• Chanaka Wijeratne.
• Senior Staff Specialist, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW, and; School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia Chanaka.Wijeratne@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au.
• Australas Psychiatry. 2016 Apr 1; 24 (2): 140-3.

ObjectivesThis paper is a guide to the general psychiatric assessment of the late career medical practitioner (LCP) from a clinical viewpoint.ConclusionsLate career is a specific developmental stage in medical practitioners, a time of transition towards retirement. The treating psychiatrist should be mindful of the welfare of the practitioner, the public and the profession during the assessment, which is conducted from a complex therapeutic and regulatory viewpoint. It is important to assess the physical, psychological and cognitive health of the LCP. Although rates of burnout, depression and suicidal ideation are lowest in Australian doctors over 60, only a small minority of LCPs over 75 are likely to perform at a cognitive level similar to that of younger colleagues. There are a number of therapeutic challenges, including the practitioner's acceptance of their own ageing.© The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2016.

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