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As a junior doctor, you will also often assess patients complaining of chest pain...
Management of low blood sugar in conscious & unconscious patients, finding common...
As an FY1, you will be called to review patients who are hypoxic. Here we will discuss...
Here we focus on blood tests requests for a variety of common scenarios you might...
Ophthalmology provides a great deal of variety by combining medicine, surgery &...
As a new F1 in August, it can feel like quite a daunting task to verify a death,...
Femoral puncture is typically used to acquire blood from a patient in an emergency...
I’m going to try and be as generic as possible so that hopefully these tips work...
Requesting scans can be a scary daily occurrence for new doctors. It is one of few...
You will likely encounter an opiate overdose due to the prevalence of opiates for...
The electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the most common, and important, investigations...
A CNS infection is one that involves the central nervous system in some way. This...
For new doctors, prescribing anticoagulants can be daunting. A few simple rules can...
As a junior doctor, you will have face situations where you have to convey potentially...
Sepsis is an infection with evidence of organ dysfunction. Septic shock is when a...
As a junior doctor, you will often be called about patients with raised blood pressure...
Acute confusion, otherwise known as delirium, is very common in hospitals: 20-30%...
Sutures are placed to aid with wound healing following a traumatic laceration or...
Introduction: Diabetic foot ulcerations are a significant complication of diabetes...
Ascitic aspiration (tap) is routinely performed for every patient admitted with ascites...
Expect many bleeps about hypotension from concerned nursing staff. It is a useful...
You may well be asked to take blood from a PICC line or be called to see a patient...
Being able to use an ophthalmoscope confidently is very important to junior doctors,...
Medical documentation should authentically represent every consultation and is primarily...
It is common for FY1s to feel anxious & feel like they’re not ready to...
As the FY1, you will see patients with liver dysfunction either on the take or deranged...
As an FY1 you should not be expected to make decisions regarding treatment escalation...
These patients have the potential to become haemodynamically unstable extremely quickly;...
If the thought of conducting an intimate examination or attempting to wield (without...
As a junior doctor, you will frequently look after patients prior to and after their...
In the UK, there are different contracts for each region: Northern Ireland, Scotland,...
Whilst on call or in A&E you may be asked to assess somebody who is suspected...
In this article, we’ll cover the treatments used in Diabetes Mellitus. We’ll...
AF is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia you will encounter. In this article,...
RCEM has published some clear and comprehensive information which is well worth a...
Vertigo is described as an “abnormal sensation of motion. It can occur in the absence...
In this article, we discuss when a catheter might be needed and top tips on male...
Hyperkalaemia can cause life-threatening emergencies particularly cardiac arrhythmias....
In this article, we cover the main ENT situations you are likely to encounter either...
In all specialities of medicine patient clinical recordings, whether this is photographs...
NG tubes are passed from the nose to the stomach. Depending on the material, they...
As an FY1, you are unlikely to be expected to make decisions about long term COPD...
FY3 refers to time spent out of training after completing the foundation programme...
In the webinar below, Dr Henry de Boer (radiology registrar) provides a structured...
Non-invasive ventilation is a way of providing ventilatory support to patients in...
As an FY1 you will frequently see hypokalaemia and most trusts have guidelines that...
You will frequently get calls regarding nausea & vomiting: many patients present...
Heart Failure is not a diagnosis in itself, rather a collection of symptoms that...
A medico-legal quick-start guide by Dr Udvitha Nandasoma (MDU Head of advisory services)
Overseas...
Perhaps the most common blood test you will review daily will be the FBC (full blood...
Mental Capacity is the ability to make your own decisions at the time at which the...
What is the MHA?
It is legislation that governs patients’
Compulsory detention
Treatment
Discharge
Aftercare
It...
In this article, we focus on the interpretation of a CXR. Have a low threshold to...
Student loans are a Government-run scheme in the UK and the most recent plan (Plan...
A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blocked blood vessel in your lungs, most often due...
Fragility fractures in the elderly
As a junior doctor on call, in geriatrics or in...
