Thursday 29th September 2022
Cancer Patient Summaries for Safer On-call Decision Making
Dr Naser Raafat
Once again this year, The Society has sponsored an award for the Torbay Hospital Quality Improvement Projects, presented by junior doctors at the hospital.
The winner, Dr Naser Raafat ("Raafi") will join us on September 29th to receive his prize and to present a summary of his work to the Society.
Raafi is an F2 doctor at Torbay on the AFP - Leadership stream.
He will be presenting a QIP he worked on throughout his F1 year, starting with his first job on Turner ward.
The project was also presented at the Bristol National Patient Safety Conference.
Outside medicine, Raafi's interests include running, coding, cooking, and travelling.
Thursday 27th October 2022
Entrepreneurship in Medicine
Marc Koska
In the mid-1980s, Mr. Koska invented the K-1 Auto-Disable Syringe, a device that stops the spread of blood-borne diseases and infection by making it impossible to reuse medical needles and syringes.
In 2005, he founded the nonprofit SafePoint Trust to educate children about the dangers of employing used needles.
To date, Marc’s invention and leadership are estimated to have saved 12 million lives.
In 2015, WHO director, Dr. Margaret Chan announced a new global policy on injection safety, promoting Auto-Disable syringes.
Among many other honors bestowed upon Mr. Koska, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his “contribution to global healthcare.”
Thursday 24th November 2022
My Kidney and Me
A half century journey overcoming kidney failure
Andy Demaine
Andy grew up in Torquay enjoying boats and the sea but in 1969 at the age of 12 he was struck down with acute kidney failure.
His often harrowing story revolves around his care locally at Torbay and Exeter and his chance introduction to Professor Roy Calne from Cambridge.
Professor Calne took on his case at a time when under 18s were not even considered for transplantation.
Andy overcame innumerable odds to study Biochemistry at Leeds and then worked in the Tissue Typing lab at Guys under Dr Ken Welsh who hm to pursue a career in molecular biology and renal research.
Having gained his PhD, Andy was invited to set up molecular biology research at Kings College School of Medicine and Dentistry from whence he was head-hunted by the University of Plymouth to help set up a new medical school in the SW Pensinsula.
Hold on to your seats to hear the full story of what happened over half a century ago, which includes a French Connection style chase from Torquay to Cambridge to meet the kidney that saved his life!
Thursday 26th January 2023
Tales of the Dart Estuary
John Risdon
John Risdon was born in Brixham and has spent his life in Devon. In a varied career, John has worked in a timber yard, for the Admiralty, as a teacher, and in his own publishing business.
Throughout that time, John’s passion has been the history, geology, and geography of the Devon coastline and countryside. His guided walks and talks cover every aspect of Torbay, Dartmouth and the rolling hills of Dartmoor.
In this talk, John will regale us with Tales of The Dart Estuary!
He says, "I love my County and home of Galmpton, close by the Dart and waters of Torbay, with a quiet intensity, warts and all!
It retains a unique, ever-changing beauty with its world important heritage wrapped snugly within, waiting for the enquiring mind to delve deeper."
What hidden gems will he uncover - even for those who have also spent a lifetime in the area?
Join us to find out…
Thursday 23rd February 2023
The Psychology of Weather Forecasts
Helen Roberts
Helen Roberts joined the Met Office as a trainee weather forecaster in 2003, and spent much of her career as an operational meteorologist.
She worked as a TV weather presenter for BBC Spotlight, and can still be seen occasionally on screen presenting the weather for a variety of channels.
In 2020, Helen's career took a new direction, focussing on partnerships and collaborations, including a year in the Met Office innovation team.
Having spotted a gap in Met Office capabilities, Helen studied for an MSc in psychology alongside her day job, and created the role she now occupies as ‘socio-meteorologist’.
In this role, Helen works at the intersection of the social and physical sciences in order to ensure their forecasts and warnings help people make better decisions to stay safe and thrive.
Join us to hear Helen explain how psychology and social science are used at the Met Office - including a look at what happens when (very occasionally!) the forecast goes wrong.
Helen Roberts is a co-hosts of the Met Office podcast ‘Mostly Weather’.
Thursday 30th March 2023
The South West Coast Path:
A Smuggling Legacy
Rear Admiral Bob Mark MSc, FRIN, FIOD, ChD
Rear Admiral Bob Mark MSc, FRIN, FIOD, ChD
Bob is a former Royal Navy Hydrographer, the Navy’s smallest, and oldest, sub-specialisation, which surveys the seas and oceans to create the charts and navigational data published by the UK Hydrographic Office.
Bob has commanded four of the Navy’s specialist survey ships, and held roles in civil and military policy, and in the procurement of a replacement fleet of modern specialist vessels.
He has been the Director of Corporate Strategy for Defence Logistics and the Naval Director of the Royal College of Defence Studies in London.
He retired from the Navy as a Rear Admiral in 2007, becoming a partner in a global strategy consultancy.
Bob is a Freeman of the City of London, and has been Master of one of the City Livery Companies, the Worship Company of Water Conservators.
He has been a Trustee of the SW Coast Path Association Charity since 2017, and Chair of the the Association Board of Trustees for the past year.
Thursday 27th April 2023
TDMS Quiz Night
Following the success of our first Quiz Night, we will be repeating the event for our April meeting.
Entry will be £5 per person including a buffet, which will be available from 7:30pm, prior to an 8pm start.
The quiz will be a General Knowledge quiz - not a test of your medical knowledge - although there may be questions related to past talks given to the Society...!
Members are invited to form teams of up to 6 people to participate in the quiz.
If you do not have a team, or would like to top up with additonal team members, please let us know - or turn up on the night and we will make sure you are accommodated.
Please book your places in advance to help us manage the food requirements.