Connections

More than a few times, I've been asked, "Hey, this blog thing -- where will it lead?" I'm no closer to knowing than I was a year ago, but Jacob Reider's thoughts on the matter seem to make sense, and he's been medical blogging longer than anyone.

As for me, I've always been partial to print, and so I'm happy to have been involved with a local medical journal with deep roots, read by a lot of doctors and patients in my area. The first issue to which I've contributed is now on the web.

Specifically, I edited two wonderful pieces, by local writers Susan Tarrant and Emily Ferrara.

Both deal with their experiences facilitating medical communication. Ferrara's piece is adopted from a chapter in a recent academic book on 'reflective practice' -- she shares her gleaned insights from teaching creative writing to medical students. Tarrant draws on her sometimes difficult experiences as a hospital's patient representative.

These authors have an intimate view of a demanding field, yet they've managed to retain an outsider's perspective. It was a pleasure working with them.