http://web.me.com/doctormark/NHCA/Blog/Blog.html Who I am: I’m Mark Donohoe, a doctor from Australia, and currently president of the Natural Health Care Alliance (NHCA). This is my NHCA Blog, a spot to put out ideas on the practitioners of natural health care in Oz. iWeb 3.0 http://web.me.com/doctormark/NHCA/Blog/Blog_files/MarkInformal.jpg http://web.me.com/doctormark/NHCA/Blog/Blog.html 60 no Who I am: I’m Mark Donohoe, a doctor from Australia, and currently president of the Natural Health Care Alliance (NHCA). This is my NHCA Blog, a spot to put out ideas on the practitioners of natural health care in Oz. Who I am: I’m Mark Donohoe, a doctor from Australia, and currently president of the Natural Health Care Alliance (NHCA). This is my NHCA Blog, a spot to put out ideas on the practitioners of natural health care in Oz. en http://web.me.com/doctormark/NHCA/Blog/Entries/2008/4/4_Supporting_%22Holism%22.html d79b0e37-0c1e-42b8-9ae3-e2dc1c81705c Fri, 4 Apr 2008 18:27:25 +1100 <a href="http://web.me.com/doctormark/NHCA/Blog/Entries/2008/4/4_Supporting_%22Holism%22_files/BMJ%20on%20Holism%20in%20Medicine%20April%202008.pdf"><img src="http://web.me.com/doctormark/NHCA/Blog/Media/object012.png" style="float:left; padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:10px; width:160px; height:84px;"/></a>Interesting article on Holism from the perspective of a medical student in <a href="http://www.bmj.com/current.dtl">current BMJ</a>. (<a href="http://student.bmj.com/search/pdf/08/04/sbmj144.pdf">click on image or here to download</a>)<br/><br/>The discussion about the place of holistic care in Medicine has yet to be really thought through. &quot;Holism&quot; without tradition or wisdom is a masterful medical marketing scam. IMHO.<br/><br/>The &quot;tradition&quot; of Medicine, its roots in environment and diet and &quot;the externals&quot;, needs to be profoundly rediscovered, not superficially appropriated by an increasingly technological profession keen to keep a century-old monopoly rolling. &quot;Holism&quot; is not a curriculum item - it is a lifetime of commitment and willingness to learn from those who seek our care. <br/><br/>The truth for me is that as doctors, we leave University clever and powerful well beyond our capacity. We know so much that we are dangerous. Our life course is not &quot;Evidence based medicine&quot;, but &quot;compassionate humility and love&quot;. Or something along those lines. <br/><br/>We kid ourselves that we are objective, rational and evidence based people - then go and fall in love and have children! We worship at the EBM altar, yet deep down we know that wisdom arises from elsewhere - the gift of being invited into the lives, fears, hopes, loves and losses of those who patiently come to educate us - and pay for the privilege - every day. <br/> <br/>The road to the holism that our patients seek is probably neither neat nor paved. I suspect that the Natural Health Care Alliance has the job of helping construct that road in a way that invites the committed healer to explore, and supports a lifetime's journey of loving discovery and ultimate mastery.<br/><br/>And evidence is a part of that support.<br/><br/><br/>The history of medicine does not depart from the history of the people <br/><br/> James G. Mumford (1863-1914) <br/><br/><br/>Life is short, the art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgement difficult. The physician must be ready, not only to do his duty himself, but also to secure the cooperation of the patient, of the attendants, and of externals.<br/><br/> Hippocrates (c. 460 BC – c. 357 BC) Greek Physician no Interesting article on Holism from the perspective of a medical student in current BMJ. (click on image or here to download) The discussion about the place of holistic care in Medicine has yet to be really thought through. "Holism" without tradit Interesting article on Holism from the perspective of a medical student in current BMJ. (click on image or here to download) The discussion about the place of holistic care in Medicine has yet to be really thought through. "Holism" without tradition or wisdom is a masterful medical marketing scam. IMHO. The "tradition" of Medicine, its roots in environment and diet and "the externals", needs to be profoundly rediscovered, not superficially appropriated by an increasingly technological profession keen to keep a century-old monopoly rolling. "Holism" is not a curriculum item - it is a lifetime of commitment and willingness to learn from those who seek our care.  The truth for me is that as doctors, we leave University clever and powerful well beyond our capacity. We know so much that we are dangerous. Our life course is not "Evidence based medicine", but "compassionate humility and love". Or something along those lines. We kid ourselves that we are objective, rational and evidence based people - then go and fall in love and have children! We worship at the EBM altar, yet deep down we know that wisdom arises from elsewhere - the gift of being invited into the lives, fears, hopes, loves and losses of those who patiently come to educate us - and pay for the privilege - every day.    The road to the holism that our patients seek is probably neither neat nor paved. I suspect that the Natural Health Care Alliance has the job of helping construct that road in a way that invites the committed healer to explore, and supports a lifetime's journey of loving discovery and ultimate mastery. And evidence is a part of that support. The history of medicine does not depart from the history of the people  James G. Mumford (1863-1914)  Life is short, the art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgement difficult. The physician must be ready, not only to do his duty himself, but also to secure the cooperation of the patient, of the attendants, and of externals. Hippocrates (c. 460 BC – c. 357 BC) Greek Physician