So just what is a String of Medical Pearls?

In medical school, a “pearl” is a nugget of knowledge, bestowed upon a grateful student by a caring professor. Not exactly a lesson, it is more of a little solitary gem, something to be treasured and kept; and ultimately passed along to another student years later. Of course, most of these pearls are medical factoids and techniques which, while often useful and interesting, are of little value to non-medical personnel. However, over the more than thirty years I have been practicing primary care medicine, I have often found myself repeating this or that lesson to patients.

While many of these lessons relate to dieting, cholesterol, blood sugar, or the like, the ones most often repeated are those that relate to interpersonal and intrapersonal behaviors. How we relate to others, and how we relate to ourselves, is so often a source of conflict, so often a flag for attention, that I decided to put those ideas down into a blog so that they could enjoy a wider dissemination. Here, I hope to be able to give you simple, practical advise on how to deal with common problems.

Some of the principals in this blog are derived from sayings or aphorisms that you may have heard from your grandmother. There is great wisdom in some of these sayings; and I shall endeavor to show you how some of these venerable sayings can continue to have a significant impact in your daily life. On the other hand, some of the principals contained in these pages are derived from a practical application of psychiatric and psychologic principals. The trouble with many of these principals is that they are so stiff and formal that they seem to have little relevance to our daily activities. Just as I can show you the elegance contained in old sayings, I hope to show you the simplicity contained in some of these otherwise formal statements.

But first, of course, a disclaimer. Nothing on this blog should be used to directly diagnose or treat an ailment. I offer this information as friendly advise, not within a doctor - patient relationship. I urge you to take this information to your personal physician, discuss it, and see if, and how, it fits with your personal situation. Only then, and in concordance with your own physician's instructions, should you proceed in any way.

This material and entire blog copyright © 2009 by Marc I. Leavey, M.D.
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