Australian Doctor 14th February 2025 | Page 17

ausdoc . com . au 14 FEBRUARY 2025

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VIEWS FROM YOUR ONLINE COMMUNITY

Be yourself ; everyone else is taken

The doctor – patient tango : How I avoid a misstep before the consult turns frosty

Most doctors are of the Arnold Schwarzenegger school of acting , and the biggest problem I have seen is when they try to pretend they are someone else .

If your natural style is brusque and efficient , chatty and avuncular , taciturn but thoughtful , caring and sharing , it is best to run with what you have got rather than trying to be someone else .

While talking with a friend , I have never asked : “ How is this conversation going for you so far ?”

And I have not asked : “ Are you happy with our rapport right now ?” It sounds artificial , like a poor translation app or online chatbot .

Maybe it is simpler to keep the conversation on the patient ’ s level . So no big medical words unless you are explaining something on the X-ray report — for instance , what a mediastinum is .

“ You look a bit uncertain ” sounds very legit to me as something you might say in a normal ‘ civilian ’ chat .

“ Does that make sense to you ?” is the kind of thing you would ask a friend when describing a route to a picnic .

“ Have I lost you ?” is a good question , preferably before they are actually lost .

Dr Ian Hargreaves Surgeon , Sydney , NSW

Facing the social media firing squad

Social media is awash with medical lies — as doctors , we have a moral obligation to fight back

Unfortunately , the horse has bolted and the gate has been bolted closed behind us .

As someone who has tried on multiple platforms to apply common sense , evidence and some medical knowledge , I have been insulted , derided , attacked and also reported to AHPRA .

I am all for standing up for our patients and will continue to do so .

And I am also not averse to standing on a bridge while it is burning , but we cannot win this battle in its current form .

Sending out individual doctors to the quagmire that is social media is akin to sending soldiers to the front with broken rifles .

Dr Nicole Fairweather Anaesthetist , Brisbane , Qld

Pseudoscience unfortunately feeds into the mentality of convenience .

Readers are far more willing to accept easily digested nonsense than the comparatively lacklustre world of empirical information that does not always promise an easy fix . If our collective grey matter is increasing , why are people becoming more gullible ?

Or is it the arse-end of the brain that is increasing rather than the prefrontal cortex ?

Dr Carolyne Thompson Psychologist , Melbourne , Vic

Tragically blinded by their faith

‘ Medicine is witchcraft ’:

Parents who believed God would cure daughter ’ s diabetes found guilty of manslaughter

We admit medical science is not always 100 % correct , but it is certainly better than this ill-informed ‘ faith ’ that believes God will cure and life-saving insulin therapy is unnecessary .

It is another sad incident of people of faith not relying on God ’ s continuing work and revelation to humanity of the wonders of our amazing world through science — and in this case medical science .

Dr Michael Nixon GP , Adelaide , SA

An accidental but justified roasting ?

Are junior doctors really ‘ clinical marshmallows ’?

Here goes … Given I have , until recently , been in medical admin and I am someone who has worked in the public system for 40 years , I may be able to comment on this manager ’ s description of junior doctors .

The vast majority are hardworking , and they appreciate that the job they have chosen is often inflexible , hard work and stressful .

Having said that , there are a minority who make the life of the administrators / roster writers somewhat challenging .

What worries me is that , when they leave the protection of Health Education and Training Institute mandates , 14 / 10 rostering and so on , some of them are in for a massive shock .

One example is the unaccredited registrar posts .

As such , I believe we are not setting some of them up well . While I appreciate the

frustration of the manager who sent this email describing junior doctors as marshmallows , and while I imagine they did not intend any harm , the ‘ reply all ’ faux pas has had unintended consequences .

Being an administrator is a thankless job , so I salute those who do it and try to make a difference .

Dr Jonathan Gibson Anaesthetist , Sydney , NSW

On the side of human dignity

The euthanasia of patients with advanced dementia is happening — AusDoc explains how it works

With the projected rise in dementia cases anticipated in Australia , we need to find a way to build this into our voluntary assisted dying legislation .

Nobody would want to remain alive when life has lost all meaning , joy and human dignity .

Then there is the untold suffering caused to family witnessing the slow , painful decline of their loved one .

I , for one , will be arguing

strongly for these changes when our voluntary euthanasia laws in Queensland come up for their first review .

Dr Heather McNamee GP , Cairns , Qld

In the dark while in the spotlight

NHMRC to develop new treatment guidelines for transgender youth

Ideology , activism and catastrophising have no place in this space . Until we have more evidence , we must proceed with caution and compassion .

I do not buy the argument put forward by some that , because only a small number of children are being treated , the evidence is too difficult to get .

First , I know a couple of teenagers in my personal life who have been put on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones , so how rare can it be ?

Second , there are plenty of rare medical conditions for which we can collect evidence on treatment options and their effects .

The children ’ s hospitals administering these treatments should have been rigorously collecting de-identified , unbiased data on these experimental therapies and their outcomes .

The fact they have not been forthcoming with the data to paediatricians and child and adolescent psychiatrists not associated with their programs is concerning .

Dr Josephine Maria Anaesthetist , Gold Coast , Qld

I agree that the understanding of the pathways and delivery of care would be poorly understood by the broader medical community in a highly subspecialised and politicised field .

The use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists is decades old , and the risks are known . Similarly , the risks of severe gender dysphoria are known .

It is unfortunate that a politically charged space cannot be assessed practically / ethically by quantitative , double-blinded randomised controlled trials .

These therapies are prescribed with extensive counselling of families as to the risks , and the decisions taken are not done so lightly .

It is disappointing when trans issues enter the news cycle because suddenly every doctor has an opinion .

Dr Riley Dunlop Obstetrics and gynaecology ,

Toowoomba , Qld

‘ Selfie ’ surgery gets bums on seats but don ’ t become the butt of the joke

‘ Please don ’ t try this at home ’: Doctor performs own vasectomy

A famous attorney once said : “ A lawyer who represents himself in a court will only have a fool as a client .” Doctors should learn from that wisdom .

Dr Mehdi Zahedpur GP , Canberra , ACT

Look , I am pretty cheap-arsed , but this is ridiculous . Pay another doctor to do it , sir .

Dr Ashley Collard GP , Sydney , NSW