AHPRA can go to hell: My villanelle for the villain
Would you believe that AHPRA can be inspirational? Yes, the thought of all those reflections have been ricocheting around in my mind, and out of the absolute…
Dr Pam Rachootin
Dr Rachootin is a GP in Adelaide, SA.
Bored in lockdown? Not this delusional doctor
Bored in lockdown? Not me. I can entertain myself for hours with my own stupidity. I got up very early one recent morning to take 1g of cephalexin for my Strep…
Real Case: ‘Unbreaking’ bad news proves as hard as breaking it
We’ve all had experience breaking bad news. I even used to teach medical students the art, using actors as standardised patients. But no one teaches…
My many medical mishaps come in handy when mentoring
I’m unofficially mentoring a GP registrar. It is utterly rewarding. What a challenge it is for any GP-in-training who encounters presentations never seen previously. How…
Obesity is a tricky issue – it can twist and turn in unexpected ways
I’ve encountered various forms of patient behaviour in their attempts to deal with changes in body shape. One patient presented after a long absence. To be…
Ageing GPs face a dangerous disease only AHPRA diagnoses
If the pandemic isn’t bad enough, there is another dreadful disease that now afflicts doctors, specifically targeting senior GPs as its host. AHPRA has discovered…
Vaccination chaos: Do we need to scream until we’re heard?
My 22-month-old grandson got his first report card from childcare, rating his behaviours as ‘achieved,’ ‘emerging,’ or ‘not observed’. Under the category of ‘self-autonomy’ there…
Real Case: Why did my patient’s eyelid start twitching like crazy?
What does alopecia have to do with polycythaemia? Well hair loss can be one of the symptoms of polycythaemia, but I have recently learned of…
12 funnies from my comedian patients
1. Knocking back my best intentions My patient was dissatisfied with her specialist and she requested to see a new one. I advised her that I…
I gave my patient a gift, and she gave me the perfect gift back…
A patient once showed me an historical medical document that she treasured. It was one of the only relics that she owned relating to her…
