RCGP International activities as part of the East Anglia faculty

Publication date: 30 March 2023

How does your RCGP membership contribute to your global expertise in general practice? 

For many years, the RCGP has been a part of the World Organisation of Family Doctors. As an RCGP member, you are automatically a part of WONCA. The RCGP has undertaken several development initiatives and formed partnerships with specific organisations in other nations, all with the goal of improving family medicine. Furthermore, all faculties and GP training schemes strive to welcome and assist International Medical Graduates who come to the UK.

New member has joined

Serge Engamba has joined the East Anglia Faculty Board as Joint International Lead after being the deputy chair of the RCGP Junior International Committee (part of RCGP International) for three and a half years. Serge is hoping to bring insight from his formal role and passion for global primary care to activities in our local faculty. Serge is particularly interested in primary care service organisation and development in LMICs and West Africa.

This year’s WONCA Europe conference took place in Belgium on 7-10 June and was themed “Making choices in primary care”. Many UK GPs, including colleagues from East Anglia with an interest in global health take part in this event every year. This is an excellent avenue to network with likeminded professionals across Europe. The next Wonca Europe is planned for the 24-26 September 2024 in Dublin.

If you are a local GP with an Interest In global primary care and would like to get involved, please do contact us at eanglia@rcgp.org.uk.

Local faculty level

Many co-workers at our local Faculty level use their connections with other countries to share what we have learned here in the UK.

The RCGP's Junior International Committee has allowed some of our younger members to:

  • expand their knowledge of global general practice,
  • participate in exchanges with peers from other countries, and
  • join online e-exchange groups.

Several of our members attend WONCA conferences or join WONCA Working Parties and Special Interest Groups to network with others working on similar problems. You can also use the WONCA contact list to learn about what is going on in a particular nation.

Top tips

So here are three top tips:

  • Look at the RCGP International and WONCA websites.
  • Ask Amanda or Sonny if there are any specific areas of interest.
  • Make sure we all help keep and improve global general practice in whatever manner we can.

About the writers

Dr Sonny Aung is an East Anglia Faculty International Lead and a Myanmar volunteer.
Professor Amanda Howe is a Board member who served as Provost from 2016 to 2019. She is also a Professor of Primary Care at the University of East Anglia.