Latest news with #medicine
The Standard
21 hours ago
- Health
- The Standard
Liver cancer to double worldwide, most of it preventable: study
Illustration photo shows various medicine pills in their original packaging in Brussels, Belgium August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Yves Herman/Illustration/File Photo
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Malay Mail
Coding my way to thinking clearer — Ungku Amirul Ariff Ungku Ariffin
JULY 29 — As a biomedical engineering student, I've had a unique journey in learning to appreciate the true value of computer programming. It's not just a technical skill; it's a way of thinking. What started as a necessity has slowly evolved into a personal discovery: that programming teaches us how to think, not just how to code. We often hear mainstream narratives glorify computer programming as a passport to high-paying tech jobs or the future. While that's not wrong, it misses a deeper, less glamorous but far more important point that programming, when taught right, is a powerful tool for shaping how we approach problems. It trains us in what my lecturer, Prof Nahrizul Adib called 'diagnostic thinking', a method of analysing, isolating and resolving problems that goes beyond screens and syntax. I truly believe this is something the younger generation urgently needs. Diagnostic thinking is a mindset where one learns to systematically trace the root cause of an issue by testing hypotheses, eliminating variables and relying on logic rather than assumption. In engineering and medicine, which are the fields I navigate in my studies, this skill is essential. Whether you're debugging a malfunctioning ventilator or investigating inconsistent patient readings, the thinking process is almost identical to what a programmer does when facing a stubborn bug in the code. What's interesting is that even students who don't plan to become programmers can benefit immensely from this kind of mental discipline. In my own experience, re-learning computer programming forced me to slow down and think in steps. I could no longer guess or 'main hentam' my way through a problem. Every error message became a puzzle. Every successful output felt earned. It changed the way I approach not just assignments, but even my daily habits. I found myself breaking down complex decisions into smaller parts, looking for patterns, testing outcomes. Whether it's optimizing my FYP or figuring out what went wrong with a 3D-printed circuit casing, the process is always the same. Isolate the variables, test systematically, debug, refine. That's diagnostic thinking in action, and programming is the best training ground for it. Programming isn't just about writing code — it's about learning to think. A biomedical engineering student argues that debugging teaches diagnostic thinking, a skill every young person needs in today's complex world. — Unsplash pic Unfortunately, in many schools and universities, programming is taught like mathematics — with an overemphasis on syntax and grades and not enough on the thinking process. Students are often judged by whether their code runs, not by how they approach a problem. This leads to a fear of failure and a shallow understanding of what the subject really offers. I say this not just as a student, but as someone who once sat in that exact seat, demotivated by red error lines and a lack of context. But imagine if we reframed programming education to emphasize the journey, not just the destination. If we taught young people that it's okay for code not to work the first time, as long as they learn to ask the right questions. If we showed them that the real skill actually lies in debugging. That's a mindset they can take into any career actually, whether they end up in tech, medicine, business, or even education. One of the biggest myths I've seen is the idea that programming is only for 'tech people': the kind who work in big MNCs and build apps. That's a narrow view. In biomedical field, programming is used in medical imaging, device control, data analysis and increasingly, in AI-driven diagnostics. But even beyond that, I think the most valuable takeaway is the way of thinking that programming instils: precise, analytical, and persistent. This is especially important for the younger generation growing up in a world full of distractions and instant answers. In a time when information is abundant but deep thinking is rare, we need to equip students with tools that teach them to pause, analyse, and think critically. Programming does just that. It teaches patience, logical sequencing, and the ability to cope with failure. These things are difficult to teach through textbooks alone. As someone who struggled with programming before, I believe it's time we shift the narrative. Let's stop treating programming as just a technical subject or a shortcut to high-income jobs. Let's recognize its real power: as a cognitive gym for the mind, where diagnostic thinking is built, tested, and sharpened. We don't need every student to become a software engineer. But we do need every student to think like one; by learning how to dissect problems, constructing solutions, and iterating until something works. Because whether you're in a hospital, a startup, or even a classroom, those are the skills that will set you apart. And sometimes, the first step to thinking clearly… is learning to debug. *The student is a final year biomedical engineering student at the Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya. **This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Malay Mail
Coding my way to think clearer — Ungku Amirul Ariff Ungku Ariffin
