Memoirs of a Migratory Medic

Memoirs of a Migratory Medic – will be a series of autobiographical sketches from a perambulating physician.  After medical school in Liverpool, UK in the 1970s the aspiring doctor achieved his early goal of becoming a partner in a General Practice (Primary Care) in a small market town in the South Midlands. After a number of years, challenges and opportunities, a career move into the pharmaceutical industry beckoned and requiring moves to Southampton and then West London (Kew Gardens). Those migrations were “relatively” straight forward – although domestically costly. The next steps were more ambitious – to North Carolina, Seattle, California, Oregon and eventually Vancouver in Canada’s Beautiful British Columbia before eventually touching down in a small market town again – this time in Southern California. Where next……. Or has the adventure concluded? Watch this space….   

  1. Liverpool, UK – The Undergraduate years at LUMS

Stories of suturing at the Royal Southern Hospital

Working night shifts as an Auxillary Nurse

Pediatric firm with Dr Lewis Rosenbloom at the Myrtle Street Children’s Hospital

Obs & Gynae with Mr Harry Francis at the Women’s Hospital

Locum cover in final year for junior doctor on final Surgical Firm – Broadgreen Hospital

  1. South Warwickshire – the Junior Doctor years

Stratford Hospital – no surgery on Tuesdays!

Warwick Hospital and the Lakin Road “quarters” – and being on the receiving end of Wisdom Teeth extraction

The Warneford Hospital, Leamington Spa – where I was sic as a parrot……..

Back to Warwick Hospital and my formative years – in Chest Medicine…..

And back to Stratford as “Senior Resident” – the aortic aneurysm; the new carpet & the RSC

  1. Bidford on Avon – my GP Training Practice

Long Lartin Prison

The reprise of the aortic aneurysm

  1. Charlbury, Oxfordshire – entry in General Practice

A short stint

Living in a caravan

Ditchley

  1. Evesham, Worcestershire – junior partner & going solo

Friday lunches at The Evesham Hotel

The Evesham & District GP Association

The DeMontfort Medical Centre

Wider Horizons

Great Balls of Fire & Gorillas in the Mist

The Asthma Training Center

Edward’s arrival

  1. Southampton, Hampshire – joining Allen & Hanburys (Glaxo)

The Department of Child Health, Southampton University

Biking in the New Forest & The Isle of Wight!

The Avalanche

  1. Stockley Park, Middlesex – GWUK HQ

Death of a colleague – AIDS and gay medics

The National Heart & Lung Institute – pro bono, but enjoyable

Launch of Seretide  – the MIASMA publication

The ERS and the Vasa Museum

  1. Research Triangle Park, NC – GW R&D and GSK

The dangers of cycling to work in North Carolina

Chapel Hill Town Council

  1. Bainbridge Island, WA – move to Chiron Corporation

Watching life expectancy for patients with cystic fibrosis double

  1. Marin County, CA 

Emeryville, CA – Chiron HQ

Mountain View, CA – MAP Pharmaceuticals

Emeryville, CA – Adamas Pharmaceuticals – world traveler – Egypt; Ahmedabad; Bangalore; Singapore; Bangkok & back

  1. Corvallis, OR – AVI BioPharma

Science Fiction – now science fact – Defy Your DNA

Facing angry parents

The accident at the Bernhard Nocht Institute, Hamburg

  1. Bothell, WA – still with AVI BioPharma

Progress with Oligos.

The US Dept of Defence – TMTI

Introduction to Ebola, Marburg, Junin, Dengue, Lethal influenza (Bird Flu, Swine Flu)

Addressing an FDA Advisory Committee

  1. Cupertino, CA – Setting up Shrewd Consulting

Writing the Book

Getting published!

  1. Vancouver, BC – Aquinox Pharmaceuticals

Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome – another “disease” poorly understood and inadequately treated. 

Dreams of floodlit skiing on north shore mountains in winter weekday evenings and weekends in Whistler – alas, were always overly optimistic. 

Bu helping take Aquinox public was a pleasant and memorable experience.

  1. Seattle, WA – Impel NeuroPharma

The Upper Nasal Space – direct to brain?

Old molecules revisited – pleased to revisit migraine and this time a DHE NDA?

Work with Australian centers