Jest for the Health of It
This event is offered in-person and livestream (check below for ticket options)
“There ain’t much fun in medicine, but there is a lot of medicine in fun”. Join Dr. Ken Shonk as he briefly outlines the anatomy, biochemistry, physiology and classification of humour and laughter and shares many examples from his life, research and medical practice.
What are the uses of humour and laughter in ageing, handling chronic disease and even in palliative care? Learn simple ways to stimulate “Happiness Chemicals”. Explore why he feels that “Sense of Humour” should be added as the seventh evolutionary sense.
His presentation will be sprinkled with lousy jokes, frequent puns, and anecdotal stories from 50 years of medical practice. Be prepared to laugh and learn with him!
Presenter: Dr. Ken Shonk
Speaker
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Dr. Ken ShonkDr. Ken Shonk is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario in Medicine in 1970 and received the CCFP in 1978. He has been in family practice in Kitchener Waterloo for 50 years. His interest in humour and laughter began more than thirty years ago in 1988. He has attended 6 international Conferences on Laughter and Play and has delivered almost 1000 presentations on this topic. He is the author of “Laughter from Womb to Tomb”.
His interests include canoeing and he has taken several high Arctic white-water trips. He has been married for 55 years and has 3 adult children and 9 grandchildren.
