Clinical medicine (London, England)
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A 12-month pilot was carried out on assessments for learning and assessments of learning as part of workplace-based assessments in postgraduate medical education. This was carried out in three regions and core medical trainees and higher specialty medical trainees participated. Focus groups and questionnaires were utilised to investigate the trainees' and trainers' experiences and perceptions of assessments for learning. ⋯ There was a lack of, or delayed or non-specific, feedback following SLEs, which would have impeded its educational value. Trainee and trainer disengagement was one of the contributing factors. These findings are valuable in informing and facilitating future successful implementation of assessments for learning.
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A recent survey of UK core medical training (CMT) training conducted jointly by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and Joint Royal College of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB) identified that trainees perceived major problems with their training. Service work dominated and compromised training opportunities, and of great concern, almost half the respondents felt that they had not been adequately prepared to take on the role of medical registrar. ⋯ This article draws together some of these excellent ideas on how the quality of training and the experience of trainees could be improved. It presents a vision for how CMT trainees, consultant supervisors, training programme directors, clinical directors and managers can work together to implement relevant, feasible and affordable ways to improve training for doctors and deliver the best possible care for patients.
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Cancer is the ultimate disorder of the genome, characterised not by just one or two mutations, but by hundreds to thousands of acquired mutations that have been accrued through the development of a tumour. Thanks to the recent increase in the speed of sequencing offered by modern sequencing technologies, we are no longer restricted to exploring tiny fragments of protein-coding portions of the human genome. We can now read all the genetic material in human cells. ⋯ Some of the recent insights into tumour biology, that exploit the extraordinary surge in scale and the digital nature of next-generation sequencing, are highlighted, including cancer gene discovery, the detection of mutation signatures and cancer evolution. Technological and intellectual developments are starting to shape the personalized cancer genomic profiles of tomorrow. Let's train the next-generation of clinicians to be able to read them from today.
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Diabetes comes in many shapes and forms. It is important for the general physician to recognise when clinical characteristics, response to treatment and associated features suggest an alternative variety of diabetes, over and above the traditional type 1 and type 2 forms which are far more common. Key to these suspicions are taking a clear history of the development of the diabetes and being aware of the family history.
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Exercise-induced anaphylaxis (EIA) and its subtype food-dependent (FD)-EIA are uncommon and easily missed forms of physical allergy. The latter is triggered by exercise following the ingestion of specific food products. Treatment is identical to that for IgE-mediated allergic reactions. ⋯ Upon admission to hospital, she was found to be hypotensive and required fluid resuscitation, systemic corticosteroids and adrenaline. She made a full and uneventful recovery. On the basis of the clinical story and specific allergy markers, her presentation was attributed to FD-EIA.