One of the most common A&E presentations is a sore throat, and while sore throat...
Nephrotic syndrome is rare but is often misdiagnosed resulting in delayed diagnosis...
Often one of the scariest things you can do as you will most likely be speaking to...
From the Greek: Syn: together & kopein: to cut - referring to a block in blood supply...
This article is supplementary to the webinar on the same subject, which you might...
Urinary retention can be acute or chronic. When acute it occurs within a number of...
Serum calcium concentration is tightly regulated between 2.1-2.6mmol/L. Severe hypercalcaemia...
In this article, we will go through the three most common scenarios you will encounter....
Dying is a natural process and unfortunately, something that we all come across in...
Dermatology is a vast topic that junior doctors often find daunting. Do read our...
You will regularly see patients with blood in their urine, most often picked up incidentally...
It is quite common for you to need to describe rashes for documentation purposes,...
GP training is one of the most popular pathways. In this article, we discuss how...
A lot of your time as an FY1 will be spent on the phone to various other specialities....
Work-life balance is a topic that has become increasingly prevalent over the past...
When you are on call, you will often get a bleep about a patient with abdominal pain....
Working LTFT in FY1/FY2
Working LTFT can be a great way to improve your work-life...
Bowel obstruction is a common reason for admission or complication of patients under...
Patients regularly present under the acute take with gallstone disease. The aim of...
Handover occurs between shifts to ensure everyone is up to speed with patients. The...
Hypernatraemia is defined as a sodium above 145 mmol/L with severe being more than...
Getting onto the property ladder is becoming increasingly difficult for first-time...
In this article, we will focus on more practical concerns when managing a patient...
Occupation medicine is a fantastic specialty and one with a huge variety of opportunities....
A pneumothorax is defined as the abnormal collection of air between the visceral...
Palpitations can be described as the sensation of an abnormally received heartbeat....
This article will discuss how to take blood and cannulate patients in the paediatric...
M&M meetings discuss the outcomes of patients and mortality rates, with the view...
We asked on social media what your favourite podcasts were & these were rated...
As we all rotate so frequently between departments, many of us like to get our seniors...
“Bilious vomiting” is a common problem you will be asked to review babies for on...
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is a mouthful (no pun intended), but you may have...
Everyone will receive a complaint – this is inevitable. Usually, these are...
This is a tricky area to cover as it can be challenging to us both personally and...
COVID-19 aside, international travel is easier and more prevalent than ever before,...
Suddenly stopping alcohol intake in patients who have been drinking heavily for prolonged...
After a patient has died you may be asked to complete the death certificate. It may...
What is frailty?
A state of increased vulnerability to poor resolution of homeostasis...
In this article, we will present several common scenarios involving Parkinson’s disease...
Cannulation is a procedure regularly undertaken which involves threading a plastic...
Acute Compartment Syndrome is one of the few orthopaedic emergencies. If missed,...
You are unlikely to be expected to make decisions about long term asthma management,...
Anaphylaxis is a serious, life-threatening allergic reaction. Features include airway...
Patients may live or be discharged to a wide variety of social care settings and...
In this article, I will be discussing the different types of savings accounts and...
Bradyarrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms with a pulse rate of <60 beats per...
Red eye is one of the most common eye presentations you will encounter. Whilst many...
Diarrhoea is a very common complaint and may be the reason for a patient’s admission,...
Thanks to Geeky Medics for an excellent video demonstration Equipment
Gloves
Alcohol...
As an FY1 in hospital, you will come across lots of patients with dementia. They...
Pancreatitis is a condition characterised by the inflammation of the pancreas. These...
Please read an overview of the management of sepsis before reading this article.
Neutropenic...
Appendicitis is a one of the most common abdominal emergencies worldwide. Your aim...
FY1 is a great opportunity to explore new specialties and start to gain an idea of...
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to a relapsing and remitting inflammatory...
If you ask most people (medics included!) what they think of when you say plastic...
There is an increasing prevalence of end-stage kidney disease and it is therefore...
In this article, we talk about what the credit score means, how it affects you &...
