Table Of ContentA CAREER IN MEDICINE: Do you have what it takes? A
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Have you ever thought about becoming a doctor but weren’t sure where to start R
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or what to expect? This book provides a comprehensive resource to guide you N
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through the various stages involved in becoming a doctor, from deciding whether
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medicine is right for you, to choosing and applying to medical school, interview IC
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skills, student finance, plus what it’s like to face your first day as a postgraduate
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doctor and beyond. D
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This revised and updated edition includes 15 easy to read chapters and gives a o
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clear overview of modern medical training and career pathways, incorporating the h
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most up-to-date changes to medical education. e
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Written by a range of experts, from medical students, admissions tutors and a
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qualified doctors, this book clearly explains what personal qualities and training t
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is involved in becoming a doctor at each level and offers advice on getting into k
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related specialties, such as academic medicine and medical journalism. ?
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“An excellent resource – essential whether you are a sixth former, medical d
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student or junior doctor” d
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Baqer Sharif, Medical Student, University of Cambridge io
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“This book is a must for any sixth former seriously considering medicine.
I read it from cover to cover”
Dr Andrew Papanikitas, GP trainee
“My daughter and I would have found this compendium of enormous value
during the difficult decision-making months leading up to her medical school
application. I will make sure she has a copy to guide her though the rest of her
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training” Professor David Warrell, Senior Editor, Oxford Textbook of Medicine a
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ISBN 978-1-85315-633-5
9 781853156335 www.rsmpress.co.uk
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A career in medicine:
Do you have what it takes?
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A career in medicine:
Do you have what it
takes?
SECOND EDITION
Edited by
Rameen Shakur MPhil (Cantab)
The ROYAL
SOCIETY if
MEDICINE
PRESS Limited
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
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Contributors
Editor Abhishek Joshi Graduate
Medical Student, University of
Dr Rameen Shakur F2 Academic
Medicine Rotation: Cardiology. Oxford
Nuffield Department of Medicine,
Stuart Laverack Final Year Medical
the John Radcliffe Hospital,
Student, University of Sheffield
University of Oxford
Kirsty Lloyd Chair, BMA Medical
Students Committee
Authors
Dr Kamran Abbasi Editor, Journal Dilshad Marikhar Graduate
of the Royal Society of Medicine, Medical Student, St George's
London Medical School, London
Dr Yasir AI-Wakeel F2 Academic Andrew Pearson Former Finance
Medicine Rotation. Nuffield Chair, BMA Medical Students
Department of Medicine, the John Committee
Radcliffe Hospital, University of
Dr Faheem Shakur Fl Houseman,
Oxford
General Medicine, The Royal
Preston Hospital, Preston, Lanes
Dr Paul Ayuk Former Clinical
Lecturer in Obstetrics and Dr Edward Shaoul Honorary
Gynaecology, the John Radcliffe Senior Lecturer, Imperial College
Hospital, University of Oxford London
Professor Raanan Gillon Emeritus Professor John Stein Medical
Professor of Medical Ethics, Admissions Tutor, Magdalen
Imperial College of Science, College, University of Oxford
Technology and Medicine, London
Emily Stobbs Medical Student,
University of Nottingham
Mr Ashok Handa Honorary
Consultant Vascular Surgeon and Dr Simon Thorn Head of Biology,
Clinical Tutor in Surgery, Nuffield Radley College, Oxfordshire
department of Surgery, the John
Professor Robin Williamson
Radcliffe Hospital, University of
Professor of Surgery, imperial
Oxford
College London, Consultant
Dr Hywel Jones District Clinical Surgeon, Hammersmith Hospital
Tutor, the John Radcliffe Hospital, and former Dean, the Royal
University of Oxford Society of Medicine, London
v
About the editor
Dr Romeen Shokur is a 25-yeor-old Cambridge and Edinburgh {clinical)
University graduate currently undertaking a Foundation Year 2 (F2)
academic medical rotation in Cardiology at the NDM (Nuffield
Deportment of Medicine), the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. He is a
Clinical Tutor in General Surgery at the Nuffield Deportment of Surgery
and a Clinical Teacher in Medicine for Green and Worcester Colleges at
the University of Oxford.
He has won numerous prizes and scholarships, most notably a Churchill
Fellowship for Harvard Medical School for the application of genomic
medicine in Cardiology, a Peter Kirk Fellowship, a Wellcome Trust scholar
ship for the Songer Centre Genome Campus, Cambridge and a British
Heart Foundation grant for cardiovascular research as a medical student.
His hobbies include playing cricket, football and listening to Indian classi
cal music.
He studied at Hutton Grammar School and Sixth-Form, Preston,
Lancashire. His research interests include molecular cardiology, immuno
logical markers of disease and transplantation rejection.
vi
Contents
Contributors v
Foreword ix
Mr Harvey White
Preface x
Dr Rameen Shakur
Acknowledgements xi
1. Medicine: Remembering the past, looking to the future
Abhishek Joshi and Dr Rameen Shakur
2. Entry requirements to medical school 9
Professor John Stein
3. Your school's perspective 17
Dr Simon Thorn
4. The interview 27
Professor John Stein
5. How to choose a medical school 31
Emily Stobbs
6. Graduate entry medicine 39
Dilshad Marikar
7. Student finance 47
Andrew Pearson and Kirsty Lloyd
8. The medical student years and how to survive them 55
Dr Faheem Shakur and Stuart Laverack
9. The foundation years 63
Dr Rameen Shakur
vii
Contents
10. Choosing general practice (primary care) 71
Dr Edward Shaoul
11. Career pathways in medicine and surgery 81
Dr Yasir AI-Wakeel and Mr Ashok Handa
12. Choosing hospital medicine 89
Dr Paul Ayuk
(with Appendix: A week in the life of a consultant physician,
by Dr Hywel Jones)
13. Ethical issues in modern medical practice 97
Professor Raanan Gillon
14. An alternative career in medicine: Medical journalism 103
Dr Kamran Abbasi
15. Academic medicine 107
Professor Robin Williamson
Index 113
viii
Foreword
I om delighted that a second edition of this book has been published.
The first edition, which I edited in 2000, was the child of a study day which
was developed at the Royal Society of Medicine for sixth form students.
The book was popular enough to be reprinted twice in 2003 as it met a
need - namely to clothe the dream of a medical career with the reality
of achieving that goal.
The criteria for student selection ore changing, as ore the methods of
teaching and learning. Even in the lost few years, the expectations of
the public and the work pattern of doctors hove changed. Anyone con
sidering a career in medicine must be aware of these developments.
These changes and the established ways of the profession ore addressed
in the new edition, which will be invaluable to all those considering
becoming a doctor.
It is good to see that the wisdom and experience of some of the original
contributors, which has stood the test of time, is retained. There ore
welcome new chapters, such as those on the historical background to
modern medicine, student finance, academic medicine and medical
journalism, which broaden the scope and appeal of the book.
The second edition is a more than worthy successor to the first. In addition
to supplementing the study day at the Royal Society of Medicine, it will
stand alone as on essential port of informed decision making for those
considering a career in medicine.
Harvey White
ix
