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Wholeheartedly recommend this book - the ECG made easy https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0702074578/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YqZPDb3E1FFP3
Very simple to understand, not long and complicated, lots of pictures. Helped me loads.
This and just practice! Have a go, look at as many as you can and ask your seniors for help interpreting them.
I work with a start up, Dem Dx, and we've made an app for this. Guides you from symptom(s) to differentials. Content mostly by reg's or consultants in the different specialities.
Most posters tend to look like columnised versions of essays. This makes them not only difficult to read, but also simply a bit dull.
Be as to the point as you can and make use of graphics where possible. Most posters get looked at for a few seconds at most. Take the absolutely most crucial points of your work, e.g. your aim and conclusion, and make sure they pop out to be read in those few seconds.
For poster prizes and things like that, conferences will usually provide a remit of what they're after if you ask.
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This is the ACCS EM self scoring criteria. They didn't do portfolio this year to verify any of this so no points scoring but you needed to talk about it during interview and also write about on the oriel application.
I did a trauma conference ages ago, an ACCS careers day, the RCEM's annual VSC, Guy's airway management conference (which was free) and I'm going to attend an online minor injuries course.
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For FRCEM, I used FRCEM success and literally just went through the question bank. The questions are split into categories on FRCEMsuccess so I made sure I did a minimum of 50% of the questions in each category. Also RCEM has a document somewhere on the format of FRCEM primary and how it's 180 questions and 1/3 anatomy, 1/3 physiology, 1/3 the rest, and evidence based medicine only makes up 10 questions. So I basically put all my effort into anatomy and physiology and completely ignored evidence based medicine. I didn't use any other source of revision and I managed to get 75%. I don't know how well my study tactic will work for other people though
I used this and one other, that I'll find and link for you later.
This book teaches an approach, it is not a question bank. It's small, but worked for me.
These are the ones I got they're pretty good albeit I do need to charge them every couple days
Edit: The power and button module is relatively thick on the front, so if you're a face down sleeper then it'll be rubbish. But if like me you sleep on side/back then it works really well.
Sorry this 18 month limit I can't find any details about it in teh SPR application handbook but I do remember it being a issue - you need to speak to the health desk to clarify how they count it.
The application process is difficult and long. I spent my core surgical training pretty much solely focusing on it from day 1. I worked in the Midlands as I wanted to avoid CST training in london. I think looking at my CST collegues in London I got a better theatre experience i.e I actually made it to theatre most days.
Apart from publications I managed to achieve everything needed in my CST. I started CST without Part A as well so I did all my exams as soon as I could sit them in CST.
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Tips for aspiring orthopod?
I recommend this book to anyone interested in ortho. I stood me well for my CST. It coveres everything you need to know up until then. Basic sciences to orthopaedic presentations/conservative and operative treatment/Outpatient follow up. I have no links to this book
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Orthopaedic-Emergency-Management-Churchill-Pocketbooks/dp/0702057282
Joints - Probably your thumb - its been pretty useful in our evolution
Just a reminder, Jeremy “That Useless” Hunt literally wrote a book about privatising the NHS (available here for the low price of £113.99).
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/eyechart-vision-screening/id293163439
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ideas.joaomeneses.snellen
Take your pick. Both work very well! You can set the android app to 2metres which would be the length of a standard hospital bed.
Failing all that I'd even take a visual assessment from the MDCalc app (search Snellen) but the letter sizes don't change with your phone screen so it's likely to be an overestimate of their vision.
Amazon works- just use the cheaper links. Also shop around on google shopping - its a branded product so one vendor should provide the same as the next. It looks like Littmann put the prices up post pandemic/Brexit (or the pound slipped). That said, a few vendors haven't fully changed the old prices yet
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eg https://www.amazon.co.uk/3M-Littmann-5622-Stethoscope-Chestpiece/dp/B00PCQWK2I/ref=zg_bs_6285922031_sccl_1/262-1442808-4724642?pd_rd_i=B00PCQWK2I&psc=1 rather than your initial link
Still a tenner more than I paid 2 yrs ago for my latest replacement but my 2 min google search wasn't fruitful beyond this.
I was never self-assured enough to use one.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beginners-Guide-Intensive-Care-Professionals/dp/1138035785
This is a decent book that explains ventilator settings fairly well in a reasonably basic way. May also be helpful for when you do the ICU component of core anaesthetics.
Feel free to DM if you want to know anything specific in terms of volume vs pressure control, I:E ratio, PEEP etc.
Can't remember where I saw it but some neurologist who carries a "neurology tool bag" combined a retractable tendon hammer from (insert online shop of choice) with the large head of https://bigtendonhammers.com/
Me personally I have found the Prestige Babinski telescoping Reflex Hammer alone to be sufficient. I keep it in my on-call sling bag.
