Blog
Counterfactual thinking
“What if”…?
All of us have had those moments in our lives where something has gone wrong, and, when we reflect on an event which could have had a different outcome, we wonder…
Prevention - the role of imagination
“We might neglect our future selves because of some failure of belief or imagination.”
This statement from the English philosopher Derek Parfit highlights the challenges we face when considering issues of prevention. How do we best prepare for the future when it seems so far away? The future we need to prepare for may be one of a crisis, or simply the challenges of normal living.
Medical oaths and self-care
The majority of medical graduates swear some kind of oath, usually at graduation. The traditional Hippocratic Oath is used by a diminishing number, with a version of this, the Geneva Declaration and other prayers forming more popular commitments by new doctors and nurses.
Edge Effect
One of the contemporary world’s most well-known musicians is Yo-yo Ma, the superstar cellist. A profoundly influential project of his has been the creation of the Silkroad Ensemble, a collective of composers and musicians from over 20 countries.
Dementia - How to communicate
We all have had that experience of walking into a room wondering what it was we came for. Most of us may look puzzled, then slightly annoyed, maybe smile or laugh in mock-frustration, then back out to retrace our steps to remind ourselves of the task.
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Trust me, I'm a doctor
Shared identity engenders understanding and trust.
In a previous blog, titled Edge Effect, I discussed the new life and opportunities for discovery that exist at the overlap of diversity and difference. Such opportunities are present in all human interactions.
Mind over matter
The power of the mind to exert influence over the body has been well recognised for centuries. How one person experiences pain, or the taste of a red wine, can be very different from another, even though the sensory information is the same.
Garden of Eden
"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." This quote from Thomas Merton, an American Trappist monk, whose great influence as a writer, poet, theologian, humanitarian and social activist resonates powerfully in our 21st century age of technology and new ways of being connected. And art is a critically valuable tool in expressing our humanity and connection.
Welcome
My desire with this blog site is to share some meaningful insights from my perspective as a doctor, a Primary Care Physician, whose main role is caring for patients in his general practice clinic. They reflect my own personal opinion.
