When learning about the attributes and qualities that differentiate an exceptional doctor from an average one, certain words often tend to be mentioned: empathy, patience, honesty, conscientiousness, and phronesis. The three that I found most notable were kindness, compassion and trust. I am told that the doctor who is kind, compassionate, and trusted is the doctor who stands out rather than the one who is simply more technically knowledgeable. And I find myself agreeing with the notion, but at the same time struggling to define exactly what these characteristics are beyond a vague sense of altruism, and questioning whether I had them or not. In researching these 3 for my own interest (and year 1 essay), I was reminded of various ahadith that I would like to share in this article bi’ithnillah, and also a reflection on implementation of belief. Kindness and compassion are two similar attributes and are certainly related, but there is a slight difference. Beginning with kindness, it can ...

  Assalamu-alaikum everyone. In what feels like the blink of an eye, the academic year has come to an end, and with it my role as IMed's blog representative. Although this blog is not necessarily the most well-known aspect of IMed, I am proud of what it has become and the progress we made this year. You may have already heard by now, but the IMed blog will be discontinued next year, as we make space for IMed Voices, where there will be more of a focus on sharing ideas with the community via social media and short-form content. I look forward to seeing what the Voices team has in store for our community, inshallah. The blog website will still remain available, and while I will likely reformat it, all articles will still be accessible for you to read and continue to share with others.  Now, here is some reflection on my behalf on the blog. April 2025, I decided I wanted to be part of the IMed Committee. Looking through the list of roles, I remembered the blog that had just been ...

  In this article, I'd like to discuss a tension all too often felt in our spaces and communities, yet rarely addressed in its essence outside of opposition to its extremes. Now, I take it that this blog is not dedicated to Social Philosophy, but some of you may enjoy the read regardless. Now, many of us are aware of the definition of Religion, and even if we are not, from a Muslim perspective, Islam is what we mean. Islam is the set of rules and guidelines for existence given to us by Allah SWT via His Messenger SAW. Culture, however, is harder to define. One definition by David Matsumoto, a Professor of Psychology, holds it as '... the set of attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviours shared by a group of people, but different for each individual, communicated from one generation to the next'. We may understand this as the unspoken similarities in how a group of people act, which makes them unique from other people, at any given point in time. Then it becomes that culture...

  Assalamu-alaikum everyone. My article this month will be a little unconventional; it is a short ‘anthology’ of 4 (of many) random thoughts that would occur to me in between studying for exams and just navigating life in general. Too short to be a full-length article yet too long to be used in the monthly email updates. I hope it will be of benefit to you, inshallah. I enjoyed compiling this. The Details I have always been someone who notices details first, before focusing on the bigger picture. Identifying patterns within car number plates, watching bubbles drift by the kitchen window while I did the dishes (the sound of children’s laughter permeating through the window glass), multiple subtle typos in a published book, and the way a caterpillar moved as it crawled on me when I sat beneath a tree. In a fast world, if one were to slow down, they’d discover that there is so much to be found in the minutiae.  ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا ٱلنُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةًۭ فَخَلَقْنَا ٱلْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَة...

Voices are powerful tools. Whereas creatures such as ants communicate with chemicals, and honeybees by movement, humans primarily rely on language for communication. It is the foundation for building relationships, voicing our concerns, and sharing our ideas. It is an essential aspect of day-to-day life. In medical school, we are taught the importance of communication. Likewise, within Islam, communication and mutual respect are emphasised.  وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍۢ فَحَيُّوا۟ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَآ أَوْ رُدُّوهَآ ۗ …٨٦    And when you are greeted, respond with a better greeting or at least similarly…   Surah Al Nisa (4:86) But communication isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone- and that is okay. A nice analogy I was once given compared life experiences to a deck of cards: everyone will have a different set of skills and disadvantages. It’s how we learn to play our cards and adapt to the challenges that make or break the game.  I am someone who v...