Welcome to this podcast series, Conversations with Professor David Wilkinson! In this episode, Prof David Wilkinson (Chief Medical Officer, National Skin Cancer Centres) speaks with Mark Lindley (Head of People & Culture, National Skin Cancer Centres) about how to recruit staff for your medical practice.

“If you get it right, it transforms [your practice]. If you get it wrong, it drags you down.”

In this insightful podcast, Mark Lindley discusses the challenges of recruiting the right people for your medical practice or business, and how to overcome these challenges.

Some of the key challenges include defining the role (what it is, what the person will deliver, how the person will support the business) and forming the position description.

Mark describes three important areas that need to be covered in a job description: purpose, accountabilities, and skills/competencies.

The podcast also covers how a business can attract the right candidates and present itself as a great place to work, where staff are valued and supported.

Finally, Mark gives his expert advice on the one thing recruiters need to get right.

Hear all this and much more in the full podcast above.

In this latest podcast, Dr Gull Herzberg (Founding Board Member, ANZCCP) and Dr Orit Holtzman (Co-Founder & Vice President, ANZCCP) discuss prescribing medicinal cannabis in general practice in Australia.

----more----

In the podcast, the experienced medicinal cannabis prescribers talk about why they started prescribing medicinal cannabis in their practices – including the need to meet high patient demand – and how they began their journey to find the right education and training in Australia.

The doctors speak about the significant difference medicinal cannabis has made to their practices, their patients and their everyday work. Medicinal cannabis has become an additional tool in their toolkits, opening a whole new world of options, and the doctors are now referral options for their colleagues.

The podcast covers the most common conditions treated with medicinal cannabis, plus how the doctors deal with self-medicating and cannabis-dependent patients.

Learn more in HealthCert’s Certificate Courses in Medicinal Cannabis!

Welcome to this podcast series, Conversations with Professor David Wilkinson! In this episode, Prof David Wilkinson (Chief Medical Officer, National Skin Cancer Centres) speaks with Dr Scott Arnold (Skin Cancer Doctor, National Skin Cancer Centres) about the use of total body photography in primary care skin cancer medicine.

----more----

Dr Scott Arnold is a dedicated Skin Cancer Doctor with a lengthy background in general practice. He has practised exclusively in skin cancer medicine since 2008 and has worked at Gardens Skin Cancer Centre in Albury, NSW since 2017.

In the podcast, Dr Arnold speaks about how total body photography technology has become the "holy grail" of skin cancer care.

"To have something that can point me towards the [lesions] that really need my attention - that which is new or that which is growing or changing - is a dream."

Dr Arnold discusses some of the early challenges he faced when incorporating total body photography technology into his skin cancer practice, and some of the benefits it now brings to his day-to-day work.

Total body photography compares images of patients' skin over time and highlights tiny changes for further examination by the doctor, leading to earlier skin cancer diagnosis. The patient's entire skin surface still needs to be checked by the doctor - so the technology aids rather than replaces the doctor.

Total body photography is recommended for all high-risk patients, including those with multiple moles and those with a history of skin cancer.

In this episode, Prof David Wilkinson (Chief Medical Officer, National Skin Cancer Centres) speaks with Dr Di King (Skin Cancer & Aesthetic Medicine Doctor, National Skin Cancer Centres) about the use of LED light therapy for acne and for wound healing after skin cancer surgery.

----more----

Having provided LED light therapy in her practice for the past 10 years, Dr Di King shares her expertise on the use of LED light therapy for acne and wound management in the primary care setting, particularly for skin cancer and aesthetic medicine practices.

Dr King is a primary care practitioner in Hobart, specialising in skin cancer medicine. She has increasingly incorporated aesthetic medicine and general dermatology into her practice over the past several years, and uses LED light therapy for a range of indications including acne, wound healing, and more.

In the podcast, Dr King explores:

• the indications for LED light therapy;

The podcast particularly focuses on how primary care practitioners can use LED light therapy for acne management and to improve wound healing following skin cancer procedures.

In this latest podcast, Elena Currie (Co-founder, Aesthetic MET) discusses "overfilled syndrome" - a phenomenon in which patients treated with dermal fillers receive too much product, resulting in an unnatural and "overfilled" appearance.

----more----

There is not a lot of current literature around the problem of overfilled syndrome, but it is certainly a real problem among some patients. Overfilled faces are commonly seen among patients who have undergone multiple dermal filler procedures, resulting in volume overload in the mid-face, forehead, chin and nose.

