Abstract
It is with mixed emotions that I write this foreword as it will be my last as Editor-in-Chief of this Journal. Over the coming months, I will be handing over my role to the eminently capable and talented Dr Dan Martin, who has served as an Associate Editor of this Journal for the last couple of years. Many of you will know Dan for his exploits on Mount Everest or for his work with UK Ebola patients; but in pursuit of ever-demanding challenges, Dan has now opted to take the helm of JICS! As a Clinical Academic, Dan has a breadth of expertise, knowledge and networks that will benefit the Journal greatly in its evolution towards greater things. Achieving PubMed Central indexing has been a huge success for the Journal and the next stage of its development will be to grow on this achievement while continuing to faithfully serve and represent our intensive care community. I know that Dan very much shares my vision of the Journal’s role within our community, but it will be exciting to see how his initiatives and leadership take it in new directions. Meanwhile, I will be taking a position on the Editorial Board and offering helpful opinions from the Royal Box in the manner of the Muppet characters Statler and Waldorf …
It has been a great honour to have been able to edit the Journal for the past five years; I have made contacts within the UK and around the world and have had the pleasure of working with some truly amazing people: authors, readers, reviewers and, of course, our fantastic editing and publishing team. I must recommend editing as a ‘value-added’ activity; in undertaking an editor’s role one meets myriad people from myriad backgrounds, many of whom demonstrate the most incredible innovation and initiative. To be able to publish their work is a privilege, not least because an editor gets to ‘share’ the hard won success of the authors. Editors develop a quick eye for critiquing literature and each manuscript reviewed contributes to one’s own education. For those wishing for a legacy, it is worth considering that the published word withstands the tests of time in a way that lectures cannot; for those wishing for more anonymous influence, an editor’s role suits equally well. Medical publishing provides an aspect to medicine that is unique in what we do, and in many ways it circumvents the more prosaic aspects of our work while providing a platform and voice to observe the world around us. It also provides a bond for the community that the journal serves. Of course, such positions come with important political, ethical and moral responsibilities, and it is my sincere hope that I have not erred in my management of these over the years.
The Journal and the attributes that it brings have been all-encompassing in my life for the past five years. I will miss it greatly, but I am looking forward with equal measure to the time it will create in my life; time that I hope to spend with my family, dog and chickens! I don’t look back with regrets – we are where we are in life as a result of the path we have taken – however, as my daughter is about to head off to university, and with my son not far behind, I can’t help but contemplate where the time has gone.
To add to the clichés, I’m not getting any younger and I’m beginning to feel it! A career in medicine can be consuming; I am no longer content for my life to be defined by ‘being a doctor’ and I am looking forward to sampling as many as possible of the delicacies on offer. It was with this in mind that I read with interest last month’s edition of ‘Lemmingaid’; I’m not planning on robbing a bank quite yet, but the article was rather provocative, and the ‘frivolous life of an aging rock star …’ does seem rather appealing! I would rather like ‘to boldly go where no-one has gone before’ but, beside the split infinitive being an editorial offence, I don’t think I have it in me to undertake deep ocean or deep space exploration – so I will have to be content with following a few existing paths, albeit the slightly-less-well-trodden ones.
As always, I must offer my thanks to all those who have made this and other issues of JICS possible; in particular the contributors, without whom there could be no Journal. Whether your work is accepted for publication or not, I take my hat off to all of you who have committed the time and effort to put ‘pen to paper’ in order to try and spread the word and change the world. Medicine is a better place because of your efforts. Never stop questioning, and never stop striving to make the world a better place for those around you.
I will sign off with the wise words of a great philosopher, Winnie-the-Pooh: How lucky I am to have [had] something that makes saying goodbye so hard .....