Hello. My name is Nicholas, and I’m a medical student, pianist, and writer from Singapore.
As a contributing writer to SMA News and a former contributor to various medical student societies’ periodicals (The Quadriceps and Placebo), I enjoy both learning and writing about medicine-related content.
But that’s not all. On my blog, I write about all sorts of things beyond medicine that interest me.
Recently, I started a new and exciting journey in strength training in the form of lifting weights. As a beginner, I am excited to document my progress and share my experiences and newfound knowledge with you. As such, on my YouTube channel, you’d now find a mix of my piano and fitness content.
Musings of guileless candour: an index
2023
05(02): A brief reflection on palliative medicine
05(01): Quadriceps or quinticeps?
2022
04(17): Why and how I lost 10 kg in 5 months, and successfully sustained it; lessons learnt, and next steps
04(16): Why 1 kg weight loss takes away 4 kg-equivalent of stress from the hip – a tango between medicine and Newtonian mechanics
04(15): A medical condition in which you shed crocodile tears
04(14): What objectively determines the physical attractiveness of a man’s face?
04(13): The secret of success according to the world’s greatest sushi chef
04(12): Aesthetic medicine – does it deserve such a bad rap?
04(11): Justin Bieber – a case study on facial nerve palsy and basic neurolocalisation
04(10): The finale of a global challenge that was held in London, and sightseeing in the city
04(09): Evolving views on social media
04(08): Notable snippets from a second read of Cal Newport’s “Digital Minimalism”
04(07): Earth without art is just ‘eh’
04(06): An unexpected appreciation for my piano arrangement of “The Road Ahead”
04(05): A revitalised urge for discipline in one’s pursuit of the deep life
04(04): A letter to 6-year-old Nic
04(03): Comparison is the thief of joy
04(02): Establishing a basic skincare routine
04(01): My journey with myopia and glasses
2021
03(04): Vivid and bizarre dream which interrupted my sleep
03(03): Saving a life
03(02): There’s more to it than “just exercise more”
03(01): Takeaways from drafting a patient’s chronic care plan
2020
02(11): LLPSI Pars I Familia Romana, Capitulum Quintum
02(10): LLPSI Pars I Familia Romana, Capitulum Quartum
02(09): LLPSI Pars I Familia Romana, Capitulum Tertium
02(08): LLPSI Pars I Familia Romana, Capitulum Secundum
02(07): LLPSI Pars I Familia Romana, Capitulum Primum
02(06): Getting back to learning Latin again after a hiatus; learn Latin with me.
02(05): Are there really different types of intelligence?
02(04): Take learning in medical school to the next level with AMBOSS
02(03): Thank you, anonymous listener
02(02): Pi day
02(01): Thoughts on the 2001 movie “Wit”
2019
01(32): Should we abandon medical eponyms?
01(31): How I chose the pieces for my piano exam, and what I could have done differently
01(30): Think twice before swimming in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, and hot springs overseas?
01(29): What do beta-lactams and perhaps the smallest known living organism have in common?
01(28): Blood types, and converting type A to type O blood with two gut bacterial enzymes
01(27): Eh blarder, u god g6pd anot. dis g6pd si simi?
01(26): The world’s smallest motor
01(25): The fascinating story of Helicobacter pylori
01(24): Winning the genetic lottery for handspans as a pianist isn’t enough
01(23): The over-emphasis of patient autonomy under the guise of patient-centred care
01(22): I finally met you
01(21): Ms, Miss, Mrs, and Madam. What’s the difference?
01(20): The irony of the innominate artery, and other things
01(19): How to determine the last NRIC letter from the starting letter, and digits
01(18): The last right-side expressway exit left in Singapore
01(17): Joyce’s Ulysses, and the legacy of Latin
01(16): Lantern Festival – the Chinese Valentine’s Day
01(15): How I started tickling the ivories, quit, then rekindled my love for music
01(14): What I learnt from ‘His Robes For Mine’
01(13): Why grands are generally better than uprights
01(12): Why isn’t there a CC18 on the Circle Line?
01(11): How this song’s title (‘Everyday’) left me bemused for a long time
01(10): Making sense of the Chinese calendar
01(09): On months and seasons
01(08): Days of the week
01(07): Story behind the hymn ‘Living For Jesus’
01(06): Holy, Hallow, Sanctus
01(05): The story behind the hymn ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’
01(04): Calvary or cavalry?
01(03): Do leap years always occur every four years?
01(02): Why do most timepieces with Roman numerals use ‘IIII’ instead of ‘IV’?
01(01): Blogogenesis