The Medical Republic

Two weeks ago, the Morton National Park fire crossed the Shoalhaven river, destroying four homes in Bundanoon. The last time the Southern Highlands saw a fire like this was 1965, so no one was really prepared. The residents of Bundanoon only got an emergency phone call 30 minutes before the fire hit the town. By that time it was too late to leave. It was hard not to feel trapped when you looked at...

You might have heard of Cobargo. It’s that small town on NSW’s south coast that fires tore through on New Years Eve. It’s the town that prime minister Scott Morrison, perhaps unwisely, decided to pay a visit. While there, he got heckled and had a rather awkward moment attempting to shake the hand of a local. Today, I’m speaking with a GP at Cobargo Doctors, Dr Tracey Lucas-Ramadan. Hosted on Acast...

A fortnight ago, a fire jumped the river on the NSW border and headed for Walwa in north east Victoria. The weather conditions have meant the fires are an ongoing threat. Luckily there have only been minor injuries to humans but the emotional toll has been huge and lots of farm animals have perished. Dr David Hunt is a semi-retired GP who occasionally fills in at the local clinic. He joined me on...

As we draw to the end of an exciting year (and the first year that we've had The Medical Republic podcast) we were thinking to ourselves, what's medicine at the end of the day without a colourful patient story or two to share? So, here’s our final podcast episode for 2019 – it’s a letter from GOD (Grumpy Old Doctor) to his daughter about how to really hurt yourself by having fun. Thanks to everyon...

If you’ve been following any of the news stories on CPD over the past week, you might have noticed the rolling thread of angry comments from GPs. Essentially, the medical board has decided to up the number of CPD hours to 50. And GPs feel like the sudden need for all this extra paperwork came out of nowhere. The CPD proposal is giving some GPs a sinking feeling in their stomach – that feeling they...

For this week’s ‘potcast’ we’re weeding out the myths around medical cannabis. Patients in Australia are just starting to get their hands on medical cannabis and, for some, it’s made a huge difference to their ability to cope with chronic pain. This field is moving rapidly so in this episode we’ll look at what the experts are saying right now about the scientific evidence. And we’ll look at what b...

Why is the war on obesity being waged by skinny people? Well, until a few weeks ago, there was no organisation that you could join as a person with obesity to publicly advocate for your healthcare rights in Australia. There are now two groups that are positioning themselves as the go-to representative body for people with obesity, but they have fundamentally different ideas about what their member...

Cost is often a barrier for NIPT screening, but is it a screening test every pregnant woman should have? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The plan to future-proof rural and remote medicine is off to a great start but there’s still a long way to go Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone knows medicine is a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous career. But how can you maintain good practice culture, trust in your team and avoid burnout? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve read the numbers and attended GP19 to bring you an analysis of where the RACGP stands and what this means for members Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pregnancy can often exacerbate asthma symptoms but there may be a way to personalise medication and ensure best outcomes for both mother and baby Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Historically, people at high risk of getting HIV or hepatitis have been excluded from the organ donor registry in Australia. Researchers are now calling for a re-think on this long-standing policy as a review of the data shows that the actual risk of infection in people who test negative is very low. Meanwhile, the word on vaping from the European Respiratory Society is: don’t. TMR reporter Penny...

People in the freezer business are now claiming that cryotherapies can cure almost any disease, infertility and even death. We take a look under the freezer lid to see whether these cryo-crazes have any evidence to back them up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who’d want to own a pathogen? Turns out, nation states are very interested in retaining sovereignty over their viruses and bacteria. But will this attempt to monopolise the vaccine market slow down the global response to pandemics? The WHO is starting to get very nervous, and so are we! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The idea of exploiting patients for personal gain (aka profit) doesn't sit well with the ethical soul of general practice. But, unfortunately, money does make the world go around... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Mark Cooper, an endocrinologist at Concord Hospital, has a "slightly jaded view" about vitamin D supplements. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wondered what it's like being a GP in the Torres Strait? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many doctors in Australia are being called (and treated as) contractors, when they are actually employees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doctors' silence on the topic of sex is troubling for patients with arthritis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we experimenting on the general public by not regulating medical implants as strictly as pharmaceuticals? Find out in this week’s episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

GPs who dabble in alternative and complementary medicine are facing greater scrutiny by the Medical Board of Australia. But are we being too hard on integrative docs? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you program robots to consider the 'feelings' of other robots? Turns out, it's quite predictive of real human behaviour. David Rudrauf, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Geneva, showed a demo of his 'social' robots at the World Conference of Science Journalists 2019. This mash-up of robotics and psychology will really get you thinking! Hosted on Acast. See...

Keeping dementia patients in the community and out of nursing homes is not without its challenges! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TMR brings you the highlights from the Wild Health Summit including how we might efficiently streamline the transition of our health care system from acute care to chronic care. Who’s winning the fight – is it GPs or other specialists? And meanwhile, one panellist says doctors should use social media for social good. Matiu Bush says docs should follow their chronic care patients on Instagram! Pati...