title: Multiple sclerosis in a postgraduate student of anaesthesia: illness in doctors and fitness to practice.
abstract: A 29-year-old previously healthy woman, a doctor, was diagnosed with remitting relapsing multiple sclerosis after fulfilling McDonald's criteria for the diagnosis of definite multiple sclerosis. Despite 22 months of immunomodulatory treatment, the feasibility of continuing to train in a stressful specialty of medicine became an ethical and practical dilemma. Fitness for practice and career advancement among doctors with illnesses or having cognitive and physical decline from disease and/or ageing is a global problem. The need for addressing this issue in a compassionate and comprehensive manner is discussed. Cognitive and physical fitness are required in doctors and other healthcare workers since medical errors/adverse events are commonplace in medical practice. The public welfare is equally important in this global problem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Neurology Unit, San Fernando Teaching Hospital, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago.
authors.forename: Antonio Jose
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8000-4655
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, San Fernando Teaching Hospital, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago Department of Medicine, Surgi-Med Clinic, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago.
authors.forename: Kanterpersad
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2937-6362
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ramcharan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, San Fernando Teaching Hospital, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago.
authors.forename: Sharda
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1318-6241
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting; D010815:Physician Impairment; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago
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