Medical education has undergone many reforms over the past thirty years. Medical students of the past spent much time learning things they didn’t need to know—today medical education is curriculum driven. In the past medical education was “one size fits all”—today it is learner centric. In the past students practised on patients—today increasingly they practise […]
Billy Boland on quality improvement at the NHS Leadership Academy
The first residential for the NHS Leadership Academy felt barely five minutes ago, so I balked as I realised how much there was to do for the next. The reading list and exercises laid out for me on the online campus disappeared off the bottom of my computer screen. An unwelcome yet horribly familiar feeling […]
Tiago Villanueva: Are vegetarian diets better for health?
One might think that vegetarian diets are better for one’s health, but that is not necessarily the case, as it is possible to be vegetarian and consume predominantly “empty calories” like French fries or biscuits. But balanced and appropriately planned vegetarian diets could make a considerable difference to one’s health, according to Annemarie Ijkema, a […]
Vijayaprasad Gopichandran: The doctor-patient relationship—from blind faith to strategic trust
The relationship between a physician and their patient is a sacred covenant which is fundamental to successful clinical outcomes. From Hippocratic times when there was a strong tinge of altruism associated with the practice of medicine, to the more recent provider-client model of healthcare, one thing that has remained constant has been an undercurrent of trust. […]
Desmond O’Neill: Transport and health
The Goldfinch, the eagerly awaited third novel of Donna Tartt, featured on many of our Christmas reading lists. As I devoured this wonderful repositioning of the Dickensian novel into the 21st century—with drug consumption taking the place of gin palaces—little did I imagine that it would also provide a fascinating prelude to my annual visit […]
David Lock: Should accident victims who get a payout be entitled to free NHS care?
At a time when NHS bodies are under more financial pressure than ever before there is one anomaly which is worth highlighting. Personal injury victims can be paid damages on the basis that they will claim the cost of private medical care, but then such a person is entitled to keep the damages and demand […]
Richard Lehman’s journal review—3 February 2014
NEJM 30 Jan 2014 Vol 370 There is very little in the print journals this week, and JAMA is taking a week out, so this seems like a good opportunity to switch over to including online first papers (marked OL) in these weekly reviews. I’ve threatened to do this before but never properly crossed the […]
William Cayley: It’s not just the patient’s story that matters
Each patient’s story matters. It tells us who the patient is, and how he or she came to the present point or predicament. The story gives nuance, meaning, perspective, and context to all the medical information and data points that each patient presents. The story introduces us to the patient as a person. Beyond our […]
Pragati B Hebbar and Vishal Rao: Tobacco or a job?
The department of personnel in Rajasthan, a state in India, has taken a bold step by making it mandatory for candidates who want a government job to commit to not smoking or chewing gutka (smokeless tobacco product) when in government service. [1] What could be the reason for such a move? Do such rulings help […]
Robyn Evans: A crucial time for global surgery
Mid morning on Saturday 18 January, in a dark, slightly indie London theatre, a crowd of distinguished surgery and anaesthesia colleagues gathered to eat Mexican food and talk safe surgery. Lifebox Day 2014, hosted by Lifebox Foundation (the BMJ’s Christmas charity 2011-13 [1]) saw individuals with a passion for global surgery coming together to share […]