12 Days of Medico-legal Christmas
15 Nov 2017

with a claim form and a sore knee.

On the 2nd day of Christmas my patient came to me
with a last-minute subpoena;
and a claim form and a sore knee.

On the 3rd day of Christmas my patient came to me
for a backdated sick note…
a last-minute subpoena;
and a claim form and a sore knee.

On the 4th day of Christmas my patient came to me
for an early S8 script...
a backdated sick note,
a last-minute subpoena;
and a claim form and a sore knee.

On the 5th day of Christmas my patient came to me
for a Centrelink certificate...
an early S8 script,
a backdated sick note,
a last-minute subpoena;
and a claim form and a sore knee.

On the 6th day of Christmas my patient came to me
for a letter of support...
a Centrelink certificate,
an early S8 script,
a backdated sick note,
a last-minute subpoena;
and a claim form and a sore knee.

On the 7th day of Christmas my patient came to me
with a delay in diagnosis...
a letter of support,
a Centrelink certificate,
an early S8 script,
a backdated sick note,
a last-minute subpoena;
and a claim form and a sore knee.

On the 8th day of Christmas my patient came to me
with alcoholic poisoning...
a delay in diagnosis,
a letter of support,
a Centrelink certificate,
an early S8 script,
a backdated sick note,
a last-minute subpoena;
and a claim form and a sore knee.

On the 9th day of Christmas my patient came to me
for an urgent mini-mental...
alcoholic poisoning,
a delay in diagnosis,
a letter of support,
a Centrelink certificate,
an early S8 script,
a backdated sick note,
a last-minute subpoena;
and a claim form and a sore knee.

On the 10th day of Christmas my patient came to me
to complain about my colleague...
an urgent mini-mental,
alcoholic poisoning,
a delay in diagnosis,
a letter of support,
a Centrelink certificate,
an early S8 script,
a backdated sick note,
a last-minute subpoena;
and a claim form and a sore knee.

On the 11th day of Christmas my patient came to me
to whine about the gap fee...a complaint about my colleague,
an urgent mini-mental,
alcoholic poisoning,
a delay in diagnosis,
a letter of support,
a Centrelink certificate,
an early S8 script,
a backdated sick note,
a last minute subpoena;
and a claim form and a sore knee.

On the 12th day of Christmas my patients came to me
so I called MDA National,
detailed all my problems,
got some good advice,
organised a locum, and…
took a break with my grateful family.

A HAPPY FESTIVE SEASON TO YOU ALL!
Nerissa Ferrie
Medico-legal Adviser, MDA National

Career complications and contending with uncertainty
Among the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic for junior doctors is how to respond to medical training impacts and career uncertainty. In this podcast, Dr Caroline Elton (a psychologist who specialises in helping doctors)and Dr Benjamin Veness (a Psychiatry registrar) share advice for coping with medical training and career delays, disruptions and unknowns.
10 Aug 2020