Stories

Stories

Reflections from the ward. Personal essays from clinicians, nurses, allied health. The on-call you remember. The patient who stayed with you.

Stories

Generational Empathy

Generational Empathy

Back in my day We did 36 hour shifts Came back the next morning Traced old notes, retrieved Survived 8 calls per month We did all the ECGs Had 40 patients to round Transcribed medication lists We pushed stainless steel trolleys piled up with patient files After ordering antibiotics We

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Duty of Care

Duty of Care

"Why did you call my brother to collect my discharge medication, instead of me?" From the inside of the pharmacy, I heard a loud voice hurling accusations at my colleague, who then approached me, the floor manager, to try to defuse the situation. I proceeded outside, unsure of

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The Times They Are A-Changin': Balancing AI and Humanities in Medicine

The Times They Are A-Changin': Balancing AI and Humanities in Medicine

In January 1984, a young Steve Jobs stood before an eager audience at the Apple shareholders meeting and recited the iconic words of Bob Dylan: “The times they are a-changin’.” For the times they are a-changin’ Come writers and critics, who prophesize with your pen And keep your eyes wide,

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For the voiceless

For the voiceless

Please be advised that this story delves into trauma-related topics that may be triggering to the reader They told me about what happened to you, and my heart sank lower and lower as I heard the details. They said you had over 70% body surface area burns. That’s too

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A life remembered is a life honoured

A life remembered is a life honoured

Recently in a casual conversation in the ward, a doctor asked me why do MSWs write such lengthy entries which may potentially take up a lot of time on our part, when other members of the team may not have the time to read them. I was mildly disappointed at

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Cultural discernment in Modern Medicine

Cultural discernment in Modern Medicine

Formation of Bhutan's Palliative Care service It is my privilege to have served as faculty member in the Lien Collaborative for Palliative Care Bhutan program the past 4 modules. During the first 2 modules in 2018 and 2019, the late Prof Cynthia Goh planted the first seeds that

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A hole in the heart

A hole in the heart

They call it a defect How can it be? You’re perfect A hole in the wall, doesn’t say it all There’s much more to it, in fact That murmur, that thrill Rendered me far less than thrilled But if there’s a void, then let’s not

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Is this really all my fault?

Is this really all my fault?

It was early on a Sunday morning. A feisty grey-haired elderly lady approached my pharmacy counter, wanting to collect medication for her husband who had just been discharged. I checked the electronic prescription system and informed her, “M’am, your husband’s discharge medication is not ready yet. I will

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The Biopsychosocial Model: Rethinking How We Approach Illness

The Biopsychosocial Model: Rethinking How We Approach Illness

Modern healthcare is moving at lightning speed. With clinic consultations that sometimes feel shorter than a Netflix intro, we’re squeezing diagnosis into ever-tighter timeframes. Doctors, overwhelmed by tight schedules, often rely heavily on diagnostic tests to guide their decisions. And while those tests are incredible for revealing structural abnormalities—

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