We are delighted and very grateful to have Dr Leanne Rowe as the patron of RCubed. She is an inspiring woman who has achieved a great deal for medicine, especially in the areas of youth health, mental health, GP health and advocacy for General Practice in Australia.

Adjunct Associate Professor Leanne Rowe AM is a doctor’s doctor and runs a private medical practice for doctors only in Melbourne. Leanne also serves on a number of high level boards as Deputy Chancellor of Monash University, Medibank Private and Beyond Blue. She is a recent past Chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

Her leadership has been recognised by an Order of Australia for service to medicine, “The Rose Hunt Medal” by the RACGP and “Best Individual Contribution to Health Care in Australia” by the Australian Medical Association.

For more information about her

practice for doctors refer to www.medicalconsulting.com.au.

Leanne is passionate about practical solutions to address the high personal and economic costs of stress and preventable illnesses. She also ‘walks her talk’ and values her own personal life. We recently interviewed our Patron to find out how she supports her own resilience.

RCubed: How do you normally unwind?

LR: I spend time with my family. I have two

great sons and a lovely husband who I love to spend time with. Music and exercise are important ways to unwind and I also regularly listen to a yoga nidra meditation recording .

RCubed: How do you unwind if you have been under more pressure than usual?

LR: I might do a bit of writing therapy – sometimes I simply write things down and throw the paper away – at other times I write articles on issues I feel strongly about, which are later published. When I feel stressed, I reassure myself that I choose to put myself into tough situations with my work and that I could decide instead to work an easier job. When dealing with tough life events I find it helpful to find meaning in what’s happening – and keep the bigger picture in focus.

It is very helpful for me to sometimes schedule a day on my own – a day of solitude.

RCubed: What other suggestions do you have for all GPs for their resilience?

• Value strong relationships
• Know what your purpose is so you can focus on bigger goals
• Understand that medicine is a higher calling so that you can keep the minor things in perspective
• Manage conflict – it is an opportunity to build stronger relationships
• Have your own GP and make sure you have an annual health check – be healthy yourself
• Be involved in your medical organisations so that they can work to support you – we can’t do it alone. Medical representative bodies help us to manage the systemic health issues such as quality of patient care; clinical independence; workplace industrial issues etc.

Leanne’s list of books which are available from general bookstores include:

Most recent:

• First do no harm: Being a resilient doctor in the 21st Century (with Professor Michael Kidd)
• Save Your Life and the Lives of Those You Love : Your GPs 6 step plan for longer term good health (with Professor Michael Kidd)
• I just want you to be happy: preventing and tackling teenage depression, co-authored by Professor David Bennett and Professor Bruce Tonge (endorsed by BeyondBlue and the RACGP)

Her other books include:

• What to do when your children turn into teenagers
• You can’t make me: 7 simple rules for parenting teenagers
• Urgent, a moving compilation of stories from young Aboriginal students, to promote an understanding of young Aboriginal issues, which was awarded the Australian Medical Association National Youth Health Award in 2004.
• Girl X Recreated, a creative email diary of teenage friends on health issues, endorsed by the Australian Medical Association and Dr. Brendan Nelson, (past Commonwealth Minister for Education Science and Training) as an innovative book for schools on adolescent health.