Dr Muiris Houston, Masters in Medical Humanities (U Syd), Adjunct Prof Narrative Based Medicine, Trinity College Dublin.
Dr Muiris Houston’s personal website: https://muirishouston.com/about/
What is the name of your organization/association/society/research group?
DotMD is a 2 day festival of curiosity for doctors and healthcare practitioners looking for more from medicine.
WEB SITE: https://dotmd.ie
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dotMDconference/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DotMDConf
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSBMdwTzbuda4eSfW9NY-9A
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/dotmd1/
What is its story and history?
The festival was set up by Dr Ronan Kavanagh, a consultant rheumatologist in Galway, and started as a one day event 12 years ago in Dublin.
dotMD is now a two day conference in University College Galway, co-curated by Dr Kavanagh, Dr Alan Coss, consultant gastroenterologist, and Dr Muiris Houston, consultant in occupational medicine. Although the dotMD programme has been developed with the needs of doctors in mind, all health care professionals are welcome to attend.
What is its mission and its philosophy?
It is a festival of medical and healthcare curiosities. It is a novel way of maintaining professional competence. It allows healthcare professionals the space to rediscover their interests in medicine and an opportunity to reinvent themselves through the lenses of culture, the arts, philosophy and technology.
It aims to reawaken a sense of wonder and curiosity about medicine that some may have lost along the way – and help them find deeper meaning and satisfaction in their working lives by redirecting our focus as doctors both outwards (to the worlds of arts, philosophy, technology) and inwards (self care, mental health, reflection), and highlighting the unexpected resonances and synergies that occur in the spaces where disciplines meet.
How is it framed today?
A two day conference with international experts in narrative based medicine, art in medicine, music and reflective practice. One of its highlight features is called Bedside Stories, where physicians reflect on their real experiences with patients.
What are the main ongoing projects? What plans for the future?
The conferences are held every 2 years in Galway, Ireland. See www.DotMD.ie for details. Meanwhile we aim at maintaining a cooperative relationship with similar conferences and events globally.
And our hope for the future is to be able to continue to develop and improve the event.
Where did the organization/association/society/group find resistances or difficulties?
Funding is an issue, although now that we attract 400 plus delegates for a two-day event, it is getting a little easier!
No resistance and now a booked-out event.