November 15, 2011#
November 13, 2011#
November 12, 2011#
BAPRAS 7th Undegraduate day
I attended the course and it was truly inspiring. I wrote a short review – which will be published in the BAPRAS newsletter.
“The BAPRAS 7th undergraduate day, held at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, provided a platform for eminent consultants to celebrate the genius works of plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
In their eloquently, slyly humorous presentations, each speaker sought to untangle the misconception that has cast Plastic surgery as a glorified Hollywood money churning business and painted a picture of what the speciality really is – a creative, innovative, diverse and satisfying job that aims to sacrifice the cheap to reconstruct the expensive and restore functionality that is aesthetically pleasing.
The sessions were an inventive blend of career advice and clinical cases, dissecting every element into fine introductions to this diverse speciality for an audience that ranged from A-level students to junior doctors.
The day was punctuated with surgical suturing sessions, offering many, a glimpse into the dexterous task of wound closure, and provided a display of 10 exceptional poster presentations. The day ended hopefully inspiring many to strive for this competitive but rewarding speciality.”
October 15, 2011#
The Emperor of All Maladies
Amazing read for those interested in oncology.
Here’s the author’s note
“This book is a history of cancer. It is a chronicle of an ancient disease – once a clandestine, “whispered-about” illness – that has metamorphosed into a lethal shape-shifting entity imbued with such penetrating metaphorical medical, scientific, and political potency that cancer is often described as the defining plague of our generation. This book is a “biography” in the truest sense of the word – an attempt to enter the mind of this immortal illness, to understand its personality, to demystify its behaviour. But my ultimate aim is to raise a question beyong biography: Is cancer’s end conceivable in the future? Is it possible to eradicate this disease from our bodies and societies forever?”
October 15, 2011#
Inspiration #1
“What is the point of worrying oneself too much about what one could or could not have done to control the course one’s life took? Surely it is enough that the likes of you and I at least try to make our small contribution count for something true and worthy. And if some of us are prepared to sacrifice much in life in order to pursue such aspirations, surely that in itself, whatever the outcome, cause for pride and contentment.”
― Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
September 3, 2011#
Beautiful BC
My summer elective took me all the way to Vancouver, BC, Canada to work at BC Children’s. The scenery was unparalleled to any I’ve seen. Despite an arduous placement at the hospital, I am convinced I will be back to visit. Here are some of my snapshots of beautiful BC.
“Years ago, when I was backpacking across Western Europe…I was just outside Barcelona hiking in the foothills of Mount Tibidabo. I was at the end of this path and I came to a clearing and there was a lake, very secluded. And there were tall trees all around. It was dead silent. Gorgeous. And across the lake I saw…a beautiful woman…bathing herself…but she was crying…” – Joey in Friends
“…as I watched the sun’s descent in a cloudless sky. It was a relaxing moment. The vault of the world was magnificently tinted” – Yann Martel in Life of Pi
August 28, 2011#
Photo taken by me at English Bay, Vancouver, Canada during the 2011 fireworks competition – there was an air show before the display started.
The best is yet to come.
August 25, 2011#
"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle." - Steve Jobs, 2005
Whilst I like this quote on love, I think it needs to be couple with faith and hope to truly be satisfied in life.
My first Apple product was the 1st Gen iPod Touch that I won from a poster design competition years ago. That gadget changed the way I think about design.
I confess that I own 3 Apple products as there’s some magnetic energy that draws customers to buy their products – even if they don’t need it – Apple makes you believe you need it.
As I’m in the medical profession, I can’t wait to see Apple devices used within the healthcare system to “leverage cross-disciplinary exponentially growing technologies” (Daniel Kraft, M.D)
August 25, 2011#
August 25, 2011#
"Every act of perception, is to some degree an act of creation, and every act of memory is to some degree an act of imagination." — Oliver Sacks