"An image for tomorrow." An image for change--annual oration at the opening of the 1992-93 teaching session at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

A common thread that binds me with previous orators is the degree of respect with which we all view the tradition of this Oration, and its place in the history of this institution, which in our many and varied ways we seek to serve. The opportunity to address an audience which includes one's teachers, colleagues, future generations of doctors, and many friends leaves me both humble and nervous, but if I may quote Oscar Wilde "On an occasion of this kind it becomes more than a moral duty to speak one's mind. It becomes a pleasure."