Episode 28: War and Medicine | With Dr Dan Pronk ‘The Combat Doctor’

While I amputated one man’s thigh, there lay at one time thirteen, all beseeching to be taken next… It was a strange thing to feel my clothes stiff with blood, and my arms powerless with the exertion of using the knife.” – Charles Bell, Surgeon at the Battle of Waterloo, 1815.

Hippocrates said that ‘war is the only proper school for surgeons’ and, throughout history, we have become experts at battlefield medicine. From swords and spears to ballistic missiles and machine guns, the destructive power of our weapons has increased exponentially, but so has our ability to manage injuries and save lives that extend beyond the battlefield.

Our special guest is Dr Dan Pronk who is a qualified General Practitioner, completed Australian SAS selection and worked with Special Forces in the Army where he served five years including four tours of Afghanistan and awarded a Commendation for Distinguished Services. He is the author of ‘Average 70kg D**khead’, ‘The Combat Doctor’, and ‘The Resilience Shield.

This is the story of war and medicine.

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