BASHH

Welcome, potential faithful reader, to the inaugural outing of the new BASHH Blog. How did I get roped into this I hear you ask? I myself am still not sure... Someone asked, and in true 'new-ish consultant akin to an eager puppy' I found myself unable to mouth the necessary negative response. So here I am, like the poor persons version of Carrie Bradshaw (I've got the shoes but not the figure nor the fortune...) in front of my computer, wondering what on earth BASHH could want with a blog... or in my case a blag.

I think the idea is that I comment on current topical events.. But don't panic, mainly BASHH-related topics. With any luck (and some guidance from the webmaster - that title somehow makes me want to call him Gandalf...) I'm unlikely to veer into politics. And of course, we're now a technologically savvy generation... er...apparently. We're all twittering and facebooking each other (safer than actual human contact as everyone in our unique speciality knows...) so the electronic medium seems to be the way forward. That coupled with my reputation for speaking my mind could lead to a long and happy marriage or a divorce quicker than Britneys...Time will tell...

Ah... time... I remember having it, but I'm not sure where I saw it last. My observation of the moment is that since my appointment as a consultant I seem to have had less and less time to actually see patients. I seem to be called to minister to the needs of more ailing meetings than people these days- is this really what I signed up for? You who have been in the job longer than me will not find this overwhelming management lava stream a surprise but I confess that I think as doctors we are relatively unprepared for the shift in responsibilities that eventually comes our way sneaking in under the sparkling cloak of the elusive consultant role. My trainees look at me fearfully as I dash off to yet another meeting and ask me 'How did you learn about this bit of the job?' Thankfully I'm too busy to stop and tell them that I'm 'sight-reading' my way around the boardroom hoping not to hit too many wrong notes before I eventually pick up the tune that everyone else seems to be playing...

But it has to be done. Our speciality sometimes feels to be in a precarious position. I too fear the future, uncertain of whether I will be the same beast in a few years, or whether I will have been forced to (d?)evolve into a pure HIV physician, a pure GU doctor, or the fabled creature that is the 'sexual health' practitioner - a mythical and much feared chimera with an mirena in one hand and a benzathine injection in the other. But I do know that even as relatively new consultants we need to get involved in planning for the future. And we need to prepare our trainees for the same.

But first I have another meeting to go to... :) More soon...