Only 43% of UK Doctors Who Complete Foundation Training Go Directly to Specialty Training /  by Muhammad Amir Ayub

“Less than half of all doctors training in the UK now move directly from foundation training to specialty training, with most now taking a break from training at this stage, figures from the UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) show.

The proportion of doctors going directly from foundation training into specialty training has fallen steadily since 2009, when UKFPO first reported these figures. In 2009, 85% of those completing the foundation programme went straight into specialty training, but by 2012 this had fallen to two thirds (67%). In 2017, 43% of doctors completing the foundation programme went straight into specialty training.”

The fact that the avenue for direct training is closed in Malaysia (unless if you enter SLAB/SLAI) is baffling to me. I'm still a little bit bitter that my Masters application years ago was rejected as my service period was almost a month too short for consideration. I'm all for being careful of producing specialists with little experience (gaining experience should be a key tenet of the training program anyway), but the current training pathway seems too long taking into account the lull between housemanship and specialty training (especially if you're unlucky to get to an unwanted department after you finish housemanship). While at the same time there's real pressure in scoring in the exams as the "scholarship" only lasts for the duration of training if you do not fail a single paper (which is ridiculous as well). We're human and not supermen/superwomen.

Food for Thought Regarding Optimal Posture and Movement /  by Muhammad Amir Ayub

From Bill Hartman:

“The greater our ability to manipulate the internal pressures regardless of the task, the greater our tendency to move well or accomplish a task. When we fail to shift or manipulate the internal pressures, movement is restricted or biased.

Either we simply cannot execute a task effectively or we may be limited to such a degree that we lose the ability to dissipate or distribute stress, tension, or pressure throughout the body. In this case, focal pressure and tensions may result in pain. Ask any couch potato how their back could just start hurting for no reason.

Remember the last time you had to sit on an uncomfortable chair for an extended period of time and your butt started to hurt. Too much pressure in one place for too long. Pain can simply be the same problem.”

You'll get hurt if you do not move at all, not move in the wrong position, or move wrongly. And you'll get hurt anyway as you age as you're, um, aging. That's why I laugh when sedentary people (who complain of aches and pains anyway) decide to remain sedentary because they're "afraid to get hurt".

Just get up and moving, hopefully in a correct and safe manner, and just do your best.

On the Death of the Apple AirPort /  by Muhammad Amir Ayub

“What Apple should have done with the AirPort line is even more obvious. Clearly, this should have been baked into the Apple TV years ago. In other words, the Apple TV could have been and should have been the true “home hub” — not this silliness. The fact that Apple put in all the work they did on HomeKit and yet didn’t realize and/or act on this is, frankly, dumbfounding.

(Basically) every home has a TV. (Basically) every home has the internet. This is literally the entry point into the home. Apple had an opportunity do combine two ho-hum businesses into a very interesting — and just as importantly, very strategic — one.

Nope. Instead, we got a constantly crippled Apple TV, a constantly neglected AirPort, and… the HomePod. Great…

Just to drive it home: these should all be one product. In the living room. The center of your connected device ecosystem in the home.”

I'm saddened and disagree with Apple's exit out of the market. The router is still an essential piece for the Internet age. And the AirPort Extreme made built-in incremental backups available for consumers. Without it, one has to either pay for "local backups" via apps like Super Duper or go online like Backblaze (which I endorse). Either way you'll have to fork out a bit more cash and a bit more manual labor for the consumer (who are not all sophisticated tech-wise).

That device should have been a router/home backup system/mesh enabled/smart device/TV-type/home speaker all in one.

Until the day comes when I need a mesh network, I'll try to preserve my AirPort as long as I can, as that's how my family's computers are backed up (while the data OCD me have a couple of copies also backed up via other means).

Try out Backblaze for free and protect your precious files.