Often times I am surprised that nobody around me appears to be aware of bitcoin, blockchain technology, or dapps. Having spent my 20s within the bubble of medical school and residency I am more familiar with being one of the last people to hear about things. I have complete respect for the way individual's decide to keep up with the world but I have never really had much of an appetite for watching the news or following social media. I was perpetually out of touch, but this time it was different. Cryptocurrency (bitcoin) recently came up at work and it appeared I was the only one who had been reading up and investing in this technology (I actually opened a twitter account just for this reason).
Blockchain technology is inherently difficult to explain and for the few times I have tried I catch myself sounding a little manic. Yet, the more you start to understand the applications that are possible it seems only natural that racing thoughts, pressured speech and grandiose ideas may follow. I am admittedly a fan of Ethereum and will undoubtedly be following the rise of EOS. When asked by colleagues if they should invest I never suggest anything in particular except repeating the wise advice given back in December of 2013 - if you do not know what you are doing then it might be better to just hold, or rather HODL.
So with that prescription from someone who has no investment credentials out of the way I offer the following plea: let's not lose sight of the positive impact blockchain related technology could have if we use it intelligently to solve real problems. As a physician, I can imagine a system that creates a democratic and fair solution to insurance payments, disability claims, and malpractice that does not involve third party companies and lawyers profiting at the expense of the patient.
I hope one day that these coins make us rich but let's also do what we can to guide this technology towards the type of improvement of systems I imagine the mysterious Satoshi would be proud of.
Thank you for creating Steemit and thank you to all those who have helped me learn what I know to date. If anyone wants to discuss ideas utilizing blockchain technology in the medical realm please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
Best Regards,
Kevin