Fellowship exams are rubbish — all they do is push brilliant doctors away from medicine
“In examinations, the foolish ask questions that the wise cannot answer.” — Oscar Wilde I don’t believe we need exams. × Welcome to AusDoc. Enabling…
Medical Observer
Unique doctor-written opinion and analysis
Has a patient asked you to ‘bend the rules’? Here’s some guidance on unreasonable requests
“Jake seemed quite distressed during the appointment. I provided him with referrals, as I was worried about the knee mass and did not want to…
If junior doctors are ‘marshmallows’, what kind of lollies are the rest of us?
Have you heard about the leaked email? Oops! A medical administration staff member laments that current junior medical staff are “clinical marshmallows” for objecting to…
Gender fluidity is this generation’s gift to sexuality: My take as the local gender GP
Thirteen years ago, when I was a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed GP registrar, I saw for the first time a patient who declared at the start of…
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…
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…
