If Dr Nicole Higgins’ plan comes off, federal and state governments won’t be able to ignore general practice for much longer.

She has been handed the RACGP presidency at a time of crisis, following a worsening shortfall of younger doctors opting for the specialty and decades of underfunding.  

There’s also the takeover of GP training by the college and the launch of the Medical Board of Australia’s controversial CPD regime with its focus on reflection and review – both happening at the start of next year.

Then, of course, there is the rise of pharmacy prescribing, which only intensified criticism of the college’s lobbying efforts in some quarters.