Since retirement, Dr Chadwick has been busy completing a Masters in Medical Humanities and History. In this article, he shows us how classic essays and a trip to an art gallery can enhance our skills in patient observation.

As medical students we were all taught the importance of ‘the golden minute of silence’ and of silently observing the patient and their surroundings. When conducting a weekly preoperative clinic, I always chose the room furthest from the waiting area so that I could watch the patient and accompanying partner walk the 25 metres into the clinical room.