Bill Harvey: Are you experienced?

It is a known fact that stereotypes live on through jokes, and no more so than when describing health professionals.

Q: What is the difference between an ophthalmologist and a God? A: A God does not think of themself as an ophthalmologist.

Q: Having confirmed the existence of the Higgs boson, what next for the large hadron collider? A: To confirm the existence of an NHS dentist.

Q: How many optometrists does it take to change a light bulb? Answers by email, please.

One stereotype held about eye care professionals is that we tend to talk about work a lot. A GP colleague thinks it is our way of challenging any accusations of an ‘anorak’ existence. Anecdotes of interesting patients abound, as I reminded my increasingly administration-swamped friend, and we can all learn from them.