In this article, we cover the assessment and management of back pain. This article...
As doctors, you will frequently see patients with opiate dependence. It isn’t...
Welcome to FY1. In your first few months, you will find your learning curve is steep...
Understanding how to do an LP and interpret the results is an essential skill for...
Within Geriatric Medicine you are always working as part of a multidisciplinary team...
As an FY1 it is likely that you will manage paediatric patients during their admission,...
One of the most common obstetric/gynaecological presentations in a hospital/GP setting...
In the webinar below, Dr Joe Kang (radiology registrar) provides a structured approach...
Nutrition is an important aspect of a patient’s health and is overlooked during medical...
This is intended for junior doctors on the ward or in ED, covering how to approach...
Infective endocarditis (IE) is relatively rare in the UK. However, delays in diagnosis...
Hypothermia, whilst an infrequently encountered issue during foundation, is a high-risk...
As an FY1 it is likely that you will manage paediatric patients during their admission,...
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in adults are extremely common in both primary and...
In the webinar below, Dr Dexter Valencia (interventional radiology registrar) provides...
What does your future hold? Have you thought of a specialty that you want to pursue?...
This article aims to give basic information on the assessment of dental trauma to...
In whichever specialty you work, you will encounter large numbers of patients with...
A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition in which a blood clot (thrombosis) forms...
This article summarises some key tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your...
The Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP – formerly known as the AFP or academic...
The Duke-Elder Undergraduate Prize Exam is an optional competitive exam run by the...
Written by Dr Rebecca Evans, ST3 Paediatrics
One of the most common presentations...
This amazing guide was created by so many amazing doctors like yourself helping each...
Spinal cord compression occurs when there is compression of the spinal cord or cauda...
Necrotising enterocolitis is one of the most common neonatal surgical emergencies...
Diverticulae can occur throughout the gastrointestinal tract but are more common...
In this article, we give an overview of the most important and serious haematological...
The groin, also known as the inguinal region, extends from the anterior superior...
If you’ve ever wondered how hospitals generate income from the work you do...
As a doctor, you may come across patients with complex airways. They should be found...
There are three joint pain calls you might receive whilst you’re on call or...
The Multiple Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA) is a computer-based exam increasingly...
As a junior, you will frequently see patients who potentially have thyroid dysfunction....
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a species of lentivirus that can infect humans...
As an FY1 you will likely manage paediatric patients during their admission, often...
Defined as a collection of electrolyte abnormalities associated with a massive intracellular...
Psychosis refers to patients suffering a loss of contact with reality. It affects...
We commonly find ourselves needing to communicate with the next of kin & relatives....
Loss of vision can be a scary symptom for patients to experience, and a scary presentation...
Children are vulnerable. Unfortunately, child abuse does happen, and it has a significant...
Overview of how much junior doctors earn with a broad range of salaries depending...
Psychotropic medication includes some of the most commonly prescribed medication...
Given how frequently patients present with renal colic, it is helpful for FY1s to...
It’s important for healthcare professionals to have an understanding of the...
In the webinars below, Dr June Lau & Dr Henry de Boer (radiology registrars)...
Epistaxis is a common presentation, especially amongst the young and elderly population....
The academic station generally begins with a personal question and is your opportunity...
Sharps injuries happen when you least expect them. You can’t always prevent them...
PEG tubes are used as long term feeding options (and medication administration) for...
Chronic pancreatitis is characterised by repeated pancreatic inflammation. This leads...
As a junior doctor, it is your statutory duty as a medical professional to alert...
Sickle cell diseases are a disorder of haemoglobin affecting red blood cells. This...
You will have a total of 10 minutes of interactive time. Prior to the station, you...
As gynaecology issues uncommonly present on the ward, many doctors have difficulties...
The most common place you will see a patient who has self-harmed is in ED, where...
The UK Medicines Information group have provided excellent guidance on...
A lumbar puncture uses a fine needle inserted between the vertebrae in the lower...
Introduction
Viral infection in children 0-2 years of age (but most commonly <...
Medicines reconciliation is the process of accurately listing a person’s medicines....
