In this piece we discuss perioperative medicine with Alana Flexman, an anaesthetist and researcher from Vancouver, Canada, and Maryanne Balkin, an anaesthetist and law graduate from Melbourne, Australia. We explore our guests’ career journeys, and gender and equity issues, including unconscious bias and bullying, harassment, and discrimination, in the workplace. Finally we talk about the craziness and joy of continued learning and enquiry.

Presented by Andy Cumpstey and Kate Leslie on location at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and Faculty of Pain Medicine in Cairns, Australia, with their guests, Dr Alana Flexman, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, and St. Paul’s Hospital/Providence Health Care, Vancouver, Canada, and Dr Maryanne Balkin, Consultant Anaesthetist, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia.