Dr Brennan is currently working in two main areas of palliative care – renal disease and motor neurone disease. He has a passion for storytelling and an interest in the interface of palliative medicine and the humanities and holds a law degree.
In your lectures and addresses you reveal your amazing story telling abilities, do you ever wish you had become a full time author and not a palliative care physician?
That’s a great question. I guess I am very interested in writing and that would have been a very good career but I’m very happy being a palliative care physician who also writes. I try and do my best with the writing I do and keep it up to a good level.
During your speeches and talks, you always seem to have a very personal and emotional connection with your patients, does this ever burden you in this line of work?
It would potentially burden anyone in this line of work if you have little to offer, but in palliative care we have a lot to offer. Our involvement is not witnessing suffering without any response, in fact it’s quite an active response to the suffering of others and that’s I guess where the professional satisfaction lies, in responding that way.
Of course there are very challenging and deeply sensitive moments with patients, and they sit with you for ever and all of us feel that in this line of work.
Do you find that your law degree comes in handy when practicing palliative care?
It does, in two main ways. One my work and writing on the concept of palliative care as an international human right, so of course I’m using human rights law in that discussion. I guess the second way is medical law in terms of informed consent, confidentiality, and advance care planning. In these aspects it certainly helps to have done law.
You’ve spoken at conferences all over the world, how do you compare local Australian conferences to those overseas?
Very highly, the Palliative Care Australia conference and the state conferences are extremely good and productive. I would say palliative care is seen internationally as very strong in this country and it’s also very affirming the gathering of everyone working in the same area to talk and be with each other, it certainly is a great help.
Without giving too much away…What can people come to expect from your address at the upcoming conference?
I’m going to be speaking twice. Once on palliative care and human rights in one of the sessions and then in the plenary I’m going to be speaking about the nature of palliative care by using poetry and using two poems by an American poet.
Dr Frank Brennan is a palliative care physician based in Sydney and will be speaking at the 12th Australian Palliative Care Conference on Wednesday (Sept 4) morning and Friday morning (Sept 6) both in the Royal Theatre.
For more information about the conference or to register, click here.
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