Familiarity breeds respect in rural NSW.

Australian Doctor,  April, 2007  

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WHINGE-FREE ZONE by Geraldine Kurukchi

IF you happen to contact the Elgin Street Surgery in Gunnedah, north-west NSW, and ask to speak to Dr Ahmed, you may notice a slight hesitation on the line as they work out you mean Dr Rafi.

Most people in this close-knit rural town are on a first-name basis with each other, including the GPs, which came as a pleasant surprise to Dr Rafi.

In his native Bangladesh the doctor-patient relationship is a far more formal one.

But he finds this casual Australian approach has its benefits.

'I think doctors get to know their patients ...

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