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancer types seen in the western world....
In the webinar below, Dr Sam Kular (interventional radiology fellow) provides a structured...
SVC syndrome is an oncological emergency. There is obstruction of the superior vena...
The management and review of postnatal women are usually straightforward. There are...
A very quick guide to common issues prompting referrals to maxillofacial surgery...
Alongside strengthening bone, calcium is used in the clotting cascade, in muscle...
Most of the time, chest pain in children originates from a benign cause. However,...
In this article, we cover depressive disorders, bipolar affective disorder and schizoaffective...
The rules on consenting children and adolescents can seem a complex business. Putting...
Anxiety is a commonly experienced symptom as part of the body’s reaction to...
There are three joint pain calls you might receive whilst you’re on call or...
Hypophosphatemia is a serum phosphate concentration < 2.5 mg/dL (0.81...
In this article, we cover common benign anorectal pathologies including haemorrhoids,...
Skin cancers have one of the highest global incidences of any type of cancer. Early...
Important things to remember
You will get sick. That is life. You’re surrounded...
Rehabilitation medicine is a holistic specialty in which you spend a great deal of...
Diplopia, also known as double vision, happens when there is a mismatch in images...
Ophthalmology is a hugely popular career. Having the skills and ability to improve...
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to set up local, regional and national...
Foreign body in eye is a very common presentation seen in the emergency department....
Tinnitus is a common and debilitating medical symptom encountered in the field of...
Introduction
With an increase in the ageing population globally, we will be seeing...
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines adverse drug reactions (ADR) as “any...
Congratulations, if you’ve made it this far, that means you have either passed...
Cortisol is the body’s natural steroid (glucocorticoid) which helps maintain blood...
Tachyarrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms with a pulse rate of >100 beats per...
Junior Doctors in the UK are increasingly moving to Australia after FY1, for FY3...
The impact you have on yourself and the impact you have on people around you
Although...
A cataract is “a clouding of the lens of the eye or of its surrounding transparent...
Introduction
Group A streptococcus (GAS) is a gram positive cocci usually found...
This article will go over the costs for international medical graduates associated...
Covid-19 is taking a huge emotional toll on everyone. The usual work-life balance tips...
Introduction
Affects children under the age of 5 years old
There tends to be...
What is it?
GCA (Giant cell arteritis) or temporal arteritis is a well known Ophthalmology...
Cataract Surgery: A Brief Introduction
Cataracts are the leading cause of reversible...
Jaundice in the newborn is a relatively common presentation, typically seen on postnatal...
Myocarditis (derived from ‘myocardium’ = cardiac muscle, and -itis = inflammation)...
Croup is one of the most common winter illnesses we see in paediatrics and rarely...
Introduction
Patients with liver disease are common in the UK. Since 1970, mortality...
Many FY2 doctors spend time in General Practice as part of the Foundation Programme....
Viral infections are extremely common in paediatrics and a common presentation to...
Introduction
Clinical Definition
An open fracture is when the broken bone breaks...
INTRODUCTION
This article covers common gastroenterological presenting complaints...
What is it?
A sudden increase in intraocular pressure, which can present as an...
Our referral cheat sheet is our most popular resource with over 50,000 downloads!...
We’ve created a pay calculator to help you better understand your salary, how...
As a foundation doctor, shortness of breath is one of the commonest symptoms you...
Constipation is a very common cause of abdominal pain and recurrent presentations...
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment that has been used in psychiatry since...
This article will cover the different types of credit cards, the main things to look...
Bronchiectasis is a chronic respiratory condition characterised by the irreversible...
What is it?
Chemical injuries of the eye are ocular emergencies that necessitate...
No matter what time of the day it is, this is an ophthalmic emergency and requires...
The MRCP part 2 exam is a multiple choice, best-of-five written exam with 2, 3 hour...
There are certain situations where you need to prescribe IV fluids which vary from...
In people over the age of 65 years, 1 in 11 will have a diagnosis of dementia. Dementia...
BRUE's are a common presentation for young babies and can be a huge concern for parents....