Evidence-Based Physical Diagnosis.
The Rational Clinical Examination serves a similar purpose but is less complete as it is older and part of an on-going JAMA series.
Neither set out to show that clinical examination doesn't have a role but they are packed with reported inter-rater variation for each finding.
It was this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00OMB4Z5E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Still working well 4 years later! It does an adorable little tune when you turn it on and when it's finished cooking and I love it so much!
It can also make banana bread but it does take fucking ages
Bad doctor= GMC referral= GMC Racist. Voila!
In the words of my lovely octogenarian patient today who presented with constipation- Tough shit Doctor!
I am going to bring up race and discrimination within the NHS. Just like every time someone presents an issue regarding their workplace people comment to strike . It may annoy you, it may even irritate you but tough shit. Read this book below if you get the chance. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Longer-Talking-White-People-About/dp/140887058 and you might understand why BAME people keep bringing it up.
Sounds like you are on the right tracks: E-learning for health is good, Stanford handbook is good but does have a few odd American quirks which are a bit different to standard practice here. Derranged physiology is good for exam material but not particularly practical for iac prep.
How to survive in anaesthesia is great - nice little book which runs you through all the basics https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Anaesthesia-Neville-Robinson/dp/1316614026/ref=asc_df_1316614026/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310810203983&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10765624232858418389&hvpone=&hvptwo=&h... And is quite funny in places too.
Familiarising yourself with the quick reference handbook also good, gives you a basic systematic approach to basically any unexpected event during an anaesthetic
Top tip:
Enjoy it - it’s a place which is far less ward monkey-ish than actual wards. You often get 1:1 teaching with cons or registrars (who one the whole are happy to teach) Just ask any question that pops into your mind really…
Books wise;
This is meant to be quite good.
Alternatively have a look at https://youtu.be/7cEs0oH_pcI for a brief overview (very simplified)
It can be overwhelming but most important thing is to enjoy.
And maybe start studying for MRCP too (if not done) as ITU has a bit more downtime than the wards (generally)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trump-Art-Deal-Donald/dp/0399594493
I'll trade you two TTOs for one cannula.
Then one day finally managed to smash in a blue and never looked back x
As someone who blew my once a year shot at getting into rads (twice) despite ticking all the boxes I learnt all the following the hard way, trying to save you some time here : 1. Buy this bookok and read it well, it's an easy Read.
I cannot stress this enough, interviewing is a skill,think of it like any other skill,driving a car or football, you need to practice. Despite knowing all the answers I still fumbled,my nerves got the best of me at times. So even if you feel well prepped you need to practice consistently. A few colleagues recommended interview coaches and it was the best thing I did, scored top marks in one station and almost the same in the other.
As above,from experience, forget surgery,rads all the way.
Adar Pro Breakthrough Plus Scrub Set for Women - Enhanced V-Neck Top & Multi Pocket Pants https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07W1GB9LF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_N1BWNV67SMW5TH6XMFXW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
They seem to have gone up in price but just keep an eye out and I’m sure they’ll go down again
>No problem whatsoever
That's almost the title of a recent book.
That's the book mentioned above and that I got
Also echo the advice of checking for doses / contra-indications / monitoring requirements in the BNF.
But ones that are useful to know and feel comfortable with, even if just knowing exactly where to find in guidelines etc..:
-Antihypertensives (ACEi/Ca channel/beta blockers) -Antibiotics (go off trust guidelines - usually available online, my old trust had a sepsis map where it had Abx by suspected infection site which worked nicely) -ALS drugs; adrenaline (arrest and anaphylaxis), amioderone -Warfarin and Apixaban -LMWH -Aspirin, antiplatelets, GTN -Anti epileptics including initial drugs for status -Palliative medicine; pain / nausea / agitation / secretions/ breathlessness -Analgesia (pain control ladder - know all the basic pain killers including codeine, tramadol, morphine) -Constipation meds.. different types of laxative -Cyclizine / ondansetron / metoclopramide -Digoxin -Chlordiazepoxide and prabrinex -NAC -Naloxone -Diuretics, especially furosemide -Diabetic drugs; insulins and Metformin -Nicotine patches
Not exhaustive, not in any particular order, just some off the top of my head which I'd say are useful to know comfortably, I guess some of it's specialty dependant aswell
If you’ve been asked to apply for the post they probably want you for service provision. The interview is a required part of appointing you, but their choice is probably already made - just don’t fuck it up wildly and you should be alright.
Always worth reading this guide to interviews as it contains a lot of useful information for general interview technique and the typical ethical questions etc they tend to ask. The book is available as a download from the publishers website for a similar price.
