Australian Anaesthesia

We have a new wellbeing webpage!

In this episode I chat with Dr Lan-Hoa Le, Chair of the ASA's Wellbeing Advocates Committee. She has been busy curating a webpage with a tonne of useful resources from crisis helplines, peer support programs and mindfulness training. There is something there for everyone, whether you or a colleague would appreciate some confidential support, you are interested in supporting others or you already have a well established interest and role in developing wellbeing in the workplace.

We welcome all anaesthetists and those that support us to visit the webpage, regardless of your ASA membership status. You can find it here.

Everymind's guide to language and suicide

Ep33. Substance use disorder: A personal perspective with Dr Colin Baird

Ep84. Ahpra with AMA Policy Manager Nick Elmitt

Donate to or seek assistance from the ASA Benevolent Fund.

Who likes the idea of excessive waste in healthcare? Especially when it is something that can impact our colleagues and has negative climate effects?

In this episode I chat with Dr Ethan Fitzclarence, from Perth, Western Australia about an audit he conducted as part of his anaesthetic training. He discovered an astounding amount of nitrous oxide was being leaked to the atmosphere.

We discuss his methodology, the health impacts of nitrous oxide waste and the growing movement to toward decommissioning pipeline systems in favour of cylinder-based delivery.

Read our Joint Statement on decommissioning nitrous oxide medical gas pipeline systems.

For this work, Dr Fitzclarence won the Nerida Dilworth prize - congratulations! Find more information about this and other ASA research prizes here.

The accompanying poster to the podcast can be found in the March 2026 edition of Australian Anaesthetist. The September 2022 edition is all about environmental sustainability and where you can read more about this and other initiatives undertaken by anaesthetists. Both are available on the ASA website.

Learn more about other ways to get involved in an audit as a trainee:

Ep69. Talking TRA2SH - trainee led research into sustainability in healthcare with Dr Jess Davies

Welcome to 2026!

In this episode I chat with Dr Andrea Binks, an anaesthetist and accomplished yoga facilitator from Wollongong, NSW. Dr. Binks shares her unconventional journey into anaesthesia, transitioning from physician and cardiology training in the UK to intensive care and eventually anaesthesia. I learn how yoga has been a constant in her life since childhood, evolving from a personal practice to teaching qualification, and how it now informs her approach to patient care.

We explore the intersection of trauma-informed yoga practices and anaesthetic practice, the use of invitational language, and the importance of patient autonomy, and creating safe spaces for vulnerable patients.

Episodes you may want to enjoy after this one:

Ep98. Coaching for Doctors with Dr Anne Frankl

Ep83. The Women's Empowerment and Leadership Initiative (WELI) with Prof Nina Deutsch & A/Prof Larry Schwartz

Ep106. Anaesthesia Unlocked: Fast-tracking IMGs in Australia with Prof David Story

Find out more about the Australian and New Zealand chapter of WELI - Women's Empowerment and Leadership Initiative

We welcome new members and any feedback.

https://asa.org.au/types-of-membership/how-to-join/

[email protected]

I catch up with Professor Tim Cook, of the UK National Audit Projects live at the Australian Society of Anaesthetists' National Scientific Congress (NSC). We discuss his incredible work, his ideas of success and what risk in anaesthesia mean to him.

ASA branded scrubs are here! Only available to ASA members. Get your discounted scrubs with free embroidery here.

https://asa.org.au/your-asa-advantage-program#scrubs

Professor Cook's talk from the NSC is available to be viewed on demand. If you haven't already registered, you can do so here: https://asansc.com.au/registration/

3 other episodes to listen to:

Ep54: webAIRS with Prof Martin Culwick

Ep79: webAIRS: jaw dislocation

Ep111: The GLP-1 Revolution: What it Means for Anaesthesia with Dr Doug Hacking

Want to access more resources? Become an ASA member!

We welcome any feedback.

[email protected]

In this episode:

• The last of my thought bubble talks on how to introduce yourself with confidence and clarity
• Some tips on balancing an academic research career and clinical medicine
• Changing from one medical specialty (e.g. paediatrics) to another (e.g anaesthesia)

I'm chatting with Dr Doug Hacking, paediatrician, anaesthetist, researcher. We are discussing GLP-1 receptor agonists and what they mean for anaesthesia. This is based on his editorial in the September 2025 edition of the scientific journal, Anaesthesia and Intensive Care.

ASA Members! Are you interested in learning more about gastric POCUS? At the end of the podcast I share with you an exclusive offer that will save you hundreds of dollars.

Link to Prof Dariush Mozaffarian podcast on the health harms of unprocessed foods and ralated policies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaiGzkKIgbc

The exclusive ASA gastric POCUS offer: https://www.asahq.org/education-and-career/educational-and-cme-offerings/gastric-pocus

Become an ASA member to access these resources and more: https://asa.org.au/types-of-membership/how-to-join/

We welcome any feedback: [email protected]

In this episode I hand the mic over to Dr Tom Neal-Williams, an anaesthetic trainee and hard working member of the ASA Communications Committee to be a guest host on the podcast. He is talking with Professor Ed Mariano, regional anaesthesia guru, researcher, leader and educator and gaining tips on how he navigates his career.

I also share some thoughts on vocal fry.

