Author

David Galler is the son of Polish Jewish refugees who ate pork and made yoghurt from sour milk. After attaining his first degree at Victoria University, he worked as a bus driver in Wellington. During his time driving the big reds, he helped women with prams board his bus and made endless polite conversation with the good citizens of Wellington. He also became well known for not charging customers who boarded the bus with freshly ground coffee. He was finally let go for refusing to wear socks so decided to become a doctor. David Galler was the clinical lead at Ko Awatea and programme Chair of the annual APAC Forum, now sadly no more; he remains in practice as an Intensive Care Specialist at Middlemore Hospital where he has worked for 28 years; and is a visiting specialist to the National Health Service of Samoa. During his career, he has held a variety of leadership roles within the DHB and in broader society. He once was the Vice President, then President of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists and for 7 years the Principal Medical Advisor to the Director General and Ministers of Health. He is now basking in the afternoon of his career and is contemplating what he should now do with what remains of his one and only precious life. His first book, Things That Matter – Stories of Life and Death published by Allen and Unwin has been a NZ best seller. David speaks frequently at medical conferences and to non medical audiences; he also is a random contributor to The SpinOFF and other publications.