I started to blog in 2006 when I was a final year medical resident at Brown. I was preparing for a clinical rotation at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana, and wanted to take my family and friends along on the journey. I have blogged since on all that interests me including travelling, books, chocolate, mangoes, gardening, football ⚽️, and of course the joys and challenges of medicine.
I’m not much of a talker but I have always been a writer. Before the days of the internet I wrote newsletters sent by post to keep friends overseas up-to-date. Before my blog I kept close friends entertained through email.
In 2016, I decided to give my medicine musings their own home – Vexing Microbes. You will find interesting stories that blend the art and science of medicine and medical training. I touch upon health care policy, socioeconomic dynamics, common sense medicine, and I provide valuable insights into my life as an infectious disease specialist.
Of course much of my content carries an undertone that reflects my philosophy in life. Many posts are born out of my frustration with medical training, the realities of clinical practice, and the widespread misinformation of society at large. Checklists and guidelines are great but knee-jerk reactions to patient care and defensive medicine not so much.
Though I tend to be cynical, I take great pride in writing in such a way to keep you informed, amused, and most importantly thinking. You will want to keep on reading if you are in any way interested in infectious diseases or medical rants.
To author a blog is to own a space, however humble or significant, in the most revolutionary medium
since the printing press was established.
MsAfropolitan