Ignite

Meet Dr Jim Howe; Consultant neurologist.

I have so much respect for this man, I could virtually run a cult dedicated to Neurology with him as the poster boy.

Serendipitously, he was scheduled to give a lecture at the hospital that I'm currently attached to (I was unaware of this until I actually saw him up at the podium) and by far it was the most engaging lecture that I've had all year.

Not only has he reignited my thirst for knowledge and my fascination with medicine, I come out of every interaction with the good doctor wanting to be a neurologist.

His passion for medicine (particularly neurology, although not exclusively to) and medical education is invigorating. I have always believed medicine to be a field heavily reliant on mentorship and apprenticeship but sadly, good mentors are hard to come by and this goes against the essence of medical teaching and practice.

I have been lucky to have found quite a number of good mentors throughout my medical education, and this plays an important role in shaping my impression of different specialities.

Currently, my running list of potential specialities include General Practice, Paediatrics, Psychiatry (Child & Adolescent Psych in particular) and Palliative Care. Having said that, ancora imparo (I'm still learning) and thus, my decision is pending.

Ultimately though, regardless of vocation, I am drawn to people with good work ethics and those who are passionate about what they do because I seek to model good behavior.

In my mind, I believe that this is the best way to excel in my chosen profession.

And as my father has always said... If something is worth doing, it is with doing well.