When medicine goes to the dogs, patients often get better
During the break from exams at medical school, we used to go to a comedy movie. In 1968, the movie we liked was The Party,…
Dr Malcolm Fisher
Dr Fisher was AusDoc's columnist 'Retractor' for many years. He is a retired intensive care specialist from Sydney, NSW.
The ghost who walked — and other ICU patients I’ll never forget
Recently, AusDoc asked its readers: “Are there any past patients you haven’t forgotten?” For me there are many, but for privacy reasons there are only…
They labelled me an urban terrorist — I called it standing up for patients
One of the joys of retirement is looking back on my career and being proud of the difference I and my colleagues made. More recently,…
We have ways of tracking patient deterioration. So why aren’t we using them to save lives?
I like to look back at my career — both the successes and the failures. Although I am now non-practising, I believe I have insight…
Better than the textbooks: What I learnt from Eric, my patient with schizophrenia
All my life I have been puzzled by schizophrenia. My first patient with the condition was Eric. I was a medical student and he was…
I’m a magnet for scammers, but $10,000 is all they’re going to get out of me
A long time ago, a colleague ridiculed me for having a computer on my office desk. To me it seemed a boon. I was dealing…
‘A troubled and eccentric GP with a profound vision’: The story that has stayed with me for over 50 years
There are many books that have influenced my life, starting with the Famous Five series and then the New English Bible. But during my time…
Why I apologised when a patient paid only half my fee
The growing gap between doctors’ fees and Medicare rebates is constant fodder for news outlets these days. It is getting too expensive to have babies…
I’m back after a head injury — with (even more) admiration for my GPs
I wrote for Australian Doctor for some years as Retractor, but then I got too busy doctoring and being called an urban terrorist (by a…
‘God, men are stupid!’: My time as a doctor in the early days of the contraceptive pill
My GP said it was okay to get jab number five at the chemist. While there, I asked the pharmacist how she felt about being…
