Do you feel you need to talk but are not sure who to approach? Perhaps it is a sensitive or confidential matter. As doctors, we are under increasing pressure in the workplace. We help others every day yet are the last to seek help for ourselves.
The AMA Victoria Peer Support Service provides you with a listening colleague who understands the pressures of medicine.
For anonymous and confidential support call 1300 853 338 (for the cost of a local call).
About the Peer Support Service
We are here to listen and provide support on issues such as:
- A stressful incident
- Violence and trauma in your workplace
- Bullying or harassment
- Workload concerns
- Feelings of stress or inability to cope
- Burnout
- Your career plans
- Personal issues
- Your well-being
There is no charge for using the AMA Victoria Peer Support Service. All volunteer telephone counsellors are experienced doctors trained in the skills of peer support telephone counselling, and have broad experience in medical practice and represent a wide range of specialties.
The AMA Victoria Peer Support Service offers a listening ear, and if you require ongoing assistance we will refer you to appropriate expert services.
Using the Peer Support Service
Contact AMA Victoria Peer Support 365 days of the year from 8am to 10pm.
When you dial 1300 853 338 your call will be transferred to a mobile phone carried by a volunteer AMA Victoria Peer Support Service counsellor.
We occasionally receive unrelated phone calls to this service. Administrative enquiries about AMA Victoria, questions about member services and membership renewals should be directed to AMA Victoria staff during business hours (8.30 am–5.00 pm Monday to Thursday, 8.30 am–5 pm Fridays), on (03) 9280 8722.
For urgent assistance or between the hours of 10pm and 8am call Lifeline on 131114.
What our volunteers say about being involved in the Peer Support Service:
As a conversation between equals, Peer Support engenders respect and resilience, it’s a two-way process.
Having an anonymous service gives doctors in need an opportunity to discuss any issues that affect their lives and their professional careers in safety.
It was great to enhance my listening skills with the excellent training sessions we did prior to starting to take calls.
There is enormous satisfaction in knowing that you have actually helped a stressed doctor, who is appreciative for your listening, and for supplying information and resources. It is great to meet and engage with other doctors, and our amazing manager Kay, and our psychologist Claire, and to learn from all of them.
For me, Peer Support is a way to payback the help I received when I needed it.
We now have an excellent new telephone system which makes the job so much easier!
Another key benefit is the collegiality of the Peer Support team, Claire, Kay and the medical volunteers who meet regularly to share their experiences so that we can all provide better support to others and to each other. The meetings that we have are really important to build a team spirit and continuously learning to provide a better service.
With the organisational experience I had, including considerable time dealing with issues of both senior and junior doctors in a wide variety of health service organisations, and heading towards retirement, I was keen to continue use this experience in a voluntary role. Particularly with junior doctors it is important to know what options are available to them if things go wrong and to be able to help them clarify a course of action. It is often difficult for those who have not had such roles to be aware of options available in health service organisations that can be very supportive of junior staff and be completely private.
I have been able to continue to use this experience to assist other doctors to cope with their lives and careers, albeit in a small way.
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Peer Support FAQs