JULY 29 — As a biomedical engineering student, I've had a unique journey in learning to appreciate the true value of computer programming. It's not just a technical skill; it's a way of thinking. What started as a necessity has slowly evolved into a personal discovery: that programming teaches us how to think, not just how to code. We often hear mainstream narratives glorify computer programming as a passport to high-paying tech jobs or the future. While that's not wrong, it misses a deeper, less glamorous but far more important point that programming, when taught right, is a powerful tool for shaping how we approach problems. It trains us in what my lecturer, Prof Nahrizul Adib called 'diagnostic thinking', a method of analysing, isolating and resolving problems that goes beyond screens and syntax. I truly believe this is something the younger generation urgently needs. Diagnostic thinking is a mindset where one learns to systematically trace the root cause of an issue by testing hypotheses, eliminating variables and relying on logic rather than assumption. In engineering and medicine, which are the fields I navigate in my studies, this skill is essential. Whether you're debugging a malfunctioning ventilator or investigating inconsistent patient readings, the thinking process is almost identical to what a programmer does when facing a stubborn bug in the code. What's interesting is that even students who don't plan to become programmers can benefit immensely from this kind of mental discipline. In my own experience, re-learning computer programming forced me to slow down and think in steps. I could no longer guess or 'main hentam' my way through a problem. Every error message became a puzzle. Every successful output felt earned. It changed the way I approach not just assignments, but even my daily habits. I found myself breaking down complex decisions into smaller parts, looking for patterns, testing outcomes. Whether it's optimizing my FYP or figuring out what went wrong with a 3D-printed circuit casing, the process is always the same. Isolate the variables, test systematically, debug, refine. That's diagnostic thinking in action, and programming is the best training ground for it. Programming isn't just about writing code — it's about learning to think. A biomedical engineering student argues that debugging teaches diagnostic thinking, a skill every young person needs in today's complex world. — Unsplash pic Unfortunately, in many schools and universities, programming is taught like mathematics — with an overemphasis on syntax and grades and not enough on the thinking process. Students are often judged by whether their code runs, not by how they approach a problem. This leads to a fear of failure and a shallow understanding of what the subject really offers. I say this not just as a student, but as someone who once sat in that exact seat, demotivated by red error lines and a lack of context. But imagine if we reframed programming education to emphasize the journey, not just the destination. If we taught young people that it's okay for code not to work the first time, as long as they learn to ask the right questions. If we showed them that the real skill actually lies in debugging. That's a mindset they can take into any career actually, whether they end up in tech, medicine, business, or even education. One of the biggest myths I've seen is the idea that programming is only for 'tech people': the kind who work in big MNCs and build apps. That's a narrow view. In biomedical field, programming is used in medical imaging, device control, data analysis and increasingly, in AI-driven diagnostics. But even beyond that, I think the most valuable takeaway is the way of thinking that programming instils: precise, analytical, and persistent. This is especially important for the younger generation growing up in a world full of distractions and instant answers. In a time when information is abundant but deep thinking is rare, we need to equip students with tools that teach them to pause, analyse, and think critically. Programming does just that. It teaches patience, logical sequencing, and the ability to cope with failure. These things are difficult to teach through textbooks alone. As someone who struggled with programming before, I believe it's time we shift the narrative. Let's stop treating programming as just a technical subject or a shortcut to high-income jobs. Let's recognize its real power: as a cognitive gym for the mind, where diagnostic thinking is built, tested, and sharpened. We don't need every student to become a software engineer. But we do need every student to think like one; by learning how to dissect problems, constructing solutions, and iterating until something works. Because whether you're in a hospital, a startup, or even a classroom, those are the skills that will set you apart. And sometimes, the first step to thinking clearly… is learning to debug. *The student is a final year biomedical engineering student at the Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya. **This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Medscape
a day ago
- Health
- Medscape
Medscape 2050: Adam Rodman
Medscape 2050: The Future of Medicine There will come a day, predicts Adam Rodman, MD, a general internist and medical educator at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, when AI systems change disease. That's the day when they can not only diagnose diseases more accurately than humans, but define diseases in ways that only machines can understand. Take heart attacks, for example. Rodman hopes cardiologists will forgive him for pointing out that AI can already detect blocked coronary arteries from an EKG in ways that humans can't. In the not-too-distant future, Rodman believes, medicine will begin redefining more diseases and treatments that are simply not understandable by the human brain. That day isn't here yet, Rodman explains, because today's AI systems are still pretty similar to us. 'They're trained on a human understanding of disease,' he says, 'so even the best models are following the guidelines that we give them.' They mimic human reasoning, albeit a lot faster and using a lot more data. But as new AI models develop, we could reach what Rodman calls 'a nonhuman nosology': our clinical reasoning vs a machines-only thought process. And what happens when those disagree? What does it mean — for both doctors and patients — to trust a computer that we can't understand? Is this the day when doctors are out of a job? Rodman doesn't think so. Because medicine is about more than computation. There are relationships and procedures that can't be replaced. But certain areas of clinical practice will certainly change. 'If you have a job where you can sit down at a computer and interpret most of the data that has already been collected for you to make a decision,' he says, you should start looking over your shoulder. Medicine is going through an 'epistemic shift,' Rodman says, where the parameters of how we think are changing, so it's hard to predict what will come next. But we should all get ready.
