On 5 January last, the Students’ Association of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon marked the beginning of its Series of Talks with a session on “Humour in Medicine”. The event was attended by the eminent guests Professor António Vaz Carneiro, Dr. Beatriz Quintella (Operation Red Nose) and comedian Ricardo Araújo Pereira.
Subsequently, Dr. Beatriz Quintella, President of the Operation Red Nose, explained what it is like to be a clown-doctor using an interactive quiz that involved Gorila chewing gum and nose transplants, since, at the end of the day, “to be a clown is a way of seeing the world”.
The last speaker to get on stage to offer his testimonial was comedian Ricardo Araújo Pereira. He confided that his father is an hypochondriac and that he himself participates regularly in campaigns carried out by institutions like the Portuguese Cancer Institute (IPO). In his view, the secret behind humour is quite simple and lies in awareness of death, as “the sooner we realize it exists, the more we enjoy life”.
In the second part, there was time for a pleasant chat on the couch, where the limitations and the means to associate humour with medical practice to humanise it were discussed. The final conclusion was simple: although it is true that humour itself does not bring about cure, it is unanimously agreed that it improves quality of life immensely. Therefore, laughing is indeed the best therapy.
Mariana Morgado
AEFML
geral@aefml.pt
The first speaker, Professor Doutor António Vaz Carneiro, presented, in his usual humorous manner, a set of scientific studies about the most bizarre topics, such as “How do choose your future specialty from the way you park your car”.
Subsequently, Dr. Beatriz Quintella, President of the Operation Red Nose, explained what it is like to be a clown-doctor using an interactive quiz that involved Gorila chewing gum and nose transplants, since, at the end of the day, “to be a clown is a way of seeing the world”.
The last speaker to get on stage to offer his testimonial was comedian Ricardo Araújo Pereira. He confided that his father is an hypochondriac and that he himself participates regularly in campaigns carried out by institutions like the Portuguese Cancer Institute (IPO). In his view, the secret behind humour is quite simple and lies in awareness of death, as “the sooner we realize it exists, the more we enjoy life”.
In the second part, there was time for a pleasant chat on the couch, where the limitations and the means to associate humour with medical practice to humanise it were discussed. The final conclusion was simple: although it is true that humour itself does not bring about cure, it is unanimously agreed that it improves quality of life immensely. Therefore, laughing is indeed the best therapy.
Mariana Morgado
AEFML
geral@aefml.pt