Kawasaki disease is a rare but serious condition in children which should always...
Psychiatry, as a specialty is unique in that diagnostic methods, rely very heavily...
Almost every patient admitted to hospital receives IV fluids at some point in their...
The psychiatric condition obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is estimated to be...
Surgical training has a variety of work to get involved in as well as having many...
Infantile Haemangiomas are common skin lesions seen in paediatrics. This article...
Audits & QIPs are a way to identify issues, drive changes and assess the effects...
As an F1, you will quite frequently get bleeped to review a patient who has had a...
Anaesthetics is a very hands-on specialty. Day-to-day work will have a mix of practical...
A "floppy" baby may present in many different ways and there is a long list of differentials...
As a doctor, you will frequently be called for a drowsy patient. They can vary from...
If you’re worried about not getting your top choice, you shouldn’t worry....
The PSA is aimed at final year medical students and those graduating overseas to...
Balancing your workload as a junior doctor whilst teaching medical students effectively...
Hand foot and mouth disease is a very common illness in children which commonly causes...
Scenario: You are bleeped by one of the staff nurses to review a patient on the orthopaedic...
Frequently patients wish to self-discharge from hospitals. This article pertains...
Abdominal pain in paediatrics can have a wide range of causes, some being innocent...
It takes time to get used to the ward round. Particularly, when patients are being...
Each month, your pay and any deductions will be summarised to you in the form of...
FY1s are usually most apprehensive about being on call, but it is also the shift...
Your e-Portfolio is an online tool to gather and store evidence of progression throughout...
On the one hand, you wear a Disney lanyard, with a pocket stuffed with stickers,...
As a doctor, there are different types of leave you will come across during the year...
At times as a junior doctor, you will be faced with the management of patients displaying...
It is important for junior doctors to understand what the discharge planning process...
Hyperglycaemia is something you will encounter frequently. In this article, we focus...
Preparing for the Situational Judgement Test (SJT) exam can be quite daunting. It...
The deteriorating patient is often the worst nightmare for new FY1s. I remember...
With the recent removal of additional degrees counting for points towards all specialty...
Constipation is one of the most common complaints in hospital, especially on the...
The general prescribing principles from both Old Age Psychiatrists and Geriatricians...
SLEs are supervised learning events that include
Mini-CEX (mini clinical evaluation...
Hyponatraemia (serum Sodium <135 mmol/L) is one of the most common electrolyte...
This article is about claiming tax relief on essential things for your job –...
The first thing when called is to identify whether the bleeding is truly a lower...
Mental health and well-being are taboo subjects for medical students and doctors,...
When I left medical school, I thought my only difficulty would be the actual medicine,...
Here’s a list of apps that are in order of how essential we find them. There’s...
The advantages of AXRs are far less radiation to patients & that they’re...
Determining the risk of harm to the patient, and sometimes to others, is an essential...
When assessing pain, ensure you begin by taking a history to characterise the pain...
The mental state examination (MSE) is an observational assessment of a patient’s...
Febrile convulsions are a common presentation in paediatrics. This article will you...
Henochn Schonlein Purpura (HSP) is a common vasculitis in paediatrics that presents...
Here we assume you know the basics, and instead we focus on the common pitfalls with...
Paracetamol overdose is a common presentation in A&E and so you may often find...
When I supervise and teach FY1s, prescribing is among the top three things they are...
Radiology is a very exciting and innovative field of medicine. Radiologists have...
A blood film looks at our three cell types (erythrocytes, leukocytes & platelets)...
In this article, we will look at more practical aspects of how to read an ABG and...
Do you have an interest in human behaviour? Did you go into medicine to speak to...
Writing a discharge summary is a task you are likely to carry out every day, and...
In this article, we discuss why you should apply to O&G training, how to build your...
Equipment
Gloves
Hand sanitiser
Alcohol wipe
Tourniquet
Cotton wool/ gauze
Needle
Syringe...
Finally earning a wage for all your hard work is great and locum work can be a great...
AKI is very common affecting around 20% of inpatients & it is important to recognise...
