I miss the days when telephone conversations with other specialists were the norm
I received two unexpected delights in one day from two different specialist colleagues. What were their gifts to me? × Welcome to AusDoc. Enabling and…
Medical Observer
Unique doctor-written opinion and analysis
ADHD has become ‘it girl’ of mental health, the cool kid of diagnoses, the disorder everyone seems to want
“Everyone’s got ADHD these days.” ADHD is a diagnosis that is indisputably on the rise. It’s the ‘It Girl’ of the mental health world right…
Dog food, valium and a V8: My night shift in the ‘badlands’ of Adelaide
As part of AusDoc’s 40th anniversary, we have been publishing stories by readers about their most memorable day as a doctor. This account, by Dr Ralph…
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…
Dystopian times: In 1984 I was a medical student and young mum who didn’t know what a GP was
I wasn’t aware back in 1984 that a publication called Australian Doctor had been born that would become an amazing source of fulfilment for me…
Faux outrage or Faux rage? It’s time for the AMA to admit some doctors are misusing Medicare
Earlier this year I wrote an opinion piece on the issue of non-compliant Medicare billing. I approached the problem from a sociological perspective. × Welcome…
As an endocrinologist specialising in obesity, I’m calling for a major rethink on how we manage this disease
For years, Andrew refused to see a GP. If he developed an infection, he’d often rely on his wife’s repeat antibiotic prescriptions. × Welcome to…
I’ve started prescribing shinrin-yoku to my patients — and no, it’s not a supplement
I have a nine-year-old patient who has panic attacks, several phobias and generalised anxiety disorder. Jayne (not her real name) has improved with the help…
Why I’d support a rule restricting GPs to 25 patients a day
WARNING: This article contains disturbing ideas and will upset some readers. The British Medical Association (BMA) is recommending that British GPs increase the average length…
Take my advice: If you’re a doctor over 40, you need to start living dangerously
Bring adventure, mental and physical challenge, change and calculated risk-taking into your life. I made “someday” happen. You can too. “Someday” it may be too…
