Dr Anne Stephenson: Once upon a time, I would have taken this patient on. But I’m tired now
I call M from the waiting room. He’s not one of my regulars. This is our first appointment. For a 62-year-old, he has a youthful,…
Dr Anne Stephenson
Dr Stephenson is a GP in Torquay, Victoria. She is also the GP liaison officer at Epworth Geelong Private Hospital and teaches at Deakin University, Geelong.
Tenderness as weakness? Our biomedical armour is making us lonely and isolated
A few weeks ago I was lucky to spend a day in my practice with gynaecologist Dr Paddy Moore, who came to support me with…
Scrubs off, wetsuits on: This is what happens when doctors across the specialties come together
If you’d told me five years ago that a ragtag crew of surgeons, psychiatrists, sports docs, GPs, anaesthetists, emergency doctors and a medical anthropologist would…
The idea that diagnostic certainty requires a ‘perfect’ medical history is flawed — let me explain
When I observe young GP registrars with patients, I see the immense weight they carry. I remember that feeling acutely: the pressure to make the…
Anger and resentment can fester in practices when we avoid difficult conversations
In my early 20s, I struggled with my weight. Looking back now, I can see how much of this was due to anxiety. I would…
My idiotic vaccination bungle: When a doctor makes a breathtakingly stupid mistake
I have many faults, but when I use the last skerrick of toot paper, I put another roll on. Admittedly, this was not always the…
How a patient’s funeral led me to an important realisation
A couple of weeks ago I had the honour of being invited to a patient’s funeral. I don’t usually attend the funerals of my patients,…
My private life and how a career in general practice has changed me
We are on a well-deserved break and my husband has just struck up a conversation with the older couple renting the unit next to us. …
How long before ‘quiet quitting’ turns into actual quitting?
A friend sent a haiku around recently, titled A Haiku About My Life: “I am so tired.Where did all the money go?My back is hurting.”…
10 things I learnt this year: The bachelor’s handbag, the wonders of Dr Louise Stone and private billing makes you happy
How would you describe your year? Has 2022 been particularly challenging with the demands that leave us emotionally spent? Or are we starting to get…
