The National Sarcoma Awareness Project was launched in 2013 by a team from the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust (funded by the Bone Cancer Research Trust) to raise sarcoma’s profile among medical students and junior doctors. Four years in, it has caught the imaginations of over a thousand participants—a new generation of potential […]
Jeffrey Aronson: When I use a word . . . Narcissism
In Metamorphoses Ovid tells us about Echo and Narcissus. He seems to have invented the tale, although the legends from which he weaves it were already parts of Greek mythology. The story starts with a dispute between Jupiter, king of the gods, and his wife Juno. Jupiter claims that women get more pleasure from sex […]
Michael Moran: How to define a junior doctor
It was a rude awakening for me when a new registrar colleague exclaimed with glee: “your GMC number begins with a 6!” I hadn’t the heart to tell her that it’s actually a “61…” GMC number, and so there must have been around 100,000 doctors who qualified between my graduation day and hers. And so, […]
Rosamund Snow: What to call junior doctors—a patient’s perspective
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh have recently called for a change in the way we refer to junior doctors–“junior” and “trainee” sounds too pejorative and affects the morale of these “highly skilled and dedicated professionals.” I’m not convinced that this kind of change would make a lot of difference to doctors’ morale or […]
The Sick of the Fringe: Edinburgh 2016
The Edinburgh festivals are in full flow, and there is a wealth of wonderful health and medicine related events to see and do. From a show about incontinence that will gain you CPD points for attending, to a one-to-one performance in darkness that explores the science of seeing, to comedies about bodies, and plenty of work about mental […]
Ossama Al-Obaedi: Virtual reality in surgery—a coaching tool for trainees?
As a junior surgical trainee, it is exciting to consider the prospect of virtual reality (VR) in surgical practice. Interestingly, VR technology as a surgical training tool was introduced to the surgical community over a decade ago, but due to insufficient scientific evidence of its efficacy there was a delay in adopting the technology. There […]
Parashar Ramanuj: My biggest career disappointment
I didn’t get into core medical training (CMT) at the first time of trying. This was unplanned for, uncalled for, and in my mind unquestionably someone else’s mistake. I was a molecular man who was destined to tinker with the weights and measures of nephrology. Or so I had thought. Thinking back to that time […]
Andrew McDonald: The war of words about cancer
This autumn the National Theatre’s repertoire will include a musical about cancer. Be honest. What is your first reaction? Revulsion at the poor taste of those involved? Despair that the theatre hasn’t got anything better to do? Or a sense of relief that a serious topic is about to be stripped of its mythology? I […]
John Davies on his first shift as a doctor at the Olympic stadium
I had my first shift at the Olympic Stadium last night and it was my first opportunity to meet my colleagues. The medical service at the stadium is integrated, unlike the arrangements at the 2012 games in London. Nurses roam the stands and are on hand for any medical problems in the crowd, and the Field of […]
Tanoubi Ngangom on India and Africa’s partnership for access to medicines
Prime Minister Modi’s recently concluded four-nation tour to Africa is primarily regarded as part of his larger energy diplomacy outreach. However, what is often overlooked are the enormous investment opportunities that African markets offer—especially in the midst of stagnating markets elsewhere. The agenda for this visit was centred on two themes: (a) mutual economic interests, […]