The good doctor

doi:10.1136/bmj.325.7366.723/a

From trainee to consultant, BMJ Group offers doctors around the world tailored information, special events, learning resources and recruitment services at every step along their career path.

... by doctors, for doctors, for patients
We are open for entries!

Online learning

BMJ Learning

High-quality CME / CPD for doctors and other healthcare professionals. BMJ Learning features hundreds of accredited, peer-reviewed learning modules in text, video, and audio formats. Find out more

Courses and Qualifications

BMJ Masterclasses

BMJ Masterclasses, led by experts, help clinicians to use the latest evidence and recent guidelines in practice and meet their CPD/CME requirements. Find out more

Exam Preparation

The leading provider of online exam preparation, helping over 167,000 healthcare professionals to pass their exams. Find out more

onExamination

Search all BMJ research articles:

From

Limit by

Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment. Please log in or subscribe below.

Liam Farrell, general practitioner.

Crossmaglen, County Armagh

How do you define the good doctor? How do you solve a problem like Maria? Being kind and compassionate is all very well but we need more, the rage to achieve, the pride not to accept defeat; like Milton's Satan, our vices are indistinguishable from our virtues. The qualities demanded are multiple, and they fluctuate with time and circumstances.

Jennie had an unusual form of high spirited and happy dementia, and just as I arrived at the farm she was …