Category Archives: medicine

Medical advances since the 18th century!

I was recently reading up on the watershed moments in the history of modern medicine and I have to admit I was overwhelmed with information. The list below is the timeline since the end of the 18th century. I may decide to update the post at a later date. 1796- Small pox vaccine introduced byContinueContinue reading “Medical advances since the 18th century!”

Why Physicians Write?

Storytelling forms the very basis of medicine. We doctors listen to patients stories, construct a narrative and tell other doctors those stories (case presentations, studies and case reports) comparing notes with existing scientific data and collective knowledge (conferences and peer-reviewed journals). Physicians are witnesses of human drama- life, death, suffering, fear, pain and joy- every day. This theater that plays out in front of them sometimes finds catharsis and bleeds onto paper.

Ways to build a successful career in Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology has been one of the fastest growing specialties in the world. The advances in the field in the last three decades has been astounding. Yet building a career in Ophthalmology is becoming come complex. I hope to add some insight about how to get started in Ophthalmology in India

Can LED Screens Damage Our Eyesight?

As of now not really! There are various media outlets trying to bring a new spin to the story of LED lighting and eyes. LED lighting has improved efficiency as well as reduced power consumption. I feel this need to be seen objectively supported by actual evidence and not the hypothesis of scientists in aContinueContinue reading “Can LED Screens Damage Our Eyesight?”

Finding Superman: Changing a prolific surgeon to a social entrepreneur

We need supermen like Dr. Shiva for healthcare in India. People who have to be physicians, surgeons, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and managers combined into one person. People who can take on multiple responsibilities in this endeavor without an almost non-existent government support and yet be driven enough to bring about a social change. We have found one, I’m sure we would find more.

How should a medical student use his Internship?

I got asked this question on Quora How do i make best use of internship during MBBS in India? It got me thinking as to what internship meant to me. I finished my internship nearly 7 years back so maybe now I have better perspective on what it meant back then. I answered and IContinueContinue reading “How should a medical student use his Internship?”

Life of a 21st century doctor!

The medical science has seen a sea change over the last century…..more than what has been achieved in the previous 5 centuries put together. The change has been for the better for patients as people are getting cured of diseases which previously had no cures. In this state of change to expect the medical profession not to change is simply naive. I would like to enumerate the good, the bad and the ugly of the medical profession in general and the joys and challenges of doctors in particular. This is in no way a negative or cynical post. It is more of a perspective of how things are and how it is going to be.