Yes, definitely. The problem is that training opportunities or courses tend to be very spotty.
Use any opportunity you get (including ALS) to practice. If you do a rotation in ED or ITU/anaesthetics, ask specifically if they have any training material/courses/instruction you can get.
I know many trusts run vascular access courses, including my own. Ours is for doctors (any level but we target FYs especially) where we teach USS guided IV access as well as IO. They're often not well advertised either, so do ask around.
Once you've gotten to grips with the landmarks and are familiar with the tools and equipment, it's not that hard. There's even an app to guide you. It's a good reference tool to help give you some extra confidence / info in a pinch.
At the end of the day, in an emergency if there's no access available and you have the tools, know the landmarks, honestly just go for it. IO isn't something you can really practice electively, but can be life saving. NB: Don't quote me on this to the GMC if things go wrong :D
Mainly the medical interviews book. Have used that for every interview. Medical Interviews (3rd Edition): A comprehensive guide to CT, ST & Registrar Interview Skills - Over 120 medical interview questions, techniques and NHS topics explained https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1905812248/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_53TSR6AK1DWCZE0JED0G
And for critical appraisal/interpreting papers definitely how to read a paper. https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Read-Paper-Evidence-based-Healthcare/dp/111948474X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1VQ5WZLYH063F&keywords=how+to+read+a+paper&qid=1648145896&sprefix=how+to+read%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-1
Both are available in most hospital libraries.
I found this book quite useful.
It's not specific to radiology but really good at teaching you how to structure answers. I wish I'd studied it more than I did as on reflection I think I would have performed better this year.
You are missing something. It gets hard when you have so much time, especially if your office is spacious and lonely. With experience your angle on things will change.
When someone asked a few days ago this is what I said:
> 1. Get your hands on the interview book. > 1. Prep. Have your CV ready and have spiels explaining every bit of it and how it makes you a good candidate. The above book helps. The clinical scenario bit is new and you might have to wing that. Remember your A-Es obviously but I think it will be more of the "anaesthetic non-technical skills" (a proper term) that they'll be after. Go research that. At the end of the day what they want safe, even overly cautious, CT1 they can trust and who communicates and reflects well. Very little focus will be on the actual clinical bit unless you're being daft. > 1. Get some friends, find a kindly local anaesthetics registrar and beg them to help you practice interviews. Hopefully they might be nice enough to think of some scenarios to test you. If you've done any anaesthetics/ICM blocks or tasters you might have a few acquaintances.
We agree, Ahab is a hero. I prefer Mishima to Melville though, far more aesthetic.
Better to die at sea than live disgraced on land.
https://castbox.fm/vb/305509885
Have a listen to this episode. It's all about healthcare systems engineering. It doesn't cover guidelines for setting clinic appts although they do have one worked example of that issue. It could give you some starting points.
My brother has one so it would wrong of me to say no to your question. It’s usually a four year course with actually around 3 years of studying and the last one year you are more or less searching for a job/internship and working.
However, there are plenty of online courses that people do (especially those that never could afford college but believe in themselves). After completing these courses while holding their current job, they apply for jobs in the computer science field and switchover from their minimum wage job/dead end job. Here have a look at a few of these websites. I would advice one to pursue such a path if they are only completely unsatisfied with medicine and can’t see themselves doing it at all in the future. Switching careers will only be right for such fellas who don’t doubt themselves halfway through (and fall back into medicine again hating themselves that they couldn’t leave, so perhaps resilience would help)
Also you can google ‘how to learn coding and get a job’ (preferably back -end programming, because this is where my egotistical brother believes a lot of brain work is)
>I saw someone in this thread compare human hierarchies to those of gorillas as a justification for the consultants e-mail. My goodness. Maybe we should all live our lives jumping between trees too
Assuming you are talking about me, it isn't exactly an unusual practice to use anthropological reasons to explain modern human behaviour. In the context I was discussing gorillas, I was pointing out that social hierarchies are an inherent part of human behaviour going back millions of years.
I do get what you mean. Life isn’t fair by definition and everyone of us has their own advantages/disadvantages.
What I did mean that you have the advantage of being white male (I presume decent looking?handsome maybe?) in sexist environment communicating with mostly females. However, you preferred not to use it.
I’ve made an example of me using my advantage of being female in male dominant environment re:surgical consultants. I’m using it quite actively cuz it gives me learning/training opportunities.
I’m not the one to blame that male cons surgeons tend to have unconscious bias neither are you to be blamed having it easier with nurses.
I just thought that if you’d used your advantage you could’ve had it so much easier.
