RNZCGP community service medal recipients

Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZGP) Community Service Medal awarded to Dr Murray Smith and Dr Rachel Shouler.

Dr Murray Smith, who retired in March 2021, was a general practitioner at the Ōmokoroa Medical Centre for 25 years. He has been awarded a Community Service Medal by The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.

The Community Service Medal recognises members of the College who have made an outstanding contribution to general practice through work in their communities.

Dr Samantha Murton, College President says, "There are a lot of highlights from Dr Smith’s career in Ōmokoroa. His experience, kind nature and willingness to take the time to train our new GPs has no doubt left a legacy in the community."

Initially, Dr Smith worked as the sole full-time GP in a small practice, but as the community grew and developed, he was part of a group that developed the current purpose-built Ōmokoroa Medical Centre in 2011. The Centre can now offer patients pharmacy, physiotherapist, dentist, optometry, and chiropractor services.

In 2013 when the medical centre became a teaching practice, Dr Smith began supervising registrars as they went through their training to become qualified general practitioners. His stable and practical teaching environment has seen many of his registrars stay and work in the community.

For the College, he spent time as a regular examiner for the General Practitioner Education Programme (GPEP) exams.

Having trained in Aberdeen, Dr Rachel Shouler, Tarawera Medical Centre and Clinical Director at EBPHA, has been in New Zealand since 2001 and completed her GP training in 2009.

She had been based in Nelson until taking up some locum opportunities around the country and is really enjoying the BOP with her husband and two young children.

Rachel has been extremely popular with patients and has rapidly developed a following of regular patients. Those who have good memories may recognise the name and remember her father, Mr. Phil Shouler, who worked as a surgeon at Whakatane Hospital and did fortnightly Surgical Clinics at the Tarawera Medical Centre.