Humble Beginnings - why I write

10 Feb 2021

Dear all,

I'm super excited to be starting my personal newsletter to share my experiences and insight into medicine as a doctor!

Every week, I spend time reflecting on my experiences in medicine, and what I've learned from the books, podcasts, and people I've encountered. My work in the hospital is a myriad of difficult emotions, heartwarming experiences, and learning. Outside of it, I'm constantly working on myself as a person, building up skills and knowledge that will allow me to contribute more meaningfully to society.

I've been inspired by how much I learn from others when they share their ideas, and I wanted to do the same in my own way. I hope it reveals the realities of working as a doctor, and allows others to learn from my experiences. I'll talk about experiences in medicine, insight into medical technologies (a huge passion of mine), and share tips and resources that have had a positive impact on my life. I promise to be 100% truthful in sharing the highest highs and lowest lows in my journey.

I'm super excited for you to be a part of this. It's very much a two-way street and I hope to learn a few bits from you too!

What I hope to achieve.

Share real experiences and insights as a doctor, particularly during the pandemic.‎‍
Talk about exciting healthcare innovations such as machine learning and 3D printing. It's one of my passions!
Break the stigma around being vulnerable in medicine by talking freely about my emotions and mental wellbeing. It's equally important to acknowledge happiness, as it is to normalise weakness.
Sharing insightful resources, books, and quotes that have had a positive impact on my life.
Hopefully hearing from a few of you along the way and making a few friends 😊

Why do I like writing?

Did you know that your mind goes through 60,000 different thoughts in a single day?

Despite this, our minds only has the capacity to process one thought at a time.

When your head goes through too many thoughts, it forgets many of them. Do you remember all 60,000? I certainly don't. I wish I did, because then I'm sure I'd have a ton more ideas on how I can change the world for the better.

For me, writing is a way of jotting some of those thoughts down. It's a form of reflection. It's therapeutic and lets me declutter my head to make room for new thoughts. I rest easier knowing that I'm not going to wake up the next morning and forget it, because it'll be right there on my screen for me to work on!

With the birth of my website and newsletter, writing takes on a new meaning for me because I get to share the things I write. I hope I don't bore anyone to sleep (although I guess that would still make for good bedtime reading)!

Inspiration

If I come across anything during the week that has really resonated with me, I'll share them here!

My favourite quote

“Happiness is the state when nothing is missing. When nothing is missing, your mind shuts down and stops running into the past or future to regret something or to plan something.” - Naval Ravikant

What I'm reading

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tvosky. Such an incredible book breaking our mind down into two simple systems, each with their individual flaws. Although it's not a light read, I'd 100% recommend it for anyone looking to understand behavioural psychology! It's even changed the way I structure my medical differentials. You can pick it up here.

Video of the week

I've unfortunately been struck down with Covid-19 and took some time to share my thoughts, and why it felt inevitable working in the hospital.