Medicine is not a pure science like physics, rather an applied one like rocket engineering. It uses science to pursue goals. This is beautifully expressed in the motto of the Royal College of General Practitioners, my own: 'Cum Scientia Caritas' – 'with science I care'. A central innovation of...
It was a beautiful summer's day in June 2002, the sort of day most of us would crave for - perfect conditions for water fights, Ultimate Frisbee, reading a novel in the park, sunbathing or alfresco dining.It was also the day I was to get my exam results for medical...
This short text provides an accessible account of a select range of complex medico-legal issues. It is a much improved second edition, revised and expanded to incorporate recent developments including the Mental Capacity Act. The first chapter examines 'legal issues before birth' and contains a useful overview of the law...
My original intention in studying medicine was to become a missionary doctor because I had an implicit belief, shared by many people, that 'full-time Christian work' was somehow more spiritual than working as a Christian in a secular job. This, I have since realised, is an idea that has no...
A famous CMF one-liner that I often quote is this: 'As medical students you have more time now than at any time in your life.' But in fact, it's not true; everyone has 168 hours in each week and 52 weeks in each year. You may have more discretionary time...
Imagine if Christian students were allowed to study Christian medical ethics at medical school! Five medical schools around the UK are doing just that, running special study modules (SSMs) in medical ethics from a Christian perspective. To date there are courses running for between two and eight weeks in Birmingham,...
Setting the scene The place of ethics in the undergraduate curriculum continues to be a hot topic in UK medical schools. For many years now, few have disputed that medical students should be introduced in the classroom to the wide array of ethical issues in medicine. This early exposure provides...
The first set of doctors to commence run-through training started work in August. Many others though face an uncertain future. MMC and MTAS have taken many casualties but the full extent is yet to be known – round two of appointments continues through to November. The government has released 1000...
New things about MTAS and MMC are being written every week. So, instead, I will start by repeating myself [1] – whether or not you now have an ST number, God is still in control. That said, it is difficult to know how to respond to all that has happened...