In the podcast, Elena talks about key misconceptions held by some patients and practitioners around the longevity of dermal fillers and the placement in the face, which can lead to too much product being used.

Elena discusses a process of layering dermal filler treatments on top of one another and building up the desired result over time, rather than administering a large amount of product in one sitting, in order to achieve more natural results and avoid the overfilled look.

When consulting with patients, it's important to understand what their driver is for undertaking a filler procedure. Elena explains the value in knowing how best to treat a patient to enhance their natural beauty in line with their existing face shape and structure, so that the filler treatment suits the patient and doesn't appear unnatural.

The podcast also explores some key tips for medical practitioners to avoid and manage overfilled syndrome in their patients.

In this latest podcast, Dr Orit Holtzman – Vice-President of the Australian & New Zealand College of Cannabinoid Practitioners (ANZCCP) – explores the grounds for prescribing medicinal cannabis in Australia, including the common challenges faced by primary care doctors and how to overcome them.

In the podcast, Dr Holtzman talks about her own journey applying medicinal cannabis into her day to day medical practice, including the “not so easy” step of becoming a cannabis prescriber in Australia. She describes how she put it in the “too hard basket” – a common sentiment among many practitioners in Australia – until some of her patients began asking whether they could be treated with medicinal cannabis to help with their conditions. Rather than turn them away, Dr Holtzman sought to help these patients achieve the best possible outcomes.

Dr Holtzman talks about her journey getting approval for her first medicinal cannabis application, undergoing further training in the field, and then actively prescribing medicinal cannabis as part of her day to day work.

Dr Orit Holtzman is a medical doctor with a special interest in functional medicine and medicinal cannabis. She holds a Bachelor of Science in biology and psychology from the University of Tel Aviv, a PhD in neuroscience from the University of NSW, and an MBBS from the Sydney Medical School at the University of Sydney. After working in the public hospital system, Dr Holtzman has begun exploring wholistic health solutions and become passionate about utilising medicinal cannabis as a therapeutic agent. She began prescribing cannabis in 2019 under the mentorship of Dr Teresa Towpik, when she joined Compass Lifestyle Clinics. She now has more than 200 patients that have been approved for medicinal cannabis for various indications under her care, and is an authorised prescriber for multiple conditions. She also works as a medical educator, teaching doctors about medicinal cannabis and the endocannabinoid system.

Do you struggle with poor staff performance in your medical practice? This latest podcast looks at intervention strategies for managing poor performance and improving staff behaviours, with Prof David Wilkinson and Mark Lindley. 

In the podcast, Mark outlines what is meant by poor performance, including behavioural problems. He discusses some of the shortfalls in communication that can lead to tasks being poorly executed, and how managers can sit down with their staff to identify what needs to be achieved, how it should be achieved, how the outcome will be measured, and when the outcome will be measured.

Underpinning effective communication are clarity and specificity. At every stage throughout the hiring, onboarding and probation period, employees should be very clear about what their role is. In scenarios where there is a communication breakdown, it is essential for both parties to find ways to bridge that gap.

The podcast also explores how to set up employees for the best possible start, including how to modify an induction program so that employees are able to work independently and identify gaps in their own knowledge and skills.

Mark goes on to describe how best to intervene and manage employees who are performing poorly.

Professor David Wilkinson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University. He is a registered general practitioner and public health medicine specialist. Since 2004, Professor Wilkinson’s clinical work has focused on skin cancer medicine in primary care. He has published research papers on the topic, designed and led development of the only Master of Medicine degree in skin cancer, and helped develop and present a suite of skin cancer short courses delivered by HealthCert Education.

In this episode, Prof David Wilkinson (Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University) speaks with Dr Francis Tan – a dedicated Skin Cancer Doctor who has practised in the field since 1994 – about daylight photodynamic therapy as a front-line treatment for actinic keratosis.

In the podcast, Dr Tan speaks about his own experiences as a dedicated skin cancer practitioner over the past three decades, including the reasons he embarked in the field: namely, he liked working with his hands, and the immediacy of diagnosing and curing his patients of their ailments.

----more----

The podcast further explores daylight photodynamic therapy (PDT) and its benefits for treating actinic keratoses. Daylight PDT is fast becoming the best field treatment for these types of lesions, and Dr Tan speaks about how he uses this therapy in his practice in Queensland, particularly on the face and balding scalp.

Dr Tan walks through the step-by-step process of treating patients with daylight PDT. He discusses which patients are candidates for this treatment which includes men who work outdoors and patients with a lot of sun damage.

