Printed from: https://www.cmf.org.uk/resources/publications/content/?context=issue&id=6116
A gay war hero from World War II is chemically castrated, leading to his suicide (The Imitation Game). A convent schoolgirl falls pregnant so the nuns have her child adopted, which breaks her heart (Philomena).Gay activists against social injustice are further victimised by straight society (Milk, Pride). Journalists reveal a...
Primum non nocere. If like me you had no opportunity to learn Latin at school, you probably still recognise this phrase.Translated 'first do no harm', it is usually attributed to Hippocrates, though the famous oath contains only an approximation to these words. It has been a consistent principle in medical...
Most of us will have been to a Bible study at some point during our lives, but not all will have been shown how to study the Bible and discern what God is saying in it. Why should we study the Bible? Why it is so vital to our discipleship?And,...
In early March 2017, Queen's University Belfast (QUB) CMF organised a 'Weekendlet' - a night away followed by a day conference. This was a great opportunity to come together for fun, fellowship and teaching, and was a way for students in different years to get to know each other better. Friday...
Compassion and resilience are odd companions. They don't obviously go together. But my experience is exactly that.I need to be resilient in order to remain compassionate while working in the NHS. When people start out in their medical, nursing or midwifery careers, their levels of compassion tend to be higher than...
I remember walking through the dimly lit corridors. The ward was full. The chitenjes (multicoloured cloths) wrapped around the patients as their caretakers' eyes swung back and forth. The sound of children's cries echoed through the cemented room as the warden and nursing sisters distributed the medication. The scorching November...
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods...
Black boys are blue in the moonlight. A fitting tagline for a movie about self-discovery and individuality. A movie written by black people for a black audience, with an Oscar for Best Film. It is easy to see why Moonlight became such an important film for young black people. It...
I was very excited about going to see this film- it promised the cinematography and choreography of a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie crossed with the comedy and 'feel-good musical romance'of Mamma Mia. The opening scene did not disappoint, as a frustrating traffic jam turned into an all singing,all-dancing technicolour...
During sunny August 2016 two other students and I travelled to Belarus to attend the annual InterMEDicus camp. InterMEDicus was established to support medical and nursing students, doctors and healthcare professionals in both their professions and faith. With around 100 like-minded attendees from nine different countries, we spent the week...
You've almost certainly been lectured on child protection: warning signs and reporting procedures. Our textbooks usually stop after social services are called; well-trained professionals and a care system take over. In a low-resource setting, social services may not exist, with large children's homes the only care options. In the West, the...
You know what the Bible teaches about same-sex attraction, but it isn't realistic, is it? If that's what you're thinking then this book is for you. Ed Shaw, a committed evangelical Christian, who experiences same-sex attraction, sensitively and pragmatically highlights areas where he thinks that we, the evangelical church at large,...
Sex... despite our studies covering the topic, despite the fact it is all around us, many of us feel uncomfortable talking about it. How do we respond to the hypersexualised culture around us? How as a single person can I honour God despite (or even through) the powerful sexual urges...
'This is the first time I've ever seen snow.' The Sydenham Conference 2017 (SYD) had many 'first time'moments. For some it was the jammie dodgers at tea, for others it was the warmth of the British sun. Whatever it was, sharing moments together was a blessing. International medical students spent...
In a beautifully decorous Victorian bedroom, a middle-aged woman sits propped up in bed, a portable writing desk on her lap. Surrounding her are piles of correspondence from nurses in Britain, America and Europe: letters from Members of Parliament,reports from hospitals across England, and table and after table of statistics...
mentor maladies How do I react to an unsympathetic, unhelpful or even bullying mentor on placement? (Question posed by a first year nursing student.) First off, it's important you have support and some frame of reference from someone else, probably a peer in the same department, so that you can...
In the first of this series, (1) we noted that leadership is an increasingly popular concept in our professional context. We also saw that as Christians we are all called to leadership in the healthcare sphere. But what might this look like? Whilst there are many ways to think about...
Why did you choose to be a paediatrician? Since my student days (and before my conversion as an SHO), I have been attracted to the medical care of children. I appreciated, and still do, the generally caring atmosphere of the paediatric wards, the variety of clinical work and the three way...
It's cold upstairs at the street kids' centre and I shiver in my jumper. The children sit in thin tops, thoroughly inured. I'm doing coping techniques with the eight and nine-year-olds. Breathing techniques, superheroes and bits of soft cloth have all gone well. Now we're making pictures of a magical...
OSCE 'collusion' leads to re-run An entire OSCE is to be 're-staged' at the University of Glasgow, following suggestions of online scenario sharing. Around 270 final year students had sat the exam, following which a few had posted information about the stations on social media. Two students are facing disciplinary procedures,...
Transgender is hotly debated among Christians. This book is the perfect starting place for those new to the discussion. The book aims to give us 'tools to start to think and talk biblically' about transgender, and is a concise foundation for further reading around this complex issue. One strength is...
The Christian view of sex is increasingly despised by society - being labelled as intolerant and unforgiving. Our culture fights for free speech, yet as Christians it is becoming increasingly difficult to voice our own opinions, especially when they go against those of the 'sexual revolution' and the 180 degree...
Sexuality. A topic best avoided? Not discussed in polite society? But so fundamental to the lives of Christians and others alike. This hasn't been the easiest edition of Nucleus to put together. Much has been said and written on this subject. Some has been of great value. But we've almost all...
