Competition: A rare insight into the private world of Irish doctors will be gained this week with the start of a medical mastermind competition to culminate in a grand final with one of TV's best known quizmasters, Magnus Magnusson.
Sixty doctors from around the State will have to sit in the black chair - made famous by the TV quiz show - and prove their knowledge of a specialist non-medical subject. So what kind of subjects interest doctors? What books do they read after a hard day of ward rounds or GP appointments?
Confounding all the stereotypes, some at least are admitting to interests that could hardly be described as high-brow - Coronation Street, The Simpsons, Fawlty Towers, the Doonsbury comic strip and Liverpool Football Club. Organisers stress that a very diverse range of topics has been chosen from such areas as film, literature, history and philosophy.
Consultant paediatrician at Limerick Regional Hospital Dr Michael J. Mahony confesses to a secret passion for modern history. The Corkman always has a history book by his bedside, and Michael Collins is a hero of his. So the life and times of the republican leader was an obvious choice for him.
"Finding time to read history is difficult but I find that a book by the bedside is a great way to relax and it helps you get a good night's sleep. Also if I do watch TV, I go straight for the history channel," he says.
Dr Mahony says he was pushed into taking part by his wife and three sons who were of the view that he'd answered enough TV quiz questions from the comfort of his armchair.
Another motivation for all the doctors involved is the fact that the whole exercise is designed to raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease and to raise funds for the Western Alzheimer Foundation, which provides services including respite and day care in counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.
While the competition aims to remind doctors of the link between memory loss and Alzheimers, some of the topics chosen would clearly challenge the mental faculties of the average fully-functioning quiz participant.
Dr Shane Gill, for example, has picked "Early Wittgenstein" - Wittgenstein being a philosopher who founded a field in philosophy known as "logical positivism".
The Dublin GP explains his choice: "I just like philosophy generally and he is one of my favourite philosophers. He was probably one of the most intelligent people of the 20th century."
Medical mastermind has been organised by Shire Pharmaceuticals Ireland, as part of series of events aimed at raising both awareness of the disease and funds for the Western Alzheimer Foundation. The idea of involving Magnus Magnusson, who hosted the TV Mastermind from 1972 to 1997, and using the same format as the famous quiz was designed to emphasise the link between memory loss and Alzheimers.
The general manager of Shire Pharmaceuticals, Mr Brian Martin, said there were two key messages they were hoping to get across, firstly that memory loss is not a normal part of ageing, despite the common misconception that it is, and secondly, the importance of early intervention. "So basically if you see someone having memory loss problems, showing signs associated with Alzheimer's disease, it is important to act now, to get them to a GP," he said.
Medical mastermind heats take place in nine venues across the country throughout November with two semi-finals taking place in Dublin on December 9th, followed by a final hosted by Magnus Magnusson at the Royal College of Surgeons on January 20th. Members of the public are being encouraged to attend all events and it is hoped the series will raise a total of €10,000 for the Western Alzheimer Foundation. The winner gets €5,000, half of which goes to an Alzheimer-related project of the doctor's choosing.
Heat venues and dates: Tallaght Hospital - November 1st and 9th; The Mater, Dublin - November 3rd; NUI Clinical Sciences building, November 8th; Cork University, November 10th; Mid Western Hospital, Limerick - November 11th; Louth County Hospital, Dundalk - November 15th; Radisson SAS Sligo - November 17th; Hodson Bay, Athlone - November 22nd; Waterford Institute of Technology; November 23rd.