is growing the GP Registrar Medical Educator Network, and GP Registrar Emerging Supervisors Network, which encourages registrars and new fellows to consider future careers as medical educators or GP supervisors,” Dr Chessor said.
In line with his passions, Dr Chessor is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of New South Wales Rural Clinical School teaching undergraduate medical students, and a Registrar Medical Educator for North Coast GP Training where he is involved in both PGPPP and registrar teaching.
In 2013, David was awarded the GPET Registrar of the Year Award, and the RACGP National Rural Faculty Rural Registrar of the Year Award.
Dr David Chessor takes over the role of GPRA Chair from Dr Edward Vergara, who has served as Chair over the last two years.
The current membership of the GPRA Board is:

• Dr Edward Vergara - Chair


• Dr David Chessor  - Chair elect


• Dr Gerry Considine - Vice Chair


• Dr Anne Klienitz


• Ms Ingrid Williams


• Dr Piotr (Peter) Swierkowski


• Dr Deepthi Iyer


• Mr David Townsend - Junior Doctor/Student Director