The ghost of Christmas present

“Ah, youth is wasted on the wrong people.” Some will recognise this as one of the many brilliant quotes from what is considered to be the best Christmas movie ever – Frank Capra’s tear-jerker It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), although...

A Nightmare on Doctor Street

“Number one: you can never have sex. Big no no! Big no no! Sex equals death, okay?Number two: you can never drink or do drugs. The sin factor! It’s a sin. It’s an extension of number one.And number three: never,...

What’s Eating Gilbert Pete

“Please phone Mr C Lyon ASAP on 0131 334 9171” This was a message from my secretary waiting for me on my computer one morning shortly after I was appointed a consultant. The name did not ring any bells but...

Rainspotting. Choose your future. Choose Pete’s Hidden Curriculum Part 2.

See Pete's Hidden Curriculum Part 1 here Interviewer: “Mr Murphy, what attracts you to the leisure industry?”Spud: “In a word: pleasure. It’s like pleasure in other people’s leisure.”Interviewer: “Do you see yourself as having any weaknesses?”Spud: Shakes head, then: “Oh,...

Money never sleeps

“I want you to deal with your problems by becoming rich” As declared by Jordan Belfort in a motivational speech to his staff in the film Wolf of Wall Street (2013). Unfortunately, medicine as a career does not lead to...

Doctor by the sea (Pete’s Hidden Curriculum Part 1)

See Pete's Hidden Curriculum Part 2 here. “They can always hurt you more.” This is The Fat Man’s Law Number 8 from the book The House of God by Samuel Shem. For those that have not read this book, it...