Why have the Cass Review’s alarming findings had no effect on Australia’s gender clinics?
Compared with the usual calm of public policy debates, the Cass Review represents a political and medical firestorm. Its findings led UK health services to…
Medical Observer
Unique doctor-written opinion and analysis
Suspect a stress or rib fracture? An ultrasound referral may be the best option
Fracture diagnosis has traditionally relied on X-rays, but ultrasound is increasingly recognised as a valuable alternative. As a diagnostic tool for bone fractures, it offers…
We are not being gagged: Doctors, free speech and the tribulations of Dr Jereth Kok
A great divide between doctors resurfaced last month, when GP Dr Jereth Kok faced a tribunal over 85 of his social media posts, including one…
My patient blamed the wind for her cardiac symptoms: the GP dilemma when patients choose denial
I love how children reason, trying to make sense of this complicated world based on their limited experience. A little girl was noted by her parents…
I needed a break from my paediatric training, but why was hitting the pause button so tough?
Medicine is a marathon, not a sprint — this is a mantra we hear repeatedly from the beginning of medical school. It’s embedded in our…
Donated eggs and masturbation may be out: The barriers facing Muslim patients with fertility issues
For those experiencing fertility issues, cost can be a major barrier to becoming a parent. Rebates and other public funding aim to make access to…
My poetic response to AHPRA’s ageism
It is national poetry month, and AHPRA has generously provided the inspiration for my contribution to this worthy cause. There is increasing evidence that poetry…
Are you ready if your next patient asks you about voluntary assisted dying?
Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) is now available for patients who fit legal and health criteria in all six states of Australia, and will be available…
Don’t look like a mafia don: My advice to the RACGP presidential candidates on being a ‘media tart’
Advice to the RACGP presidential aspirants: The content of what you say is not enough, you need to be an expert communicator and an effective…
‘Doctors are at breaking point’: A day in Gaza’s last hospital
Relentless bombings and airstrikes by Israeli forces continue to kill hundreds of people across Gaza, while medical staff in hospitals are stretched to their limits…
