We are not so soft: The hard realities of being a ‘marshmallow’ doctor
There has been recent interest in junior doctor wellbeing following derogatory comments made by administration staff at Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital. Many of my friends…
Opinion
Unique doctor-written opinion and analysis
Many GPs try to avoid running into patients outside of work — I’m the opposite
I’ve just learned an amazing strategy for dealing with the desires of a five-year-old child when out shopping. If he spies something that he wants,…
Antidepressant withdrawal or depression relapse? Here’s what I want GPs to know
There is increasing evidence that antidepressant withdrawal symptoms (or ‘discontinuation’ symptoms) are common and can be severe and long-lasting. Yet in the past, these symptoms…
Lucy Letby case: Relying on expert doctors in criminal medical cases can lead to injustice
The Lucy Letby case is the latest in a number of UK criminal medical cases that, beyond the rights and wrongs of each verdict, raises…
The media horror stories about spinal cord stimulators risk denying my patients a better life
Pain medicine is what I do every day. The art of pain management is difficult, and the journey is long. When it comes to spinal…
Do you feel challenged when your patient requests a second opinion?
When a patient asks for a second opinion, it’s natural for doctors to worry that their expertise is being challenged, or to feel nervous that…
Do NSW psychiatrists deserve a 25% pay rise? Here’s my take as an emergency doctor
Watching from afar, the new US regime’s changes to the management of healthcare, superimposed on an already dysfunctional system, elicit a sense of foreboding. The…
My first year of medical school was sudden death — an era of big egos and elitism
Recently, I was given a copy of a paper, published in the Australasian Annals of Medicine in November 1962, entitled ‘The Art of Medicine’. It…
Has a patient asked to record a consultation? It’s worth thinking twice before saying no
Ever been faced with a patient asking if they can record the consultation, or suspected that a patient is recording covertly? Recording healthcare consultations is…
Social media is awash with medical lies: As doctors, we have a moral obligation to fight back
A tweet on X, dated 2 January 2024 and attributed to Elon Musk, stated that “heavy use of C-sections allows for a larger brain, as…
