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…
Opinion
Unique doctor-written opinion and analysis
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…
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…
I don’t need the medical board to tell me when I’m too old to practise
I am a one legged, pacemaker-driven, 80-year-old GP, and I am still working three days a week in a busy, CBD practice. I also do…
The gentle probe of the tongue that changed a patient’s diagnosis and my perspective on medicine
“Dance with the one who brought you.” This phrase is often attributed to legendary American football coach Darrell Royal. There have been lots of interpretations…
Not just about sex: The case for funding access to sex workers under the NDIS
The National Disability Insurance Scheme aims to fund all the supports needed to improve a disabled person’s quality of life. It is separate from the Disability…
