My first go at introducing stories into my own teaching was through the work of Rita Charon. But when I tried to introduce some of these concepts to my teaching, I was less successful. Family therapist and GP John Launer offers an
Richard Armitage reminds GPs to think about medications prescribed outside the primary care setting especially when thinking about new symptoms, changes to medication or medication reviews.
Fraser Barratt says a lyrical farewell to hospital medicine as he moves into the community for the final phase of GP training
Hana MO Elhassan argues we should minimise health disparities through cultural competence. A good starting point is developing better awareness of common skin and hair care practices within various ethnic minority populations, and appreciating their clinical significance.
Newly-qualified GP John McCullough seeks wisdom from established GP and rural medicine lecturer Tim Sanders. It feels like a tough time to enter General Practice – has it always been this way?
Hannah Milton reflects on the neuroscience of trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how this can lead to what is termed ‘latent vulnerability’.
Alex Burrell reflects on the moral agonies of planning an early GP-career
Mavin Kashyap shares key practice insights from a specialist community healthcare service for asylum seekers and refugee (ASR) adults.
Myanmar should not be forgotten in the conversation around the ongoing failure to protect hospitals and health workers in conflict zones. Jim Brockbank reminds us.
At the most recent WONCA global conference in October 2023, the WONCA Women’s Working Party on Women and Family Medicine (WWPWFM) met with young doctors movements from all world regions, to discuss common themes and possible ways to work together. Amanda Howe
...while the risk of bear attacks or frostbite is substantially lower than in the popular namesake television series, GP trainees face a range of similar challenges as their TV counterparts – isolation, uncertainty, a steep learning curve, and genuine fear.
The Prime Minister has proposed new legislation to end cigarette sales to those born on or after 1 January 2009. Is the proposed smoking ban as good an idea as it seems?
Maladaptive daydreaming is a relatively new concept in the field of psychology experienced by an estimated 2.5% of the population. Sara Noden analyses this proposed mental disorder and the implications for clinicians.
In clinic last week, a patient called me by my first name – this was the first time I have experienced this in primary care, and for some reason I found it quite jarring. ...there seems to be very little evidence on
Pablo Millares Martin considers whether the problem list has become a problem (or remains a useful clinical tool).
Bassem Saab and Beatrice Khater use a series of movies used to teach and discuss professionalism with family medicine residents in Lebanon. Here they focus on relationships with the pharmaceutical industry.
Doctors.net.uk recently reported that some colleges, including the Royal College of Surgeons, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians did more than break even on exam costs. Nada Khan investigates.
Why do people consult medial opinion? Alex Burrell looks at a classic paper on the the 5 triggers to seeking medical advice.
A wise piece of advice helped enormously. “You don’t have to solve every problem in a single consultation,” advised my father.
The people factors are the strongly positive aspects of the job. But the logistical working conditions must improve for the future of the specialty to be sustainable. Five academic clinical fellows itemise the issues and set out a manifesto for change.
My heart goes out to all of us, who have been 'set up to fail'. Take heart and glove up - the work must go on... A poem by Rebecca Quinn
Now imagine, that for the majority of cases being presented, the consultant condescendingly - and unnecessarily - adds, at the end of the majority of cases, that they had been diagnosed and managed wrongly by the 'incompetent' GP prior to coming to
The first planned strike action will take place for 72 hours in mid-March and will see junior doctors stepping away from their wards, surgical theatres, outpatient clinics, and indeed, for GP registrars, their practices. How do junior doctor strikes impact on general
My love for those who could not help themselves was fuelled by passion,
As medicine became my way of helping them with care and compassion.
Increased dialogue about the unique nuances of physicians adopting the role of ‘patient’ should be supported throughout medical training, argues Isabella de Vere Hunt.
There inner city trainees share their experience of the MRCGP recorded consultation assessment (RCA) and highlight some key issues for future iterations of the MRCGP assessment.
For today's and tomorrow's general practitioners to be able to engage with climate-related health threats in partnership with their patients, medical curricula must shape teaching and learning now. RCGP curriculum lead for planetary health Suchita Shah discusses what this mean for GP
At the beginning of my foundation training I had very limited awareness of the diversity of the clinical workforce and was only familiar with 'traditional' doctor roles. However, I was surprised to find myself in the midst of a large, multiskilled dynamic
Movies allow health care professionals to immerse themselves in “near-true” experiences that challenge their values and principles. Beatrice Khater and Bassem Saab discuss using The Last King of Scotland in family medicine training at the American University of Beirut
Capacity for undergraduate GP placements is a serious challenge and one that is predicted to become harder in the near future. Here, Simon Thornton, part of the national working group set up to investigate the issue of teaching capacity in general practice
Yathu Maheswaran reflects on what TV 'This is going to hurt' might teach medical trainees
John Launer muses on what Mozart's Magic Flute can teach us about family medicine
InnovAiT has been sent out to Associates in Training (AiTs) since January 2008, but it seems to be a bit of an open secret. It’s a secret that Richard Draper is keen to share.
With COVID-19 forcing a shift to predominantly remote consulting, how do we ensure that physician associates are fully supported in their role in primary care? The Sheffield Physician Associate (PA) Preceptorship scheme may be one way, offering a formalised support package for
With the mainstreaming of genomics, GPs are likely to encounter genetic conditions more frequently. Samuel Edwards, a GPST1, shares their insights and skills gained while completing an innovative post in Clinical Genetics and General Practice.
We anticipate that after the pandemic, the modus operandi of general practice will be changed, for the better. Once the dust has settled, the lessons learnt from remote consultations should be communicated to the next generation.
The first question to practise before a job interview; the one we all know will make an appearance…right?
Well, not if you’ve chosen to pursue a career in general practice. Whilst my colleagues were preparing evidence of their accomplishments and practising expected questions,
It is a Sunday evening. I look across at my GP ST1 wife and see her feverishly tapping the keyboard. I enquire what she is doing. “I have to do a couple of reflections, I’ve only done one this week.” Reflection has become
Rachel Brettell is an Academic Clinical Fellow GP Trainee in the Oxford Deanery. As a GP registrar, the MRCGP Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) exam is currently at the forefront of my mind. VTS teaching focuses on how to pass, evenings are spent
Aisha Yahaya is a GP ST2 with Imperial VTS who has an interest in effective communication with patients, writing and a yearly resolution to save her guitar from the dusty corner in which it sits. Increasingly, I learn more about the way of