A new chapter for doctors’ wellbeing: ADHC 2025 reflects on People, Peers and Places.
The 2025 Australasian Doctors’ Health Conference took place from 27–29 November at the new sustainable 1 Hotel in Melbourne — a fitting backdrop for what was widely described by attendees as a timely and energising gathering.
Under the theme “Promoting Great Medical Culture: People, Peers & Places”, the conference brought together over 250 delegates committed to improving the health, safety and sustainability of the medical workforce across Australasia.
The conference underscored a critical message: supporting doctors isn’t a “nice to have” — it’s foundational to sustainable, safe healthcare delivery for patients and communities. As one attendee on LinkedIn stated: the gathering enabled conversations and connections about creating “healthcare environments where doctors and medical students can genuinely thrive.”
The conference had workshops, keynotes, and spirited conversations!
- Pre-conference workshops (27 Nov): Attendees could choose from several sessions — from “The healing power of writing” and “Narrative Medicine” to “Optimising performance, meaningfulness and health – The Hardiness Advantage,” and a workshop exploring the medico-legal and collegial dimensions of caring for colleagues.
- Opening plenary (28 Nov): The official opening included a “Welcome to Country,” remarks from the Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, and an address by the conference chair Dr Patrick Johnson.
- Addresses: Keynote opener Dr Paul Taylor speaking on “The Power of Connection: Building Strong Medical Teams Through People, Peers and Places,” then Dr Jo Braid closed the first day presenting on “The Healing Power of Schwartz Rounds in Healthcare.
- Concurrent sessions and streams: Over the two main days, participants engaged in a variety of parallel sessions — exploring individual wellbeing, peer/team culture, and systemic factors affecting doctor health — including topics such as supporting International Medical Graduates (IMGs), cultivating kindness in healthcare systems, and promoting mental health and self-compassion in medical careers.
- Networking and social events: The program also included welcome drinks and a gala dinner — valuable informal spaces for connection, reflection, and building relationships that we know go beyond the conference and create critical connections for collective change.
- The closing panel included Dr Steve Robson (Chief Medical Officer, Avant Mutual), Dr Michael Wright (RACGP President), Dr Alexandra Muthu (Specialist Occupational & Environmental Physician/Trustee of Doctors’ Health Advisory Service, New Zealand) and Professor Leanne Rowe (Co-Author Every Doctor: healthier doctors=healthier patients 2nd Ed.), chair by Dr Patrick Johnson – discussing the importance of doctor health and wellbeing, and what medical leaders can do.
Thank you to everyone who continued to share insights on social media.
As one long-time attendee wrote on LinkedIn: “I’ve just returned from my third Australasian Doctors’ Health Conference … I return with renewed clarity, re-energised by thoughtful conversations, and a deeper connection to this work.”
The feedback shared on social media captured both gratitude and determination: for many, ADHC 2025 didn’t just reaffirm known issues — it offered hope, space for connection, and a sense of renewed purpose to drive real change.
The conference closed with Professor Rowe as final keynote “Your Brilliant Career: Know your WHS Rights, Change the Health System” with her powerful call to action that medical workplaces must effectively address both psychosocial and physical hazards – now a legal as well as a moral imperative.
Looking ahead: what’s next for doctors’ health
The momentum from ADHC 2025 suggests a few emerging opportunities and challenges for the medical community:
- Broadening access to support — including doctors having access to a doctor at the end of a help-line, access to their own GP, coaching, peer-support, and safe workplace design.
- Embedding system-level change: moving from reactive wellbeing programs towards sustainable workplace cultures that prioritise mental health, safety, and collegial support at all career stages.
- Building public awareness: advocating for doctor wellbeing as integral to community health — helping patients, policymakers and the public understand that caring for doctors is not separate from caring for patients.
Final thoughts
ADHC 2025 served as more than just a conference. It was a gathering of shared values, honest reflection, and collaborative hope — a reminder that caring for doctors is not optional, but essential. As one delegate said, being in a room “where shared values and collective experience shape the conversations” is not something to take for granted.
That sense of collective purpose — of people, peers and places coming together — may well become the bedrock of a healthier, more sustainable medical culture across Australasia. We are grateful to all who attended, presented and thank our wonderful organising committee along with the unwavering support by the Victorian Doctors’ Health Program. Special thank you to our sponsors:
