Few people realise that most medicinal breakthroughs were the result of complete luck and serendipity. Only about two HIV medications are the result of huge financial investments and research. Everything else, from antibiotics to chemotherapy treatments are a result of luck. After we discovered these drugs, we then figured out the science behind the medications… Continue reading Playing At The Edge
Category: medicine
Divided Knowledge
Super specialisation in the last few decades has become commonplace. In the hospital we now have surgeons who can only operate on hands for example. Other doctors often joke that some of these surgeons only operate on the left hand and not the right. But even the doctors who don't consider themselves super-specialised are nowadays.… Continue reading Divided Knowledge
Every Doctor Had A Bright Future
Every doctor had a bright future, in their past. The trick is to not let the future catch up with you.
A Tale Of Two Whiskeys
I absolutely love this scene from Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. Ramsay is visiting a failing restaurant with a super talented French chef. It's failing even though the chef is clearly capable of winning a Michelin Star. The reason? The talented young chef is over complicating his food. [Watch the scene which starts at 20.04] https://youtu.be/TrwC0mo43QM?t=1204 "You… Continue reading A Tale Of Two Whiskeys
Optionality
If you are making a tough decision, one way to know that you are making the correct decision is if your options increase. For example if you are wondering whether you should go to University or not, it is probably worth considering whether you will have more options at the end of your course, or… Continue reading Optionality
The Business Of Medicine
There's something unique about the business of medicine. In a traditional business such as a burger joint, if you have more customers and sell more burgers, then the restaurant owner will make more money. But in medicine, the more patients a clinic sees and the more patients a hospital serves, the less money they often… Continue reading The Business Of Medicine
What It’s Like To Start A Business
I received a letter from a fellow healthcare worker the other day. She wrote to me regarding a patient of mine, demanding that I "do something". Her letter was, to be quite honest, rude and uncalled for. She knew very well that I had already seen the patient, assessed the patient correctly and that the… Continue reading What It’s Like To Start A Business
It All Starts With An Idea
Two fish swam past one another. One turns to the other and says: "The water's nice today isn't it?" After a few minutes the second fish thought to himself: "What's water???" Ideas are valuable. Ideas are the birthplace of innovation, entrepreneurship and value creation. The problem in today's world is that many ideas go unquestioned… Continue reading It All Starts With An Idea
What Your Mother Can Teach You About Sales
(Before I tell you this story, I would just like to say a big thank you to my mother. She's really an amazing woman and this is just one of the many indirect lessons she has taught me over the years.) I had a crisis of confidence before I started medical school. I nearly didn't… Continue reading What Your Mother Can Teach You About Sales
If You Keep Doing More Stuff, You Will End Up Poorer, Less Healthy And Less Smart
Subtraction I would say that around two-thirds of the patients I see in my clinic every day have problems related to something that they are choosing to do. Chest infections caused by smoking. Back pain as a result of sitting down all day and even after work. Diabetes due to poor diet. I seem to… Continue reading If You Keep Doing More Stuff, You Will End Up Poorer, Less Healthy And Less Smart
Keeb's Blog 