Medical School at a Glance

Rachel K Thomas, South Thames Foundation Programme, London, UK.

• Preface viiAcknowledgements viiPart 1 Starting medical school 11 Starting medical school 22 Medicine and surgery 43 Understanding medical training 64 Different learning mechanisms 85 Dealing with stress 106 Solving issues 12Part 2 Learning important principles 157 Important common principles 168 Ethics 189 Communication skills and teamwork 2010 Balance 2211 Evidence-based medicine 2412 Understanding guidelines 26Part 3 Starting clinical activities 2913 Behaving on the ward 3014 Behaving in theatre 3215 Behaving in clinic 3416 Learning practical procedures 36Part 4 Assessing a patient 3917 Approaching a patient 4018 Approaching an unwell patient 4219 Taking a history 4420 Examining a patient 4621 Assessing a patient’s hydration 4822 Assessing a patient’s nutrition 50Part 5 Considering and managing a patient 5323 Investigations 5424 Considering diagnoses 5625 Presenting a patient 5826 Consent and capacity 6027 Breaking bad news 6228 Prescribing 6429 Documentation 6630 Discharge planning 6831 Managing the acutely unwell patient 70Part 6 Completing medical school 7332 Examinations 7433 Electives and special study modules 7634 Understanding foundation school 7835 Understanding later training 8036 Other uses for medical degrees 8237 First day as a doctor 84Further reading 86Index 93

"Medical School At A Glance is a slim yet outstanding text that tells the new arrival to med-school not only how to survive, but how to thrive...Thomas has done an exemplary job at providing an insider�s view of the hallowed halls of the typical medical school, delivering this priestly knowledge in clear and concise prose via short chapters that convey important information without ever intimidating or overwhelming her reader. In turn, this is a book that any new or prospective medical school student cannot do without. Simply, anyone considering embarking on a career in the field needs to read this volume first to assess whether they are actually suited for the challenges that lie ahead." (The Electric Review, 23/03/2017)