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The Kindly Country Quack

Blogs

  • 8/9/2013

    How my secretary manages me

    I am always going on about how to manage others and how to delegate effectively, but others manage me all the time as well.
  • 8/1/2013

    The differences between me and Dr. House

    Many of us have watched the American TV show “House.” It starred Hugh Laurie, an Englishman playing an American medical specialist. It was very well-acted and exciting but very different from my medical existence.
  • 7/24/2013

    How to get your message across with an effective speech

    Here are some ideas I have to make your next presentation enjoyable as well as informative, whether you are delivering it to the Kiwanis or at Grand Rounds.
  • 7/12/2013

    How do you deal with the DNR question?

    I have had hundreds of talks with patients and their families over the years about resuscitation, and only a few of these discussions ended up with a decision that I felt was wrong for the patient.
  • 7/5/2013

    Looking for a good doctor? Here's how I recruit

    Doctors want an interesting, challenging, rewarding job with good pay, perks, hours and working conditions, just like the rest of humanity.
  • 6/27/2013

    Some advice for when you feel you have to fire a patient

    I haven't fired a patient in years. I guess we have gotten used to each other. When I first started general practice 21 years ago (after 20 years as an emergency physician), I found I had to fire a few.
  • 6/21/2013

    You can never ever, ever, ever retire

    Not retiring is a great thing! Winston Churchill started as prime minister during the Second World War at age 65. Colonel Saunders started Kentucky Fried Chicken at 65. Here is why you can’t retire: it is simple mathematics. Say you and your spouse are worth $3 million. Sounds great, easy street, fire up the Ferarri and hook up the trailer; we are going to drive to Arizona for the winter. Not so fas
  • 6/13/2013

    My patients from hell

    I have rarely lost my cool in 40 years of practising medicine, but two years ago a married couple pushed me over the brink.
  • 6/3/2013

    My best and worst vacations ever

    My wife was a former flight attendant so we have travelled the world a lot. Once, we even went to Germany for a weekend.
  • 5/23/2013

    How I use my smart phone to manage my practice (and my life)

    I have an iPhone (a BlackBerry will do nicely, too). My family wants to do an intervention because I am addicted to it.
  • 5/16/2013

    An emergency department fast track that really works

    I recently spoke to Dr. Aaron Smith, an emergency physician at Guelph General Hospital and the regional lead for emergency health services for the Waterloo Wellington area. Guelph General, like most hospitals in Canada, had long waits in its busy ER (50,000 visits per year), especially for the 80% of visits that are non-emergencies. A few years ago some Guelph emergency doctors and nurses sat down and figured out a plan called “See and Treat.”
  • 5/6/2013

    Diet myths from my patients

    I am constantly amazed at how our patients try to kid themselves about weight loss.
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