Navigating the Cancer Maze – with Grace Gawler:
How to Navigate the Cancer Maze with the Help of your General Practitioner—Cancer Practice & Emotional 
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Dr Bruce Whelan is a specialist GP who has been in Practice for 45 years. A previous guest on the show, episode titled ‘Spinning Gold from Straw: How trauma transformed a Doctor’s Life and Practice’; today I will be asking him about his role as a GP. The role of the GP is ever-changing; once the family doctor who made house calls and knew the names of all of a patient’s family members, the role of the GP has morphed into rapid delivery medicine with time constraints. However, there is a new and emerging role for GP’s in cancer and supportive Care medicine. The need is great for patients and families and a new model of care is timely. A graduate of the University of Queensland School of Medicine-1967, Dr Bruce Whelan has been in general practice since 1971.
He also specializes in pain management, so I will be specifically asking him about pain management in cancer medicine.
BIO DR Bruce Whelan – Specialist GP
Dr Bruce Whelan has been in general practice since 1971. 
He has worked in challenging rural Australia practice environments including indigenous health.
With 45 years experience, his ethic is treating the whole person using the best of modern psychology & general psychiatry in combination with the best of modern medicine. Personal involvement with the Bali bombings in 2002 made an impact of his life & practice leading to his interest in psychiatry. His special areas of interest are general psychiatry, drug addiction medicine, pain management & issues related to cancer medicine.
He has been involved with teaching medical students at Bond & Griffith Medical Schools Gold Coast Australia. He has a deeply inquiring mind, sharp differential diagnosis skills, & his experience as a GP who understands his patients’ grief and trauma is invaluable. He lives on a yacht, loves fishing, oil painting, classical music & life!