GP cherishes best tag
BEING a family GP commands trust, loyalty and dedication to patients who quite often put their lives in your hands.
For Dr Benedict Ponti, becoming friends and forming solid relationships with his patients is what led him to taking out the Townsville Bulletin’s poll for the city’s best family GP.
Dr Ponti has been a GP at Townsville Family Medical Centre for almost a decade, after graduating from James Cook University in 2010.
The former Burdekin boy, now aged 36, only decided to become a doctor towards the end of high school, while a student at Ayr State High.
“I applied, got in for the inaugural JCU intake of 2000 and never looked back. I graduated when I was 23 and have never regretted my choice,” Dr Ponti said.
The career decision also led to meeting the love of his life at university, Christine, with the couple sharing “four wonderful children” together as well as being able to work alongside one another as doctors at the same practice.
What he loves most about being a family GP was becoming so close with his patients. “You see people through both their darkest diagnoses and also their most joyous moments with their adorable new baby,” Dr Ponti said.
“I think maintaining that personal connection is what makes it enjoyable, you can have whole days where you really have just caught up with a lot of people you consider friends who have effectively come to see you to ask your advice.”
For Dr Ponti, “it’s the little things” that are the best part about his job.
“Seeing multiple generations of a single family is quite surreal,” he said.
“Townsville is such a small place, the first patient I saw at TFMC was a man with a lacerated leg that I sutured for him. Then I was seeing his children and his wife.
“Now his wife is also my child’s teacher aide at school. To see her interacting with my son at school makes me realise how small a community we are and how privileged I am to make these connections, all because someone cut their leg open.”
A patient he remembers fondly was a former carpenter who moved to Papua New Guinea, saved up and paid to learn to be a pilot while raising a young family.
“He was a very kind-hearted person and quickly gave me his trust. Before long, he’d wander in with a fresh medical problem and look at me and say ‘ what do we do about this one Benny?’ with complete faith in me,” he said.
“When I stumbled my way through a marathon at the running festival he had a trophy made up for me within the week. He’s unfortunately since passed away but he’s very missed. He even bequeathed me his handkerchiefs, which was such a beautiful gesture … being a GP is a wonderful profession.”
Dr Ponti was delighted after hearing he’d been named Best Family GP in Townsville.
“I will cherish it for the rest of my career. Hopefully I can live up to your kind thoughts by giving your families the best care possible.”
YOU SEE PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR DARKEST DIAGNOSES AND THEIR MOST JOYOUS MOMENTS