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Opinion: Letter from America
All entries for Letter from America
Surely only a dope would condone drugs in music?
Dr John Ryan | 11 February 2010
Dr John Ryan wonders why it is deemed acceptable for musicians and artists to take drugs, even though drugtaking in sport is so roundly condemned... Read more
Ground control to Dr Ryan
Dr John Ryan | 14 January 2010
Opting for Cape Canaveral instead of the conference centre, Dr John Ryan believes medicine could perhaps learn a thing or two from NASA, where a zero error-rate is the only option... Read more
My first 'quick echo' in the ICU
Dr John Ryan | 19 November 2009
Dr John Ryan told his attending he could see images in an echocardiogram, but when it came to his first night in ICU, he realised he needed to learn more about ultrasound technology... Read more
Focus on obstacles faced by females
Dr John Ryan | 17 September 2009
Dr John Ryan wonders if the HPAT is good or bad for Irish medicine and writes that the focus should be on the obstacles faced by female physicians in trying to become established... Read more
You've got to be bold and valiant
Dr John Ryan | 19 August 2009
Dr John Ryan writes that stress tests can be stressful for the doctor who has to supervise the assessments — as well as the patient who has to undergo them... Read more
Get to the heart of the matter
John Ryan | 31 July 2009
Dr John Ryan spends his birthday and his first day of cardiology fellowship getting lost and applying pressure to strangers' groins — but it may well have been his best birthday ever... Read more
Chasing Utopia as the world watches the end of Neverland
Dr John Ryan | 20 July 2009
Dr John Ryan writes that as the world was watching blanket media coverage of Michael Jackson's death, he was consumed by thoughts of his new life in Chicago. Everything changed the day Michael Jackson died, because it was the day... Read more
A tale of two training programmes
Dr John Ryan | 12 June 2009
Dr John Ryan is reminded why he decided to train in the US by the arrival of a former colleague for a visit. But, he says Irish medical training also has much to recommend it. I meant to apologise but... Read more
A road trip into the heartlands of America
Dr John Ryan | 14 May 2009
Dr John Ryan visits one of the United States' most famous landmarks and finds he is becoming more American than Americans themselves. My fiancée Jeanna and I drove from Salt Lake City to Chicago this week. I was telling my... Read more
Students get with the programme
Dr John Ryan | 03 April 2009
Dr John Ryan writes that the interview process is very different when you are on the other side of the desk, and that informal conversations can make a difference. When I was first asked by a work colleague if I... Read more
Is there an exodus brewing?
Dr John Ryan | 05 March 2009
Dr John Ryan writes that HSE cutbacks may result in a flood of junior doctors leaving Ireland, which would set medicine in Ireland back at least 10 years. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been getting more and... Read more
Some home truths hit hard in Peru
Dr John Ryan | 26 February 2009
Dr John Ryan learns how to put the credit crunch in perspective, when he sees what everyday life is like for people living in the deprived areas of Lima. For my flight to Lima, I flew out of Newark airport.... Read more
Some perks of the job
Dr John Ryan | 09 February 2009
Dr John Ryan writes that hearing patient details from your team can sometimes result in crossed wires, but it can also mean that you hear the highlights, without all the groundwork. I have just finished another month as the attending... Read more
Boston – not a big medical town
Dr John Ryan | 13 January 2009
The night before I flew home for Christmas, I was packing my bags and had the television on in the background. This is… Spinal Tap was on. There is a scene in the movie when the band’s show gets cancelled... Read more
Irish affairs on the agenda
Dr John Ryan | 09 December 2008
Dr John Ryan writes about the renewed American interest in Irish affairs since it was reported earlier this year that Ireland has entered a recession. It started a few months ago, when The New York Times reported that Ireland had... Read more
Morbidity, mortality and mistakes
Dr John Ryan | 25 November 2008
Dr John Ryan writes that the biggest mistake in medicine is to ignore the potential for error — and the capacity to learn and initiate change after things go wrong. One of the responsibilities of being a Chief Resident is... Read more
Time for a change in the US
Dr John Ryan | 13 November 2008
Dr John Ryan shares his thoughts from the night of Tuesday, 4 November, when it was announced that Barack Obama is to be the next president of the United States. The world changed at 11 o’clock. Nobody saw it coming... Read more
Stand by your plans when it comes to making decisions
Dr John Ryan | 15 October 2008
Dr John Ryan finds that when it comes to treating patients, the buck stops with him now that he is attending on wards and realises that real confidence will come with experience. Two weeks ago, I started attending on the... Read more
Why nobody takes the fall for mistakes
Dr John Ryan | 09 October 2008
Dr John Ryan writes about the similarities between healthcare crises and financial crises, where nobody is willing to step forward and take responsibility for errors made. Last Wednesday marked the finals of America’s Got Talent. This is a poor man’s... Read more
Sister Sarah steals the show
Dr John Tyan | 18 September 2008
By far the most frustrating aspect of living in America over the past year has been the omni-presence of the upcoming presidential election. This nation’s tolerance and interest was exhausted last week when Senator John McCain announced Governor Sarah Palin... Read more
Living in America...or not
Dr John Ryan | 11 September 2008
Dr John Ryan writes on the phenomenon of people residing in one country but living as if they were somewhere else. At least in his other world, Kerry lose the odd game. A few years ago, I was out with... Read more
Olympics hide obesity reality
Dr John Ryan | 26 August 2008
Has patient-led decison-making gone too far? Dr John Ryan writes from America on the growing problem of obesity and the right time to involve patients in decisons about their health. At ten o’clock last Saturday night I was out for... Read more
The doctor will see you... sometime
Dr John Ryan | 29 July 2008
Dr John Ryan writes that attending another doctor, as a regular patient, is an eye-opening and unnerving experience as he finds that he has to wait his turn to be seen — just like everybody else. I went to the... Read more
Chicago is my kind of town.. and home to Barack Obama
Dr John Ryan | 17 July 2008
Dr John Ryan goes to Chicago and finds it suits him. He will be spending four more years in the US studying cardiology and writing about it for Irish Medical Times I arrived into Chicago in early April. It was... Read more
Change is as good as a rest
Dr John Ryan | 03 July 2008
Dr John Ryan writes that the mood of political change that is currently sweeping across the United States is being mirrored in his own professional life, as he takes up the post of Chief Resident. Barack Obama sealed the Democratic... Read more