Many GPs regularly refer procedures out. It is efficient, familiar, and often feels like the safest option in a busy clinic. But what happens when you start bringing those procedures back in-house?
In this first episode of HealthCert's new podcast series, Focused Practice Conversations, practice operations expert Matt Woollard speaks with specialist GP Dr Raj Selvarajan about the real-world impact and ROI of procedural upskilling.
One of the more practical reframes discussed is this: education is not a cost centre, it is a capability investment. Rather than thinking in CPD cycles, Dr Selvarajan encourages GPs to zoom out and consider five-year career arcs, and what incremental skill-building can compound into over time.
Using skin cancer as an example, the shift from referring to performing can influence more than just billings. You may start to notice less referral leakage, better use of treatment rooms, greater continuity of care, and a gradual change in how your sessions are structured. These shifts tend to build quietly, then accelerate as confidence grows.
The conversation also explores what happens when GPs introduce a dedicated procedural list, such as vasectomy, and why many hesitate to take that first step.
This is a grounded discussion on capability, confidence, and long-term career strategy in general practice.
Prefer a visual format? Watch this episode on the HealthCert Education YouTube channel.
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Listen to all episodes in the Focused Practice Conversations series.
[Coming soon!]
HealthCert Education's Focused Practice Conversations podcast series explores how GPs build focused areas of practice, why they chose that path, what changed in their clinic, and whether going deeper into one niche was ultimately worth it.
Healthcare Entrepreneur & Business Development Consultant
Born and educated in Adelaide, Matt Woollard is a seasoned healthcare entrepreneur with over two decades of experience building, scaling, and transforming healthcare businesses across Australia.
Matt began his healthcare career in 2000 as the second employee of Skin Alert Skin Cancer Clinics, where he worked alongside founder Paul Elmslie to grow the business from the ground up to a network of 14 clinics nationwide over seven years. As Chief Executive Officer of National Skin Cancer Centres, established in 2016, Matt led the business through a period of significant expansion before its successful acquisition by Sonic Clinic Services.
With a deep knowledge of skin cancer medicine, Medicare frameworks, and the operational realities of primary care, Matt's core expertise lies in business development, identifying, structuring, and growing healthcare assets in an increasingly complex and competitive landscape. Today, Matt consults across the broader healthcare sector, partnering with large corporates and private equity firms to develop and de-risk healthcare assets. He remains active in skin cancer medicine and brings the same sharp commercial lens to emerging opportunities in women's and mental health.
Guest: Dr Raj Selvarajan
You can self-record CPD for this podcast. If you consume educational content on this blog, you can Quick Log CPD hours with the RACGP/ACRRM via the usual self-submission process. You will be asked to reflect on what you have learned, and you will require supporting evidence such as a screenshot. For more information, view the: RACGP CPD guide | ACRRM CPD guide