Oct 2015. My last newsletter spoke of the pressing issue of how terms and conditions are central to maintaining and increasing the current EM workforce. At the time of writing (August 30th) I am preparing for my next meeting with the Secretary of State and shortly after the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor.
Sept 2015 – Before I begin writing each newsletter I read the previous one to minimise repetition and hopefully ensure I cover new ground, thereby maintaining the readers attention. I was struck on this occasion by how prescient were the remarks of the August newsletter. As ever the newsletter was scripted almost two months ahead of publication to meet various manuscript deadlines.
August 2015 – August, and for some the prospect of a well deserved holiday; whilst for others the sense of déjà vu, as we explain the bones of the carpus, ‘reveal’ the secret of good medicine is in taking the history and pointing out that the discovery of CRP is not on a par with the discovery of penicillin!
July 2015 – July, and the prospect, for most, of some well deserved R&R, accompanied by the new intake of foundation doctors, core and higher trainees.
June 2015 – Writing in the middle of a General Election campaign reminds me of the words of Nils Bohr ‘Prediction is very difficult – especially if it’s about the future’
May 2015 – As we move into May I suspect that many readers will have grown tired of campaigns. As we await the result of the forthcoming General Election in the UK, it seems prudent and indeed even refreshing to set aside issues of policy, disagreements and matters of contention.
March 2015 – February 4th 2015 will be one of the few dates I will be able to recall in later life. A telephone call at 11am followed by a letter stating:
Feb 2015 – Those of you who suffer to read my regular ‘copy’ as the publishers refer to it, will be used to the format of updates of College activity.
Jan 2015 – A new year and an opportunity to reinvigorate our work at the College.
As I write this, in mid November, it is a challenge to put oneself in mind of 2015 albeit only 8 weeks hence.
Dec 2014 – My second Christmas as President of the College – what will Santa bring? My list of CEM10 goodies will continue to dominate my expectations though, in a manner similar to my children with their Advent Calendars, the rate of progress can be frustrating.