My GP dad taught me something more valuable than clinical skills — how to be happy
I want to tell you a story about the time I visited my dad on Father’s Day and what he taught me about finding happiness…
Opinion
Unique doctor-written opinion and analysis
Breaking my old habit of running late has been liberating: It’s extended my working life
Everyone has a different awareness of the passage of time. There are those who are always late, others who are always early, and some who…
Paternalism is bad but why do so many doctors expect me to mother my patients?
Sometimes we GPs can get quite attached to our patients. It’s probably no accident that many of us, having pursued a career based on helping…
I became paranoid about cardiac risk factors: What autopsies taught me about heart disease
Another National Heart Week has finished and I missed it. Heart disease is a bit like this, easily overlooked despite being the commonest cause of…
The medical ‘expert’ who hung a GP out to dry and other cautionary tales
Bill Madden’s recent AusDoc article about the use of expert medical opinion is spot on. Bill is one of the best plaintiff lawyers in Australia.…
Did the oracle predict my patient’s infection, or was it just an amazing coincidence?
A patient who was very excited about the adventure of moving overseas for work, presented to address some medical concerns before she left. She told…
When writing scripts pays more than saving lives, something is badly broken
The humble GP is often seen as the first port of call and rarely as the last hope. But this could not be further from…
Are GPs born with the sucker gene?
By way of background, I must state that I am pissed off with the world in general and Homo sapiens in particular. I am not…
I’ve never been so grateful to be an Australian GP — the NHS is dire
Previously, I discussed my temporary relocation to the UK, where I briefly touched on my decision to take a gap year rather than work as…
Whack-a-mole medicine in an age of patients with alternative facts
Once upon a time, getting caught in a lie, especially a hand-in-the-cookie-jar one, carried consequences. Shame, maybe a grovelling apology. A promise to do better…
