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…
Medical Observer
Unique doctor-written opinion and analysis
I had to beg my father to take me to hospital: The curse of growing up with medical parents
It seems that the unfortunate fate of those born to parents with a wealth of medical knowledge is that their parents never believe they are…
The world is turning bad while our small, ordinary lives are filled with acts of human kindness
Nathan made a birthday card for his mama. He scribbled balloons, a cloud and an apple tree. × Welcome to AusDoc. Enabling and empowering the…
Mark Butler, reading out Google reviews in Parliament doesn’t justify the millions you’re squandering on urgent care clinics
Earlier this week, Mark Butler took to the floor of federal Parliament to talk about the wonders of his Medicare urgent care clinics. He had…
She returned home to sleep a few floors above her abuser — I hoped she wouldn’t become a dreaded statistic
Thinking back to my time as a final-year medical student in the emergency department, there was always a nagging sense of being in the way…
Up to 90% of doctors are humiliated during their training: Here’s how it impacts patient care
Imagine being questioned about complex technical knowledge in front of your peers, supervisors and members of the public – knowing that a wrong answer could…
Health professionals are also the victims when pushed beyond their scope of practice
Do you sometimes imagine that you are trapped in a submarine, in the darkest depths of the ocean, under the pressure of tons of seawater? …
Is Ozempic the new ‘miracle drug’ for patients with osteoarthritis-related knee pain?
The drug semaglutide, commonly known by the brand names Ozempic or Wegovy, was originally developed to help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood…
Help! How do I repair my scorched relationship with my son-in-law and remedy his PTSD?
I need my readers to help me with some advice about how to make amends for an incident that occurred in 2007. It happened on the…
An anti-vax conspiracy theorist could become Trump’s health tsar — what it means for Aussie doctors
I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual congress of the US Center for Inquiry – an organisation promoting science and reason, and countering…
