Many years ago I wrote in our MMSN Newsletter that we should not have a blind commitment to the goods of this world because this may lead us astray from true happiness, our ultimate goal. As young doctors (and potentially huge earners) I felt that we could easily fall prey to this lifestyle. So, you can imagine my delight when young Dr. Siddhartha Yadav, from the Mayo Clinic, brought up this line about the blind commitment in the course of his talk in Kathmandu in our recent journal club meeting. Siddhartha went to IOM, Maharajgunj for medical school. He had remembered it even after all these years when he first came to the MMSN journal club meetings, starting as a medical student. I was very impressed that this line had resonated so well with him that he wanted to share this with his younger colleagues in the recent journal club.

This recollection may be a strange way to start the opening message in our medicine and science-based MMSN website, but I think as you young doctors go ahead enhancing your medical career, you need to be spiritually and philosophically smart, even so that you can more easily achieve your goals. Blind commitment to earthly goods will be less overpowering if we learn to give, and giving will put you on the right path. You could certainly give generously in money terms for many worthwhile causes, but you can also give sincerely of your time and energy to help others without seeking any return. Any form of carefree, heartfelt giving (something as simple as an encouraging smile to a friend feeling hopeless) can be personally very rewarding. And, if you continually give, even the sacred mountains which form the basis for our Society will take note and help ensure that you are not wanting in your desire to give. As a result of which you will be even more inspired and encouraged to help others, and in the process, you will achieve your goal of being a competent, knowledgeable mountain medicine doctor to serve your country and humanity at large.

Ha ha, now you can explore the website, and I am sorry for this unusual, little distraction.

Buddha Basnyat, MD

President, MMSN