David Oliver: Valuing the medical take

Last month Richard Smith, former editor of The BMJ , wrote an opinion piece1 praising Ministry Bodies ,2 a book by the Irish gastroenterologist Seamus O’Mahony about his experience as hospital doctor and wider observations on state medicine. describes himself “medical apostate,” admitting that he wasn’t temperamentally suited to much work but still devoted long career it. What drew my eye ire in Smith’s review was O’Mahony’s description adult general internal acute medicine geriatrics, often referred “the medical take.” He conceived this low status, unglamorous, unrewarding most doctors tried escape if they could. also scathing perceived worth expert generalist disciplines, or “icians” …