The National
2 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Sweida running out of supplies under Syrian government siege
Shortages of water, food and medicine have reached critical levels in Sweida in southern Syria after a three-week siege, The National has been told. Israeli strikes and US diplomatic efforts have curbed an offensive by the government and allied militias on the heartland of the Druze minority, particularly Sweida city, the provincial capital, which is near Jordan. However, meagre supplies have kept up pressure on the area, which has resisted being placed under the control of the new central authorities, which are drawn from Syria's Sunni majority, although the Syrian Red Crescent has sent three aid convoys from Damascus. Syria's Information Minister Hamza Mustafa said that 'humanitarian aid heading to Sweida has not stopped', and pinned the blame on 'an outlaw group who wants to exploit the suffering of people for its separatist goals'. He was referring to the Druze spiritual leadership, which has coalesced in recent weeks under Sheikh Hikmat Al Hijri. The conflict in Sweida is the latest pitting the government against Syria's minorities since Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a splinter group from Al Qaeda, ousted the dictator Bashar Al Assad in December. In March, hundreds of civilians were killed in a campaign against the coastal Alawite heartland. Tensions with Kurds in northern and eastern Syria are also high. Suhail Thebian, a civil figure in Sweida, told The National that, in addition to the almost complete absence of electricity, there has been no water for days because the attacking forces blew up the water wells in the nearby area of Thaala, on which Sweida city depends. 'Remaining wells are not functioning because there is no diesel to operate them. There is no flour either,' he said. He pointed to the destruction of a major mill north of Sweida, an area where government attacks have not stopped, and the near halting of supplies from Damascus. 'As far medicine, what can I tell you? There is none.' Mr Thebian said that even if the government reactivates energy supply to Sweida, its forces surrounding the city have been attacking the high voltage lines, making electricity a rarity. 'Don't forget that baby milk has long run out. The shops are empty or have been looted,' Mr Thebian said. At Sweida National Hospital, a doctor who gave his name as Khaldoun said that 'serums, painkillers, surgical thread, antibiotics, are critically low. We need all this to operate. There is nothing left to treat bone wounds, my speciality,' he said. A Syrian Red Crescent official said a convoy with 1,000 food baskets as well as 200 tonnes of food should enter Sweida on Monday, the third such convoy since clashes subsided last week. On Thursday a convoy with 30,000 litres of fuel arrived in the besieged city. 'The priority is to keep the main hospital (Sweida National) in service,' he said. The official said 4,000 baskets for use by the displaced, containing household disinfectants, nylon separation barriers and other items to cope with minimal shelter, were also sent to Sweida on Monday. The aid also included a consignment of medicine, he said. The area came under several attacks by the government, starting on June 11, days after talks failed between the central authorities and Mr Al Hijri on admitting security forces into Sweida. The government sent in tanks and troops anyway, after clashes broke out between Druze and Sunni residents of Sweida on June 9, following the kidnapping of a Druze trader on a government-controlled road north of the city. A source in Jordan said that Syrian government forces had entered more than a dozen strategically important villages in the west and north of the city. This has deprived hundreds of thousands of Sweida residents of access to Damascus, and to the nearby province of Deraa, birthplace of the 2011 Syrian revolt. East of Sweida lies the Syriac desert, leading effectively to nowhere. In the 1950s, the Syrian government closed a crucial southern border crossing between Jordan and Sweida, part of attempts to to pressure the Druze to be subservient to Damascus. 'By waging this war, and now this crisis in food, water and medicine, Al Jawlani has struck the death knell in Syria's national unity,' said Mr Thebian, using the former nom de guerre of President Ahmad Al Shara. 'Sweida was the conscience of Syria,' Mr Thebian said, referring to a civil disobedience movement waged by the Druze against Mr Al Assad in the last year and a half of his rule. 'I don't think it will continue this way.'
