Articles

Vanishing point Alan Johnston 25.09.23 for article by Dr Anne Malatt on Illness

Illness is an offering, not a punishment

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I am currently ill, and far from feeling frustrated or upset about it, I see this illness is an offering, not a punishment.
To the light by Alan Johnston for article by Dr Anne Malatt on LIfe as a country doctor

Life as a country doctor

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I attended a function last night in the town where I live and work, at which we hosted our young doctors and talked to...
Radiant source by Alan Johnston for article by Dr Anne Malatt on 'When Medicine is a Calling'

When Medicine is a ‘Calling’

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What do we mean when we say that medicine is a ‘calling’? And what implications does that have for the way we practice medicine and the way we live our lives?
If music be the food of love play on - calligraphy image for article on music by Dr Anne Malatt

If music be the food of love, play on!

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The thing I have come to learn about music is that it is first and foremost a vibration, that is felt in the body. We think we are listening to something with our ears, and we are, but we are primarily resonating with the vibration of it and it can literally change the way we feel.
Photo of two trees for article on Mentoring by Dr Anne Malatt

The Art of Mentoring

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Medicine is an apprenticeship system and like all such systems, works best if the masters train their apprentices not just in a functional way, but with a deep level of care, as people and as colleagues. We now call this process mentoring.
relationships and medicine

Relationships and medicine

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Medicine is all about relationships. It is about caring for people, after all. So why do we place so little focus on this vital element of our profession?
Profile of woman smoking for article by Dr Anne Malatt on Why do doctors smoke?

Why do doctors smoke?

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We all know the harms of smoking and in fact there is nothing healing about it, so why do doctors smoke?
red rose heart for article by Dr Anne Malatt on love and loss

When we lose someone we love

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We don’t talk about it in Medicine much, when we lose someone we love. Doctors are no strangers to death and as part of our training, we are taught to toughen up, take things in our stride and become seemingly inured to death.
sleeping baby in stripes for article by Dr Anne Malatt

Self-care programme 2022: 7. Sleep

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Welcome to Day 7 of 2022 and the opportunity to bring more love to your body and your life through the simple daily practice of self-care. Today is a moment to sleep.
glass of water for article on self-care by Dr Anne Malatt

Self-care programme 2022: 6. Drink

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Welcome to Day 6 of 2022 and the opportunity to bring more love to your body and your life through the simple daily practice of self-care. Today is a moment on drink.
food for blog Self-care programme 2022: 5. Eat by Dr Anne Malatt

Self-care programme 2022: 5. Eat

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Welcome to 2022 and the opportunity to bring more love to your body and your life through the simple daily practice of self-care. Today is a moment to eat ... But what, and why?
walking into sunset for article on moving/walking by Dr Anne Malatt

Self-care programme 2022: 4. Move

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Welcome to Day 4 of 2022 and the opportunity to bring more love to your body and your life through the simple daily practise of self-care. Today is a moment to move.
baby in their body for article on be in the body by Dr Anne Malatt

Self-care programme 2022: 3. Be in your body

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Welcome to Day 3 of 2022 and the opportunity to bring more love to your body and your life through the simple daily practise of self-care. Today is a moment to be in your body.
feather floating in sky for article on breath by Dr Anne Malatt

Self-care programme 2022: 2. Breathe

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Welcome to Day 2 of 2022 and the opportunity to bring more love to your body and your life through the simple daily practise of self-care. Today is a moment to breathe.
stop sign for article on Self-care programme 2022: 1. Stop by Dr Anne Malatt

Self-care programme 2022: 1. Stop

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Welcome to 2022 and the opportunity to bring more love to your body and your life through the simple daily practise of self-care. It starts with a stop.
Nirmanakaya sky for article on New Year's resolutions by Dr Anne Malatt

The year in review – letting go of new year’s resolutions

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As this year draws to a close, it may be tempting to review the year through the lens of regret and make (another set of) new year’s resolutions, but what if there were another way of looking at this time of year, that comes around, every year.
Photo of The Pill for article on The Pill by Dr Anne Malatt

