Learning Medicine

Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Foreword......Page 11
Preface......Page 13
1 Why medicine and why not?......Page 15
So, why medicine?......Page 17
And, why not?......Page 22
Making your own decision......Page 24
2 Opportunity and reality......Page 27
Opportunities for women......Page 28
Ethnic minorities......Page 30
Mature students......Page 31
Overseas applicants......Page 36
Equal opportunities, equal difficulties?......Page 37
3 Requirements for entry......Page 41
Broader requirements......Page 42
Personal health requirements and disability......Page 44
Academic requirements......Page 46
Graduate students......Page 49
How about resits?......Page 50
Survival ability......Page 51
4 Choosing a medical school......Page 53
Finances......Page 59
A gap year?......Page 61
Mature and graduate students......Page 62
5 Application and selection......Page 69
Personal details......Page 70
Other information......Page 71
Getting an interview......Page 74
When to apply......Page 76
6 Interviews......Page 79
The purpose......Page 80
Dress and demeanour......Page 81
The conversation......Page 82
Offers......Page 83
7 Medical school: the early years......Page 85
The subjects, systems, and topics......Page 87
The teaching and the teachers......Page 88
Communication skills......Page 96
Intercalated honours degrees......Page 98
Assessment......Page 99
Working hard, playing hard......Page 100
8 Medical school: the later years......Page 103
The clinical subjects......Page 113
The elective......Page 119
Assessments and examinations......Page 121
9 Doubts......Page 125
Vocational doubts......Page 127
Personal doubts......Page 129
10 The new doctor......Page 133
The Foundation Programme......Page 134
Being a house officer......Page 136
The hours......Page 139
The pay......Page 142
The good life......Page 143
11 Developing your career......Page 145
The career path......Page 146
The SHO......Page 147
Becoming a specialist......Page 148
Postgraduate medical education......Page 149
The specialist registrar......Page 150
Improving working lives......Page 151
Becoming a consultant......Page 153
Becoming a GP......Page 155
Appraisal......Page 156
Revalidation and licence to practise......Page 157
How and when to decide which speciality......Page 159
General practice......Page 161
Accident and emergency......Page 163
Anaesthetics......Page 164
Medicine......Page 165
Obstetrics and gynaecology......Page 169
Pathology......Page 170
Diagnostic radiology......Page 171
Rehabilitation......Page 172
Surgery......Page 173
Public health medicine......Page 174
Clinical academic medicine......Page 175
Occupational medicine......Page 176
Armed services......Page 177
Medical journalism......Page 178
13 Privileges and responsibilities: avoiding the pitfalls......Page 181
Regulation by the GMC......Page 183
Provisional registration......Page 185
Know the system and to whom to turn for advice......Page 186
GMC publications......Page 187
Do not bury your head in the sand......Page 188
Professionalism and complaints......Page 190
Honesty and integrity......Page 192
Oral communication......Page 193
Written records......Page 196
Communications with colleagues and other health professionals......Page 197
Consent......Page 199
Confidentiality......Page 202
Preparing to give evidence......Page 204
Concluding remarks......Page 205
Postscript......Page 209
Appendix 1: Medical student code of conduct at Cambridge University......Page 213
Outcomes......Page 214
Appendix 3: Aims of the Pre-registration House Officer (PRHO) year (“general clinical training”) (from The New Doctor 2005 (GMC))......Page 216
The content and delivery of training Content......Page 219
Appendix 5: Web site addresses for UK medical schools......Page 229
Appendix 6: Access to medicine courses......Page 231
Index......Page 233