New research published in the Australian Journal of General Practice (AJGP) has sounded an urgent warning about the state of wellbeing among GP supervisors — and its potential to ripple through the next generation of Australia’s general practice workforce.

The study, conducted by RACGP researchers, found that 57% of GP supervisors reported high levels of disengagement and 64% experienced high levels of exhaustion. While these figures are lower than in 2022, they remain alarmingly high and point to a persistent structural problem rather than an individual resilience issue.

The “Burden of Supervision”

The research identified a new and important concept: the “burden of supervision” — a distinct form of stress that comes from the teaching relationship itself, separate from the usual clinical workload and personal pressures doctors face.

This burden includes dealing with disengaged trainees, providing intensive support for struggling registrars, managing the administrative load of training, and even the emotional toll of mentoring a registrar who then leaves the practice or community. One supervisor described how a registrar’s lack of effort could “bring you down,” with each difficult experience compounding over time.

Why This Matters for GP Recruitment

For practice owners and clinic managers reading this on GPVacancy.com.au, the implications are significant. GP supervisors who are burned out are less likely to continue teaching, which reduces the pipeline of new GPs entering the workforce — particularly in rural and underserved areas where training capacity is already stretched.

If the supervisor workforce contracts due to burnout, the bottleneck on GP training places tightens further, directly affecting the supply of qualified GPs available for recruitment.

What Protects Against Supervisor Burnout?

The study identified several factors that help protect supervisors from burnout. These include formal training in supervisory skills, a supportive practice culture where admin teams avoid booking patients during teaching sessions, genuine autonomy over scheduling, and opportunities to debrief with other supervisors.

Crucially, researchers found that connection with peers was a powerful protective factor. “Building connections with other supervisors offers many potential benefits, not only the sharing of responsibility but the sharing of ideas and enthusiasm,” said study co-author Dr Shaun Prentice.

A Workforce-Wide Issue

GP burnout more broadly continues to be a significant concern across Australia. Data cited in the RACGP’s Health of the Nation report shows 69% of Australian GPs reported experiencing burnout in 2024, with 38% noticing a drop in their empathy toward patients. The problem is not limited to supervisors — it affects the entire primary care workforce.

For practices seeking to attract and retain GPs, addressing burnout at an organisational level — through manageable workloads, administrative support, and a positive workplace culture — is no longer a nice-to-have; it is a recruitment and retention necessity.

This article draws on reporting from Medical Republic — read the original here: https://www.medicalrepublic.com.au/gp-supervisor-burnout-risks-spreading-to-trainees-research-warns/127290