The Pill

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Of all the many drugs on the market, there is only one pill known as ‘The Pill’. The Pill is a combination of synthetic female hormones – oestrogen and progesterone – used to mimic pregnancy and suppress female ovulation and thereby fertility, reducing the chance of unwanted pregnancy.
Making the choice – image for article on Making the Choice by A Doctor's Wife

Making the choice

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My experience so far with medical specialist training programmes and making the choice about which one to do, reminds me of the journey Frodo takes in the Lord of the Rings movie.
Photo of Dr Michael Myers for article by Dr Michael Myers

National Physician Suicide Awareness Day 2021: With Gratitude to the Feists

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A beautiful blog by Dr Michael Myers, on the recent National Physician Suicide Awareness Day and the great work being done by Jennifer and Corey Feist, founders of the Dr Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation, one of the missions of which is “We envision a world where seeking mental health services is universally viewed as a sign of strength for health care professionals.”.
lonely tree for article on true resilience by Dr Anne Malatt

True Resilience

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The key to developing true resilience is to care for ourselves and restore our sense of innate wholeness and worth, learning to love and appreciate ourselves just for who we are and to honour our innate sensitivity, letting the wisdom of our body guide our way, each and every day.
AJ Held dawn 23 July 2021 for article by Dr Anne Malatt on a Wellbeing Charter for Doctors

A Wellbeing Charter for Doctors

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The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) in conjunction with several other medical colleges and more to come, has just released a Wellbeing Charter for Doctors. This is a great first step in acknowledging the importance of self-care in healthcare professionals and the need for this care to be a shared responsibility for all of us.
isolated-image for RUOK Day

R U OK? Day

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This year, 9 September is R U OK? Day. This is an Australian initiative that was developed in 2009 by a man whose father was not OK and died by suicide.
pale pink rose in Virgo 20 for article by Dr Anne Malatt on Standards

Standards

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We all have standards. They may not always be the same standards, but we all have them. Values that we hold dear, points of truth we will not compromise, a way of living that we hold as sacred.
poppies

Spring Cleaning You   

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Spring is such a beautiful time of the year. So why not take the time to love ourselves, inside and out, and refresh the way we feel about ourselves and life?
Photo of Dr Michael Myers for article by Dr Michael Myers

Invoking Caste: Why Physicians With Psychiatric Illness Are Shunned

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American medicine has a checkered history in its welcoming of physicians who are black, women, physically disabled, LGBT, to name a few. As a specialist in physician health and a 50-year career of treating physicians,1 I would like to add another group that has struggled for acceptance—physicians who have suffered a psychiatric illness. I argue that caste may be the reason.
Photo of Dr Michael Myers for article by Dr Michael Myers

It Is Never Too Late

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My name is Evan Haines*. I’m writing you because I believe my mother, who, sadly, committed suicide in 1989, was under your care. I remember your name, and that she always thought very highly of you.
Photo of complex images by Alan Johnston for article on mindfulness by Dr Anne Malatt

Mindfulness and Conscious Presence

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We hear the word ‘mindfulness’ mentioned a lot these days, but what is it? How do you do it? And what does it do for you?
Photo of Dr Michael Myers for article by Dr Michael Myers

How Well-Intentioned Advice Is Suppressing the Doctors of Tomorrow

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Read this blog by renowned psychiatrist Dr Michael Myers on how well-intentioned advice is suppressing the doctors of tomorrow
Photo of Dr Michael Myers for article by Dr Michael Myers

A Tip of the Hat to Medical School Applicants: Chipping Away at Stigma

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One dimension of my daily work that I really enjoy is interviewing applicants to medical school. I’m often tasked with interviewing a specific group of applicants, the ones who openly write that they have suffered from mental health symptoms in the past.
AJ Sliver of golden moon 20210411

The Art and Science of Repose

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Repose is not a word that is used much these days, but it once was, as seen in this graph of its use over time. Repose is a quality we could perhaps do with more of, so what is it, how do we do it and where do we start?