Dr Ima Kwak hesitated. The oblique angle of the antique mirror captured him seated in his wood-panelled office; the leather olive-green captain’s chair highlighted his status. He caught himself glancing and sighed. That advert had sounded promising.
“Immersive Scenarios ensure every trainee surgeon is practice-ready for ONLY a fraction of your traditional cost.”
Still he held back from clicking the know-more link. The responsibilities of Regional Post-Graduate Dean in Medical Education had over the 26 years seeped, morphed and varicosed as if from an untreatable haemophiliac. It now included fiscal responsibility and he was at heart a clinician not an accountant.
Who to consult? Any colleagues who might understand would regard peer consultation as a sign of indecision, weakness and him as a prime candidate for early retirement. He was not ready for that. Golfing friends would simply be unable to grasp what he was talking about. His wife had no interest beyond the conference stays at lavish hotels,- with their private hot-tubs and exotic therapies: their 1500 thread Egyptian Cotton sheets: their fine-dining tasting menus.
The baitings of his youth,“Here comes duck-face…quack quack,” had been decisive in turning an unfortunate name into an asset… he was unforgettable. Perhaps this had been a clever ploy on the part of his Korean parents. He remembered them as aspirational, courageous and above all supportive. He had never had the nerve to quiz them about his name’s origin. Now it was too late.
So who to turn to? Chat GPT seemed worth a try.
“Explain how an image is formed in a mirror” Dr Kwak asked
“It depends if the mirror is plane or curved. In a plane mirror the light rays converge and this indicates a real image. This is represented formulaic-ally with a plus sign. In a convex mirror the light rays only appear to be converging and this happens behind the mirror, so the image is a virtual image, – negative if you use the algorithm”
“Virtual not real? Does that mean a false image? a false reality? And what does “reverse error” on the printermean….. that it’s incorrectly scanned as positive when it’s actually negative? If I see myself in a mirror am I seeing my real self or a false self, an avatar? Speak!”
“Lets not go down that philosophical rabbit hole” The seductive female GBT voice had rapidly learnt that a self-deprecating presentation of ignorance was more acceptable to Ima than than outright admission.
“OK Move on. When would you treat peroneal weakness surgically and what would it cost within 5 to 10 percent”
“For 3rd degree tears after childbirth when reconstructive surgery is necessary.” Costing impossible to assess without further information” Chat GBT purred
“No peroneal, the outer side of the leg, not the perineal, pelvic floor.”
That’s the problem with these chatbots.. Their hearing is flawed and they get easily confused.
Dr Kwak thought as he returned to the advert and clicked the know-more link
He looked towards the mirror. A blank.
