I need to eat more healthily, so I’m going to cut down on foods containing E numbers. Here’s my plan. I must stay away from tomatoes, as they’re full of E160d (lycopene) and I’m giving up oranges as they contain lots of E300 (Vitamin C). Spinach and cabbage are definitely out as both are big sources […]
Category: Students
Frances Dixon on antibiotic misuse
I overheard an interesting conversation the other day. One man was telling his friend about an inflamed joint he’d had a few weeks previously. He had gone to his GP and had eventually been admitted to hospital and put on intravenous antibiotics. He’d spent a few days in hospital, but had a holiday booked, so […]
Ohad Oren on counting symptoms or trusting intuition
Finding out what’s wrong with a patient is the ultimate challenge for doctors, and relies on a multitude of factors. The other day I encountered an enigmatic patient. He arrived on the ward with a mild fever, abdominal pain and fatigue. […]
Zabair Ahmed: The new medschool
Three down two to go just started my fourth year. I am excited about sinking my teeth into some of the diverse fields of medicine. Orthopaedics, gynaecology and dermatology are some of the specialities I can look forward to. My excitement was short lived for I received my loan papers today. Granted my initial reaction […]
Eva Brencicova: A first date to remember
Initially I thought the lady was choking. I was close to rushing towards her to perform some of the jazzy first-aid moves I learnt in medical school (and become the star of the evening). But very soon it became fairly obvious that Heimlich manoeuvre & co. were uncalled-for. Dignity and self-control werewhat this woman was […]
Eva Brencicova on Red Nose Day
If you had asked me last week what I associated with a red nose, I would have replied (slightly puzzled about the question) “common cold” or possibly Rudolph, the celebrated reindeer to whom we owe the accurate delivery of our Christmas presents even on the foggiest Christmas Eves. Only very recently have I discovered that […]
Siddharta Yadav on changing perceptions of HIV/AIDS
There is a famous proverb in Nepali which says we learn something either by reading about it or by facing it. I prefer the latter because of the everlasting impression that “facing something” leaves, in contrast to the hazy-sketchy memories of reading. I have been reading about HIV and AIDS since my first year in […]
Frances Dixon on term two at medical school
So new year, new term of med school. Before we broke up at the end of last term a couple of our lecturers warned us that, having completed one term, we were now doctors (in the eyes of friends and family at least) and would be bombarded by requests for advice all through the holidays. […]
Ohad Oren wants to preserve the beauty of medicine
The news item was embedded in the margin of the paper. “100 Years Ago – In Our Pages,” subtitled “1908: Fraud Beauty Doctor” would have attracted the attention of anyone at least minimally concerned about charlatans, quacks, or fakes in medicine. Originally published on November 6, 1908, the piece in the International Herald Tribune tells […]
Julian Sheather on hope and human rights in Zimbabawe
Last week I was in Uganda, speaking at a conference on monitoring the right to health. During the conference I met a fourth year medical student from Zimbabwe, Norman Matara. Norman is a tall, slim, gentle, slightly stooped young man. He does not talk much, but when he does he is thoughtful and softly spoken. He […]