----more----

Professor David Wilkinson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University. He is a registered general practitioner and public health medicine specialist. Since 2004, Professor Wilkinson’s clinical work has focused on skin cancer medicine in primary care. He has published research papers on the topic, designed and led development of the only Master of Medicine degree in skin cancer, and helped develop and present a suite of skin cancer short courses delivered by HealthCert Education.

Dr Francis Tan is a Skin Cancer Doctor at Coorparoo Skin Cancer & Skin Repair Centre in Brisbane. He graduated from The University of New South Wales in 1986. He worked in a variety of general practice surgeries throughout Australia, including clinics in Sydney, Tweed Heads, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Cairns. Dr Tan obtained a Masters of Medicine from The University of Queensland in 2014 and holds an impressive portfolio of university-certified Professional Diplomas in Skin Cancer Medicine and related fields. He is particularly interested in using dermatoscopy to detect melanoma in situ and performing skin cancer surgery to the best of his ability for the benefit of his patients.

In this episode, Professor David Wilkinson (Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University) speaks with Dr Stephen Wassall – who works as a Skin Cancer & Aesthetic Medicine Doctor in a dedicated primary care clinic in New South Wales – about his journey integrating aesthetic services into a skin cancer or primary care practice.

In the podcast, Dr Wassall speaks about how he started out pursuing his interest in skin cancer and aesthetic medicine, evolving from a general practitioner to a subspecialist in these fields. He discusses how his practice operates in terms of skin cancer procedures, onward referrals, and the scope of skin cancer patients he and his team manage at the clinic.

----more----

In Dr Wassall’s clinic, cosmetic treatments are offered alongside skin cancer services, ranging from skin needling to anti-wrinkle injections and more. Dr Wassall explains how this works, how he keeps the two areas separate (without “cross-selling” to his skin cancer patients), and how he has established his reputation and grown his work from the ground up. He also talks about building rapport with patients and accruing repeat patients through word-of-mouth referrals.

Importantly, the podcast also explores the negative backlash that some doctors face when first starting out in aesthetic medicine. Dr Wassall describes his own experiences with this and provides helpful advice for doctors starting out in aesthetic medicine, or those considering implementing some aesthetic services into their practice.

Professor David Wilkinson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University. He is a registered general practitioner and public health medicine specialist. Since 2004, Professor Wilkinson’s clinical work has focused on skin cancer medicine in primary care. He has published research papers on the topic, designed and led development of the only Master of Medicine degree in skin cancer, and helped develop and present a suite of skin cancer short courses delivered by HealthCert Education.

Dr Stephen Wassall is a renowned skin cancer and aesthetic medicine doctor, having practised skin cancer medicine since 1997 and non-invasive facial rejuvenation procedures since 2002. He was the first doctor on the Central Coast to use a Molemax machine for photographing suspicious moles for future comparison, and is the most experienced cosmetic injector on the Central Coast, having performed over 20,000 injectable procedures.

A graduate of The University of Sydney, Dr Wassall was an intern, resident and registrar at Gosford Hospital until 1993. He completed Specialist GP training in 1996 and completed a Masters in Skin Cancer Medicine with The University of Queensland in 2007. He is extensively involved in teaching other GPs, presenting lectures on skin cancer surgery and demonstrating advanced skin cancer surgery and aesthetic procedures to doctors.

Dr Wassall worked in his own solo practice in Wamberal between 1996 and 1999. He joined Terrigal Medical Centre in 1999 as a Practice Principal and subsequently worked at the Mediskin Clinic between 2003 and 2011. In 2011 Mediskin Clinic became Skin Integrity and Dr Wassall began working exclusively in the fields of skin cancer and cosmetic medicine.

In this latest podcast, Elena Currie (Co-founder, Aesthetic MET) talks about delayed inflammatory reactions, including what causes them, what symptoms patients can experience, and how long after treatment the symptoms may appear.

----more----

Inflammatory reactions are immune responses to certain aesthetic treatments. Symptoms most commonly include moderate to severe swelling in the treatment area and surrounding tissue, and inflammatory nodule formations.

Some energy-based treatments such as lasers and radio-frequency devices can trigger significant swelling post-treatment.

Injectable therapies like fillers and collagen stimulators can cause inflammatory nodule formations quite quickly after treatment, most often caused by the patient’s foreign body reaction to the filler material.

In the podcast, Elena further covers:

• The aesthetic treatments which can lead to a delayed inflammatory reaction.