I know lot’s of ppl will disagree with me... but if I can’t change the game I’ll play it on my own terms. Don’t get me wrong.., I rarely have issues with nurses cuz I learned the hard way all the points above you’ve nicely described and I have my own tricks as well lol
I do agree with you re:
>...the attitude of 'I don't have X characteristic so therefore I'm fucked'. Without fail those people were also very difficult to work with, ...
I spend eternity to get it out from my BAME friend who felt all her failures are due to her «being brown female». It’s destructive way of coping and leads to nowhere.
P.s. book on unfair advantage concept https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unfair-Advantage-Already-Takes-Succeed/dp/1788167546/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Unfair+Advantage&qid=1639346845&sr=8-1
Sounds so weird but trust me, either Spanx or swimming/ yoga shorts, over your usual underwear. It’s helped me massively, I used to bleed through scrubs! Ones like these CharmLeaks Women Swim Boardshorts Boyleg Swimming Shorts https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072HT5J26/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_8G2BWHT5VHJE41A29YK6?psc=1
You could take the jokes to the extreme and get him this and say its for when he decides to specialise into being a proper doctor.
I quite liked this book as a student. It’s a very basic guide to anaesthesia, and gives you a good foundation if you really want to swat up. You’ll need more in depth texts if and when you get a training post, but as an FY this is a really good starting point.
Wessex,
I've finished F2 now, but have a lot of files from when I did my research, as I was in the same position a few years back.
The link below (hopefully) will let you view/download the following:
- A map of where the hospitals are in the UK
- A spreadsheet with info on each hospital
- Ranking spreadsheet to help you rank your choices (I believe there may be an app out there nowadays, but this works great once you get the hang of it).
- Surveys that I carried out of junior doctors from each hospital and what their opinions were. (2015-2016 + 2016-2017) (spoiler, they all enjoyed where they were working)
https://fromsmash.com/wessexfpas
I'm happy to answer any questions, particularly about Jersey.
Ditto as above - get a high portfolio score and score highly at the clinical and leadership stations in the interview. The pilot program has only been running since about 2018 or so, so there’s not so much information on it. Here’s a paper on it - https://www.authorea.com/users/330174/articles/457031-the-ent-run-through-pilot-a-questionnaire-survey-of-23-trainees
It’s fairly competitive as the number of jobs isn’t that great - this year 8 and last year 13 or so. Even if you don’t get a job you could still get an ENT themed CST job and then apply at ST3. Good luck!
Danish design is fantastic; it's a country I'd love to live in if it wasn't for their slightly odd isolationist social tendencies.
Gown sorted: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jedi-Star-Wars-Bath-Robe/dp/B00FF7HYOI
Something like this... Whether you have time to cook it, or to do the washing up is an entirely different matter however!
1) this is really common, for trainees of any grade and specialty, don't worry, just document what you think you hear/feel/see to the best of your abilities
2) whilst i would agree that it does come with experience, seeing/feeling/hearing more, does make it easier to identify these things, take note of the fact that there is very poor inter-operator variability in exam findings. that is, two senior clinicians can easily disagree with each other about exam findings (even things like ultrasounds, or CTs, too) so someone disagreeing with you isn't necessarily a sign you're 'wrong'.
3) if you want to be a big nerd, get this book (PM me for PDF): Evidence-Based Physical Diagnosis. It gives you the low down on the evidence for various physical examination findings including sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, etc. It may make you feel more comfortable about documenting what you write or indeed reading what others have written about their findings.
No tips on legibility I'm afraid. A twatbox is a clipboard with attached compartments in which to keep continuation sheets, pens, a couple of crackers etc.
Actually find it so disheartening and infuriating we have had to work so hard, have to put up with so much competition and bureaucracy for years to do jobs which these guys are able to do much more easily by jumping hoops. Our work has just become so much more unsatisfying and its compromising patient safety. No idea how doctors can resist this
Dont bother wasting 80 GBP on a littman, Sprague Rappaport is pretty good. I belive it ranked just below the Cardiology 4 and above the rest in terms of acuity. Also its under 30 pounds, which means you can lose it quite a few times!
If you have hearing loss though, I would recommend a digital steth, and you might be able to get your med school to pay for it.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000IG7Z7C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0011E6DOG/ref=pe_3187911_185740111_TE_item
Pretty standard
Honestly you'd probably never even take issue with it if you've never seen a littman... they're just slightly pipped in every department though, you get what you pay for
Set in a New York Hospital in the 60s or 70s. It’s fascinating how much of it rings true still today.
Never did a course. The Pocketbook for PACES was my most useful book. There are PDF copies floating around somewhere.
I passed 2nd time and I found that the experience I got from doing the exam the first time gave me an idea of what to expect so I could focus what I needed to during the 2nd attempt. If your deanery offers a free mock, I'd take advantage of that.