Barry Hicks is now approaching his 82nd year and thoroughly enjoyed his life. During that time he worked as a surgeon for more than 50 years in both Australia and in Ethiopia. Barry also spent time in India, and a number of other central and west African countries. In Ethiopia he was associated with a Christian mission but generally worked in government hospitals or as an Associate Professor in two Ethiopian Universities where he taught Surgery.
He has been married to his wife Robin for 57 years. They have seven children (two adopted Ethiopian lads), a fair number of grandchildren and even a few great grandchildren.
He retired from Arba Minch University in Ethiopia at the end of 2017 and now lives in North Queensland on a small farm raising sheep, writing and preaching.
Medical Diagnostics
– A Surgical Approach
The Author had years of surgical, EMST and general medical experience in non-teaching environments. Then he became involved in the development and teaching, at a professorial level, of a Tertiary level medical course in a new Medical School in southern Ethiopia. The teaching language was English, the text-books were in English; however, the students had limited English abilities with English often being their third or fourth language. The Author’s intention was to make them competent doctors, acceptable at a primary care level in any world context. The book was written to assist in those students studies with a particular emphasis on physical examination and practical medical diagnostics in a surgical context. The book contains many photographs to help explain the text. Although the book is specifically written for linguistically challenged students in educationally underdeveloped and highly populated areas of the developing world. This book is essential reading for any prospective medical student or beginning surgeon.
P.S. There are now a goodly number of my former students whom I would allow to operate on me!
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Have Scalpel – Will Travel
Memoirs of an Older Surgeon
The autobiography of the younger son of an Australian poor rural family. Able by hard study and earning scholarships, becomes a surgeon at the age of 27 Once graduated, he relocates into the Ethiopian countryside in an area only recently open to westerners where he is the only surgeon for millions of people. He rapidly gains surgical experience that extends from “top to toe”. Occasionally there is another doctor in the compound but for many years no other specialists. As well as a gaining a vast surgical experience he survives through smallpox, cholera, meningitis and many other epidemics. Generally the sole medical practitioner but fortunately has a team of committed and dedicated ancillary health workers. Some of the staff are expatriate but most are trained on-site. Later he transferred from missionary hospitals to work with the government. He retired aged 78.
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As I read it! 