So there I was, supposedly getting away from it all for Christmas in the Himalayas.
I was at the end of the road, literally, in a one street town called Bingzhongluo in China's Yunnan province, with the mountain wilderness of Tibet to the north and bounded by the Burmese border to the west and the mighty Salween river to the east. Surely in this isolated mountain fastness I could escape the daily routine of medical journalism and unwind with a bit of trekking?
I should have known better. I thought I would be the only tourist in town, but when the next bus arrived in town from civilisation who should get off but a junior doctor from Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital. Bloody Aussies, they get everywhere! And in a town with one guesthouse, one bar and one borderline hygienic eating place, our enforced proximity and shared work interest meant the conversation invariably turning to matters medical.
I can't complain really. Over cups of yak butter tea I subsequently heard a lot about how emergency departments really work, how junior doctors are often thrown into work environments where they are clearly beyond their competency level (and with little support), and how problem based learning turns out graduates who are great communicators but don't know their anatomy. Just one person's opinions, but certainly some interesting insights.
One vibe that I definitely picked up from my new found medical travelling companion was that there is still way too much pressure on doctors to be doctors all the time. Not just from peer pressure within the profession, but also from employers, and patients. Taking time off to have a holiday or follow a particular interest should not be seen as a sign of selfishness, slackness or lack of commitment to medicine. It's part of being a normal well-rounded individual who has interests beyond work.
And so this year in 6minutes we will be running regular articles on what doctors do outside of their medical lives. If you play the trombone, cook the meanest curry or have Australia's largest collection of novelty bow ties, we'd love to hear from you.
So there I was, supposedly getting away from it all for Christmas in the Himalayas.
