Skip to main content

Love and Other Drugs

By
I wasn't going to blog today because I really had nothing to say. But this afternoon some representatives from Danone, an Infant Nutrition Company came to talk to us at the hospital about their Cows-and-Gates Infant Formula. Actually they tricked us into that talk. The notice said it was a Continuous Medical Education about 'Preterm Feeding'. Me, being in Paediatrics Department was quite interested in attending such a teaching...but noooo, it was just some suited up Sales-reps telling us why Danone is better than Nestle.

It reminded me of the movie 'Love and Other Drugs'. It is a hopelessly romantic movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway set in the cutthroat world of pharmaceutical sales. Gyllenhaal plays the charming, lady's man drug rep and he is really good at his job. Instant success strikes when he is given the wonder-drug 'Viagra' to sell. You can imagine how it ends.

The DVD cover

The Pharmaceutical Industry develops, produces, and markets drugs licensed for use as medications. So obviously it is closely linked to the health industry. Their drugs directly affect our patients' outcome. But it seems their competitiveness in their industry confuses doctors' choices for prescriptions. The reps literally come chasing you as you leave the ward with pens, umbrella's, notebooks and even food sometimes! I must admit, it makes one feel like a rock-star sometimes.

Finally just wanted to share with you this really cool picture of what a Media Medic (me) represents. There's a nice article from LinkedIn about how the iPad helps health workers in patient care and education.




It is after all, 2011.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What's your 'Real Age'?

By
RealAge, Inc. is an American media corporation that provides health information to consumers. The company’s stated mission is to encourage consumers to maximize their health and wellness by making their "RealAge" younger. It was founded by media medic, Michael Roizen , currently the chief wellness officer at The Cleveland Clinic . log on to realage.com So basically its a website which asks you a bunch of questions then it tells you what age you really are. It will ask you things like from 'how much do you drink' to 'how many orgasms do you have a week' and so on. It is a long quiz. Apparently since it started in 1999, 27 million people have taken the test. Guess everyone wants to live life to the youngest! So of course I took the test..and I am not revealing my real age. I was appalled to say the least! And now they are sending me all sorts of suggestions about how I can 'regain my youth' e.g:   Burn More Fat with These...
Post a Comment
Read more

Saving Mandy

By
When you have influence, it is your duty to stand up for others and help others up too We had so much in common.  We were both born and grew up in the same sleepy hometown of Bulawayo, almost same neighborhood. We attended the same high school, some years apart, but both proud and loud Convent girls. At some point, we must have taken the same Parklands surburb bus from City Hall to home. Our siblings almost same age-groups; our families and friends intertwined all the way back to roots in Dombodema rural home. We both went on to study medicine, she did dentistry, I did MBChB. But eventually we both did a masters in Public Health in the same programme at the University of Zimbabwe. We both got married and set up home in Harare. Bulawayo girls stick together when they arrive in the big bad city. When I had Anashe, she had Siyabonga. We were both pregnant in 2018. Being senior medical professionals we both had access to the “best” medical care. We both had Cesarian Sections...
60 comments
Read more

Is Everyday One Word or Two? English Test Woes

By
IELTS (pronounced alternatively by people as EYE-Elts and EYE-Lets) is the standardized international English test from the UK and Australia, equivalent to Toefl for the US. I had to do it for a myriad of reasons but mainly to prove to the aforesaid 'Commonwealthers' that I can indeed communicate in English. Disgruntled but excited I booked my test for this past Saturday and pictured myself getting 98% because ‘I even have a blog-o!’ How good must my English be? Woke up at the crack of dawn!   I had received warnings of non-refundable expulsion for late-comers so my senses were acutely aware of my alarm clock. Thinking I was too early, I arrived to find a horde (word I used in my speaking test) of anxious-looking people already waiting outside the British Council building. I immediately befriended the most cheerful face sitting at the end of the line who was to become my friend for the whole day. Payal had carried 5 pens, 5 pencils, several rubbers and a sparkling sharpener...
Post a Comment
Read more