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Remembering Felix Post

Recollections assembled by Tom Arie

Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, (Felix's registrar 1959 and 1960)

In early 1959, as the All Fool's Day of my entry into psychiatry approached, I phoned the Dean's secretary to ask what my first assignment would be. ‘With Dr Post.’ We had all heard of Lewis, Shepherd, Leigh and Stafford-Clark, but I had never heard of Dr Post. Within days of arrival I was told — as I later learned at first-hand — that he was probably the best clinical teacher in the joint hospital. Of many memories, space restricts me to two.

In those first 6 months I had a young woman patient to whom today the ridiculous term ‘borderline personality disorder’ would be applied. She slashed her wrists; she ran out and took over-the-counter drug overdoses; and she got into physical fights with the charge nurse. I lost sleep wondering whether she would end up dead. On Friday's round Felix said to me: ‘On the basis of my experience I do not think she will commit suicide, but if she does, I will go to the Coroner's Court — not you.’ I have tried to follow that model.

By an error the Dean's list showed me leaving the Gresham Unit after only 3 months. I phoned the secretary, who confirmed it was an error and assigned the other registrar elsewhere. He was so upset that, although he was a fellow Irishman, he would hardly speak to me for months.

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by McCormick, W. O. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by McCormick, W. O.