Topic
The physicians, scientists, nurses and innovators whose ideas changed medicine.
In 2018, a Japanese Medical School made headline news because of its discrimination against female applicants. One cannot help but wonder what the remarkable Ogino Ginko would have thought of this if she were alive…
Every year, approximately 85% of the world’s children receive vaccines protecting them against deadly diseases such as polio, diphtheria, tetanus and tuberculosis. It has been estimated that vaccines save 9 million…
In the centre of the city of Hamadan in Iran stands a monument to the Iranian national hero called Avicenna. The Mausoleum of Avicenna houses a library, a museum, and tower and pays tribute to arguably the most…
Rosalind Franklin is one of the most controversial female figures in the field of science. Her X-ray diffraction work played a vital role in the discovery of the DNA double helix, yet she did not receive the…
“The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.” - Sir William Osler The name Osler is very familiar to most medical students and doctors. Osler is widely regarded as…
After qualifying as a doctor from Imperial College in 2001, my year group organised a special graduation celebration ceremony where we all had the opportunity to recite a modernised version of the famous Hippocratic…
The legendary Bian Que is considered to be the first true physician in China. He is credited as having developed traditional Chinese medicine and with several other notable achievements. The stories of his life have an…
The Royal College of Physicians is a U.K. based, internationally recognised, professional body that is dedicated to the improvement of medical practice and patient care. It is also the oldest royal medical college in…
I have been fascinated with the detective Sherlock Holmes since childhood. His almost supernatural powers of observation and deduction in stories such as ‘The Sign of the Four’, ‘The Speckled Band’, and ‘A Study in…
The Greek physician, Claudius Galen, is considered to be one of the most important figures in the history of Medicine. Galen was the greatest physician of his era and was also a skilled surgeon and renowned philosopher…
The ancient Egyptian civilisation was the first of the recorded great world civilisations. Little is known about the prehistoric societies that came before Egypt but it is assumed that they were steeped in superstition…
I can vividly remember being taught how to ‘scrub up’ as a third-year medical student. The careful scrutiny of the theatre sister filled me with fear. Had I touched the wrong part of the scrub pack? Were my hands…
The NHS has been in the news a lot lately, and not for the right reasons. Winter bed emergencies, the junior doctor's contract dispute, student nurses bursaries, and the widespread funding crisis are constantly making…
