Dr. Martin Van Der Weyden

Martin Van Der Weyden has been the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) for the past fifteen years. Over this time, he has earned a reputation as a passionate, quirky, and often controversial figure. His influence has most definitely been a transformational one, taking the MJA from near irrelevance (once irreverently nicknamed the ‘Blue Comic’) to being one of the top 20 general medical journals in the world and a key driver of change here in Australia.

As we go to print, Dr Van Der Weyden is preparing to retire from his position as Editor, which will mark the end of an era in Australian medical publishing. The editors of the AMSJ invited him to share some of his life story and reflections at this fitting juncture. What follows is a short account of the making of one of Australia’s most interesting medical personalities.