Extended Skills Training in Lifestyle Medicine

Life Medical Centre is an RACGP accredited training facility for Extended Skills Training for GP Registrars in Lifestyle Medicine.

Lifestyle-induced Chronic diseases such as T2DM, Hypertension, Ischaemic Heart disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome, a number of cancers, COPD and some generalised mental health disorders are the MOST common presentations in General Practice.
GPs are well placed, for a range of reasons, to make a big difference in empowering patients to reduce their disease burden, reduce medication load, reduce health budget expenditure and ultimately improve patient and community health outcomes. Being able to make this difference as a doctor leads to a great sense of fulfilment, personally and professionally.

The three key learning outcomes for Extended Skills placement at Life Medical Centre are:

1. A greater understanding of the Bio-Psycho-Social approach to whole-person care for effective Chronic Disease Management, prevention and reversal.

2. Application of Motivational Interviewing Techniques, identifying barriers and using CBT for sustainable lifestyle behaviour modification.

3. Gaining knowledge of the evidence-base in the ‘Pillars of Lifestyle Change’, being: Diet, Exercise, Sleep, Addictions, Stress & Mental Health barriers.

Historically, medical training curricula have fallen short in providing doctors with sufficient skills and confidence to target the “cause of the cause” and coach patients on healthy lifestyle choices and behaviours. The application of Lifestyle Medicine specifically by physicians who are Intensivists or Lifestyle Medicine certified, meaning they are certified through the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine and hold Fellowship through the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM), is a big step towards evidence-based models of care for chronic disease and co-morbidities.

A registrar engaged in Life Medical Centre’s Extended skills program in Lifestyle Medicine will learn how to apply a “whole-person, patient-centred care approach” for weight-loss and lifestyle modification from our Lifestyle Medicine certified doctors:

• Dr Michelle Reiss- GP, Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist, Fellow of ASLM. She was awarded the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine’s Changemaker of the Year 2022 and was a finalist for 2023 as Lifestyle Medicine Pioneer. Dr Reiss is also co-author of an international publication on Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist core competencies.

• Dr Clara Chu- GP, Lifestyle Medicine certified physician, Fellow of ASLM and certified Health Coach.

• Dr Simbai Mudzi- GP, Lifestyle Medicine certified physician.

Our model of care teaches how to assess and create action plans/lifestyle prescriptions for patients within the Bio-Psycho-Social framework, knowing that a whole-person approach is needed for effective sustainable change.