This episode was recorded live at the ASA's National Scientific Congress in Canberra.

If you want to watch Professor Mariano's talks from the Congress (and I suggest you do), you can register for access here: https://asansc.com.au/registration/

Join the ASA to have access to more great educational content: https://asa.org.au/types-of-membership/how-to-join/

We welcome any feedback. Email us ! [email protected]

An oldie but a goodie - literally!

I'm chatting with Dr Bob Hare, President of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA) from 1980-82. and the earliest surviving President of the ASA. We also recorded this conversation a few years ago, prior to the ASA turning 90.

We compare various anaesthetic techniques and innovations, from ether masks to glass cannulas that have occurred across the generations. Dr. Hare shares invaluable insights about the fight to elevate the status of anaesthetists in Australia, the importance of the preoperative consultation, and advances in postoperative pain management., We also dive into the changes in our role as anaesthetists as well as some of the important work he and the ASA has done to raise the status of anaesthetists here in Australia. 

I also share some thoughts on how to introduce yourself, or more particularly, how to say your name (you'd be surprised how often I hear people don't do it well).

Some other episodes of interest:

Ep90. Our special 90th birthday episode. https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/7eec4b11-e5d5-484b-b396-ab2e701e8318/EP90-Happy-90th-birthday-AAP-V2-converted.mp3

Ep85 and Ep86. Conversations with ASA Past President Dr Don Maxwell

https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/b94ca3a2-cbc9-407c-a29b-a579ac16c34d/EP85-Dr-Don-Maxwell-Part-1-AAP-converted.mp3

https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/5325f0ca-7402-4092-bc0b-0ae8c08c27a7/EP86-Dr-Don-Maxwell-Part-2-AAP-V1-converted.mp3

Join the ASA in advancing anaesthesia excellence https://asa.org.au/

As always, I welcome feedback and ideas: [email protected]

I had a conversation with A/Prof Magdalena Simonis about her approach, as a General Practitioner, to preventative healthcare and it blew my mind. It's changed my attitude, and I hope, by sharing this conversation that you too are motivated to see your GP and engage in preventative health.

Dr Magdalena Simonis is a leading women’s health expert and advisor and a Senior Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne Department of General Practice, where she develops education resources for GPs. She is a long-standing member of the Expert Committee for Quality Care for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Breast Cancer Network Australia Strategy and Policy Expert Advisory Group. She sits on the Women’s Health Victoria Board and is a Board Director at The Melbourne Teaching Health Clinics (MTHC) at the University of Melbourne . She is on several National Expert Advisory Groups, a Board member, GP, medical educator and examiner.

As promised, here is the link to order a poo test: https://www.cancer.org.au/bowelscreening

Let me know what you thought about my discussion of Chris Voss' "Late night FM DJ voice". Does it convey a sense of calm authority?

[email protected]

In this episode I chat with Dr Alison Jarman, a Melbourne based anaesthetist who has temporarily located to Dili, Timor-Leste on an ASA Pacific Fellowship.

We chat about life and anaesthesia in Timor-Leste and patiently navigating challenges and opportunities.

Dr Jarman has been able to undertake this Fellowship with thanks to Sabbatical Leave from Austin Health (with acknowledgement to the Australian Medical Association for these and other leave entitlements) and the Australian Society of Anaesthetists Overseas Development and Education Committee (ODEC).

To find out more about ODEC, please visit: https://asa.org.au/overseas-development-and-education-committee

Looking for similar episodes? Then I suggest:

Ep105 on another project, led by Dr Pip Lane, that was accomplished with Sabbatical Leave: https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/2b616ec8-ac3c-4368-9c9b-77b2112500fd/EP105-Dr-Pip-Lane-AAP.mp3

Ep75 where I chat with Dr Moira Rush about her Pacific Fellowship in Fiji: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/e08f0b57-d9d5-486d-9087-760bee48e618.mp3

In Ep99 I chat with A/Prof Rob McDougall about how Lifebox ANZ is improving operating theatre safety in the region. https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/1a56c07f-98e1-4d8c-9f16-4f401b66f500.mp3

Everyone, and I mean everyone - Government, the ASA, AMA, ANZCA and other Colleges - is talking about anaesthesia workforce in Australia. We have a shortage. We have a maldistribution, with not enough anesthetists in regional Australia.

What is the solution? Nurse anaesthetists? Career medical officers? Importing anaesthetists from overseas - otherwise known as International Medical Graduates or IMGs?

In this episode I chat with current ANZCA President (and conflict of interest - my boss at the University of Melbourne) about the process that has recently commenced by the Medical Board of Australia to expedite the recognition of overseas anaesthetists here in Australia.

Find out more about the process here: https://www.anzca.edu.au/getContentAsset/0d0a59e7-0a91-4dfc-bb02-561fae80d398/80feb437-d24d-46b8-a858-4a2a28b9b970/Expedited-SIMG-pathway-ANZCA-information-update-Mar-2025-Final.pdf?language=en

Learn about the Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA) recommendations to meet the workforce challenge: https://asa.org.au/publications/anaesthetist-workforce-modelling

CPD Home is free to ASA members! Make it easy to stay compliant and fulfill your Continuing Professional Development requirements: https://www.cpdhome.org.au/