Resources

Podcasts

RNZCGP GP CME Podcast - The college's own continuing medical education series. NZ-specific, peer-reviewed, and counts toward CPD. Short enough for a school-run commute. rnzcgp.org.nz

BPAC NZ Clinical Update - Bite-sized audio companion to the bpacnz prescribing updates. Practical, NZ-funded, no fluff. bpac.org.nz

The Curbsiders - American internal medicine, but the evidence appraisal is excellent and the format is generous enough to teach you how to think through a consult. Episodes on preventive care and outpatient medicine translate well. thecurbsiders.com

Primary Care Today (BMJ) - Interview-style updates for GPs. British context, but guidelines often overlap with NZ practice and the clinical reasoning translates directly. bmj.com/podcast

Life in the Fast Lane (LITFL) - Emergency and critical care, not strictly GP - but invaluable for the acute presentations that land in your room before they land in ED. litfl.com

The NNT Podcast - Evidence-based medicine applied to everyday clinical decisions. Pairs well with the NNT website. Good antidote to over-treatment. thennt.com

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Books

Clinical Evidence - BMJ's summary of RCT and systematic review evidence for common conditions. More useful as a reference than a cover-to-cover read.

Murtagh's General Practice - The Australian GP bible. Sixth edition (2015) is still in wide use; a seventh exists. The diagnostic approach chapters are worth reading properly, not just using as a lookup.

The Checklist Manifesto - Atul Gawande. Not a clinical reference - a book about error, complexity, and the irreducible value of simple systems. Changed how I approach pre-consultation routines.

How Doctors Think - Jerome Groopman. Readable account of cognitive bias in clinical reasoning. The heuristic traps described are immediately recognisable.

Being Mortal - Atul Gawande again. Essential reading before any conversation about goals of care, aged care placement, or end-of-life planning. Nothing academic about it.

Mountains Beyond Mountains - Tracy Kidder's biography of Paul Farmer. Not a how-to, but a reminder of what medicine is for.

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Journals

NZMJ (New Zealand Medical Journal) - Free online. The only indexed NZ-specific journal. Worth setting up a contents alert. nzmj.com

BJGP (British Journal of General Practice) - The closest international equivalent to a dedicated GP research journal. Consistently useful on consultation skills, multimorbidity, and preventive care. bjgp.org

The BMJ - Broad and sometimes sensationalist, but the Practice and Education sections are reliably good. The rapid responses are occasionally the best part. bmj.com

Cochrane Library - Not a journal but the best single source for systematic review evidence. NZ practitioners have free access via the Health Research Council. cochranelibrary.com

AFP (Australian Family Physician, now Australian Journal of General Practice) - Australian context translates well to NZ. Strong on practical, guideline-based clinical updates. racgp.org.au/ajgp

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Websites

BPAC NZ - The single most useful NZ clinical resource. Evidence-based, funded, free, and actually written for our prescribing context. Bookmark the search. bpac.org.nz

HealthPathways NZ - Canterbury's HealthPathways system is the gold standard; check what your DHB/locality provides. Essential for referral thresholds and local pathways. healthpathwayscommunity.org

NZ Formulary (NZF) - The national prescribing reference. More relevant to NZ than MIMS or UpToDate for funded drug choices. nzf.org.nz

Medsafe - For datasheets, safety advisories, and checking what's actually registered here. medsafe.govt.nz

LITFL - Life in the Fast Lane. Excellent clinical overviews, ECG library, toxicology, and CCC (Critical Care Compendium). Produced by Australasian emergency physicians. litfl.com

The NNT - Absolute risk reduction presented cleanly for common interventions. Useful for shared decision-making conversations and calibrating your own prescribing enthusiasm. thennt.com

Choosing Wisely New Zealand - NZ version of the international campaign to reduce low-value care. Good source for "what not to order" conversations. choosingwisely.org.nz

UpToDate - Requires a subscription (or hospital access). Comprehensive but US-centric - always cross-reference funded options and NZ guidelines. uptodate.com