Junior doctor, Researcher, Writer, Broadcaster

Mark ZY Tan is a junior doctor in anaesthetics and intensive care medicine. He is also an NIHR academic clincal fellow with the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute University of Manchester.

About
Projects

Lastest highlights

  • 1st prize – Doctors for the NHS/JRSM essay competition 2023 – 1948 healthcare: still appropriate today?
  • 1st & joint 2nd prize – Society of Medical Writers’ Autumn 2022 competition
  • 2nd prize – Health Education England “holding onto humanity” essay competition – Gymnopedie
  • 3rd prize – Doctors for the NHS/JRSM essay competition 2021 – Critical but Stable
  • A Letter to Lydia Lent Talk 2021 commissioned by BBC R4 – Finalist for Sandford St Martin Broadcasting award 2022.
  • Finalist for the Dr Paul Kalanithi Writing Award 2021 – Poetry
  • Honourable Mention for the Hektoen International Grand Prix 2021 – Painting an ICU
  • BBC Radio 4 pick of the week 17 Oct 2021 – Daily Service 11 Oct 2021
  • Telephone Lament for Coronavirus received widespread praise Apr 2020.

Selected Publications

Gymnopédie: Music in the ICU. 2nd prize winner of the Health Education England essay competition 2021.
TAN, M. Z. Y. 2022. Intensive Care Medicine. DOI: 10.1007/s00134-022-06935-3

Resilience is a dirty word: misunderstood, and how we can truly build it
TAN, M. Z. Y. 2022. Critical Care, 26, 168. DOI: 10.1186/s13054-022-04040-x

Critical but Stable – Critical care communication in the COVID-19 pandemic. 3rd prize winnter Doctors for the NHS essay competition 2021.
TAN, M. Z. Y. 2022. Intensive Care Medicine. DOI: 10.1007/s00134-022-06675-4

Cardioembolic strokes resulting from a self-inflicted puncture involving both sides of the heart
Tan MZY, Brunswicker A, Abdulraheem S, Sheehan A. Echocardiography. 2017;34:614–616. https://doi.org/10.1111/echo.13493

Saffold virus, an emerging human cardiovirus
Tan, S. Z. K., Tan, M. Z. Y., and Prabakaran, M. Rev. Med. Virol. 2017;27:e1908. doi: 10.1002/rmv.1908.

Mediastinitis, pseudo-aneurysm formation, aortic bleed, and death from endoscopic botulinum toxin injection
Tan, Mark ZY, Jennifer Whitgift, and Hugh Warren. Endoscopy 48.S 01 (2016): E186-E187.

Leonardo da Vinci’s five grotesque heads: early evidence of cranio-facial mycobacterial infection
Tan, M., Harling, L. & Ashrafian, H. Infection (2014) 42: 795. doi:10.1007/s15010-014-0644-y

Analysis of timelines from ‘medically fit’ to discharge in older patients in the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
Tan, M. Z.; Mackett, A.; Ratcliff, C.; Niruban, A. Age & Ageing . Oct2014 Supplement, Vol. 43 Issue suppl_2, pii9-ii9. 1p.

Michelangelo’s John the Baptist and thalassemia
Tan, M., Goh, S. & Ashrafian, H. Ann Hematol (2013) 92: 1293. doi:10.1007/s00277-013-1710-8

Comments about my writing

Gown, Gloves, Goggles and Mask

A wonderful tribute to all healthcare workers who have worked under extremely stressful circumstances and sacrificed much caring for COVID-19 patients, especially those in ICUs. This article, written in a concise and poetic style, has given the readers a glimpse of the loving tender care provided by them during this stressful time and has certainly pulled my heartstrings.

Telephone Lament for Coronavirus

Your lament, read on Sunday this morning, is the MOST moving thing I have heard – or read – during this whole pandemic. It reduces me to tears. Your humanity, compassion and dedication shine through.

Jan

Daily Service

Your ‘Daily Services’ have been a rich blessing to me, because the name of the Lord has been extolled, each time.

Michael

Telephone Lament for Coronavirus

I just wanted you to know how moved I was by your writing. It’s shocking (perhaps shaming) how accustomed we get to the huge numbers – infections, hospitalisations, even deaths – but you have brought the message down to one, and it’s so powerful it brought a lump to my throat.

Chris