Doctor calls time after serving community for 45 years

Dr. Graham MacDonald, a general practitioner and dermoscopy specialist in Redcliffs, is set to retire after 45 years, finishing on Oct. 29 in the same building where his career began. The 74-year-old has served four generations and says he’ll spend retirement on fly fishing at Lake Ruataniwha and cycling along Summit Rd, while continuing to stress sun protection. MacDonald started at Redcliffs Medical Centre in 1981, after completing registrar rounds at Christchurch Hospital. He shifted focus to skin cancer detection and treatment, retiring from general practice in 2021 and opening Coast Skin in 2023. He also described memorable patient encounters, including a prank involving sheep’s poo.