John Launer: Seeing the big picture—the distinctive value of generalism bmj.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bmj.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Taking action against industry influence bmj.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bmj.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Doctor activists are in the news. Sarah Benn, a former GP from Birmingham, has had her medical licence suspended for five months after being arrested for taking part in peaceful protests by Just Stop Oil.1 Medical members of the Extinction Rebellion movement have served jail sentences for taking part in peaceful protests about the climate emergency: they now face disciplinary hearings to determine whether they’ll be struck off.2 It’s tempting to think that medical activism is new, but it isn’t. There’s a distinguished history of doctors, some of them eminent, putting their medical careers and reputations at risk by making social action a priority.3
As it happens, two books I’ve …
John Launer: Why we should all #sayhellotopatients bmj.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bmj.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Trolls are imaginary creatures in Scandinavian folklore who are dim witted, live far from human company, and are generally unpleasant when encountered. In modern slang the word refers to individuals who make themselves disagreeable on social media by persistently responding to other people’s posts in negative ways, ranging from discourtesy to threats and intimidation. If you write for the medical press and try to maintain a social media presence it’s almost impossible to avoid trolls. Some topics are guaranteed to bring them out in battalions.
Depending on its scale and tone, being on the …