Humans of Medicine (WA) is an initiative by WAMSS Mental Health that aims to share doctors’ personal stories about their journey through medicine, with a view to providing medical students with some insights into managing the highs and lows of this thing which Osler called a life course.

This project is sponsored by the Doctors' Health Advisory Service (DHASWA) and Psychiatry Interest Forum (PIF).

DHAS WA aim to promote, educate and protect the health of doctors and medical students in WA. Their services include a 24/7 telephone advice line for doctors in need of help or wanting to speak with a DHAS WA doctor 08 9321 3098.

PIF gives information for anyone considering a career in psychiatry. Join the RANZCP’s Psychiatry Interest Forum at www.ranzcp.org/pif

To learn more or get involved, send an email expressing your interest to: [email protected]


An Interview with Helen Wilcox

The following audio is an interview with Helen Wilcox touching on her journey through medicine and helpful advice for student…

Dr Nicholas McLernon – Finding meaning in medicine

The following is a piece written for the Humans of Medicine by Dr Nicholas McLernon, a UWA graduate, whose work currently…

Dr Beth Western – Keeping yourself in sinus rhythm

I have been a Doctor for 7 months now and what a wild ride it has been. There have been…

Leah Whitmore – An internal struggle against expectations

Children add an additional layer of complexities to an already complex journey. I’m not just talking about the strict routines…

Dr Nicholas Faint – medicine: ‘easy’ to practice, difficult to integrate?

Medicine – superficially, it appears simple enough for the stereotypical medical student (driven with a sprinkling of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder). There are learning objectives, examinations and key performance indicators that need to be achieved in order to advance. The same can be said for fellowship training; don’t fail a rotation, complete workplace-based assessments, pass summative assessments and collect your letters. Pretty straightforward, right? 

Pristina Goh – ‘You are exactly where you need to be’

Transitioning from pre-clinical to clinical years in Medicine can be challenging. We find ourselves adjusting to the long hours of placements and study, leaving whatever time is left for leisure and (hopefully) rest.  

Dr Jarrad Paul – Self-Flagellation by Proxy

Workplace bullying and harassment is a horrible blight on our profession that happens to others, but not me. Not me because I’m too careful, I don’t ruffle feathers, I’m competent and don’t make a fuss… until it did.

Dr Lianne Leung – food for thought (and other basic physiological needs)

Dr Lianne LeungIntern A few weeks into our internship, we had a horrendously busy day. None of us juniors on…

Hunter Gurevich – on speaking up

Hunter GurevichChair of Transfolk WACurtin Medical Student “Is there any LGBTI health on the medical syllabus?”“No.”“Do you think there should…

Dr Mudra Shah – making mistakes in medicine

Hello! My name is Mudra and I am a junior doctor, and a human being. Most people (including me) often forget the latter. I am writing to tell you that at the beginning of my internship, I made a mistake. Spoiler alert, the patient lived.