Yes, that’s what would YOU personally do, if you had the problem the patient is presenting with. Have you ever been asked this by a patient? Surprisingly, during a quick poll of a group of medic friends, few had ever been asked this. They were all used to being asked a similar question by family members and friends, but, in a professional capacity, it seems that not many people ask their doctors this. Perhaps they feel it’s too personal and not appropriate, or perhaps they automatically assume that the answer would be no different to the advice the doctor is giving them, and that a doctor would naturally follow ‘best medical practice’ for their own care. We know though, that often doctors decide not to follow the recommended guidelines when it comes to our own health. How do we balance this with the advice we give others? Do you have any tips for other readers on how to answer this question honestly while still recommending the evidence based guidelines and without biasing the patient towards a particular course of action, or is answering this question to be avoided? What would YOU do?

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In our last house the railway ran along the back of the garden. Not exactly pleasant for us, but for Ravi, a toddler and train enthusiast, it was pure heaven. Whenever he visited he would stand on a chair by the window and watch spellbound as each train passed by. One day we went to the local train station to get a closer ... Read More »

Reading others’ minds is something we do all the time. And although we use as many clues as possible – words, body language, general comportment and a knowledge of the person him or herself – getting it right is often difficult. Such judgements are so much part of the way we communicate, that I assume ... Read More »

Having returned to volunteering this summer at a local hospice I was amazed to learn how much I had missed the sense of reward that comes with giving just a few hours of your time to someone. The current economic climate, and government initiatives, have put even more pressure on charities which is restricting their impact ... Read More »

It was a most unexpected ending to the day. Rather than feeling joyful, that afternoon was filled with sadness. We had been building a wall on and off for twelve months; it was the year’s big project. Then the work was done, the site was cleared, and it was time for saying goodbye. I didn’t actually cry but it ... Read More »

Animal antics Posted by Joe Collier on 07/May/12 • Categorized as But seriously..
It was part of my job to set exams. One year I decided on a new approach – I would write questions that came at the curriculum from new angles. Within an hour of the exam finishing, angry students had arrived at my door. I had ... Read More »

It took some time to realise what was happening and it was wonderful. On the Wednesday of my week in Paris I had been to a film and had understood most of what was said. By the Friday, understanding spoken French was almost second nature. After six years, something had clicked. In aeroplane terms, I had got up enough speed ... Read More »

Until recently our feelings about views have usually differed. While my wife loves ‘untouched’ expanses of nature, the Cairngorms for example with not a house in sight, or miles of Atlantic rollers, my breath is taken away by man-made structures. The Roman aqueduct at Nimes blew my mind when I was a teenager, ... Read More »

This blog looks at how doctors are allocated to specific jobs within a training programme. It discusses some of the fairer strategies for doing this, and some which seem rather murky and misunderstood, and seem aimed at filling rota gaps rather than treating doctors as individuals who have a career plan in mind and a life outside work. When doctors raise this issue, they are often seen as just another annoying doctor complaining about their immediate frustrations with their job. In fact, the specific jobs doctors do in their core training years often affect what type of consultant they will be and what they will be doing for the rest of their careers, so this is a very justifiable concern for many people. Finally, the blog asks for suggestions from readers on how training jobs can be fairly allocated, whether this is through interviews, or prioritising doctors’ career plans or personal commitments in deciding who gets which job. How does it work in your specialty and are you happy with the arrangement? 

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Chemists are as bad as doctors in making fun of their work

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