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• E-Med News 15, August 2008

Edition 15, August 2008

Contents

Results Day

Graduation Day

Graduation Ball

CEC Health Library

Summer Open Day

Student Book Reviews

Staff compete in Race for Life

Student RAG week

Gold for Jane Walker

Congratulations

Results Day

Friday 13th June 2008  saw Year 5 students at Keele School of Medicine anxiously awaiting their final results. 70 delighted students graduated, 6 with honours.

Graduation Day

The Year 5 group was largely composed of the first students who undertook all five years of their medical studies in North Staffordshire , plus a contingent of students from Manchester Medical School and St Andrews University who undertook the initial years of their medical studies in their respective institutions. 29 of the graduates are staying in the area to work with UHNS, 4 graduates have Foundation Year placements at Shrewsbury & Telford Hospitals Trust, and 3 graduates will be placed at Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

Some of the July 2008 graduating students who are staying in the local area

The graduation ceremony on July 8th was a landmark for the School of Medicine as it included the first cohort of undergraduate medical students to have their degrees conferred at Keele, by kind arrangement with Manchester Medical School .

The MBChB degree that they received is a Manchester award, reflecting the successful collaborative partnership between Keele and Manchester.

Graduation Ball

Year 5 students had already celebrated with a magnificent Graduation Ball at Oakley Hall on 17th May.

CEC Health Faculty Library opening hours on Sundays

The Health Library at the Clinical Education Centre (Hospital Campus) is now open on Sunday afternoons from 1pm until 5pm .

 

Summer Open Day Success

On the first of the medical school's two open days this summer, 216 potential students visited with their families and friends. They enjoyed presentations about the Keele curriculum and admissions requirements. Taking a self-guided tour of the building enabled them to talk to staff and current students in our labs, anatomy resource room and IT Suite. In an ‘Ask the Tutor' session, two of the tutors were kept talking for almost five hours! Here are just two of the comments we received:   “… the medical students were really helpful … they were the most helpful out of all of the other med schools I have visited.”   “It was a fantastic day which was incredibly informative … a huge thank you to your members of staff for all your help in answering my questions and making me feel so welcome.”   If we had an award for the would-be student who travelled the most miles to see us it would go to a keen visitor from Truro , but plenty of others travelled from near and far on the day and we'd love to see them all applying to study medicine at Keele in the near future.   

Student Book Reviewers Needed

The Royal Society of Medicine Press has generously offered to provide us with some books for students to review. If any students would be interested in reviewing a book, please contact Sarah Philpott on s.philpott@hfac.keele.ac.uk

The RSM Press range of books is listed on their website at:
http://www.rsmpress.co.uk/books.htm

Please note that some books listed have already been reviewed so please contact Sarah at the Medical School first to check which ones need to be evaluated.

Book Review
The Anatomy Student's Self-test Colouring Book
Author: Dr. Kurt H. Albertine  

A detailed knowledge of anatomy is a pre-requisite to the study and practice of medicine. There are a vast range of resources aimed at medical students, doctors and health professionals with an interest in human anatomy, such as internet sites, DVDs and other materials alike.

The main attraction of this book is that it is an ‘active' learning experience. The user is encouraged to colour in and label the superb, digitally-created illustrations of the body systems and anatomy. This serves as a useful way of self testing knowledge. Answers are provided, conveniently located at the bottom of each page.

The illustrations are complemented with useful, informative text throughout. Although this is welcomed, the user may wish to refer to a specialised text if greater detail is required. The book also provides colour acetate overlay sheets of the major body systems. This offers a quick and simple visual appreciation of how different systems interact.

This book covers all the major body systems. The chapters follow a logical progression, beginning with an overview of the human body, and moving on to address each system in turn. On a more personal note, the inclusion of summary tables or bulleted summaries in each chapter may have been appreciated by the user.

The book offers a useful alternative study tool to what is already available, and would serve well as an introductory resource and as a revision tool. The book is suitable for students new to anatomy, as well as those who just wish to brush up on their knowledge. Qualified doctors may find it useful in cementing their existing knowledge, although the format of the book, as a colouring book, may be inappropriate for postgraduate studies.

Reviewed by Jaswant Sandhu
Year 5 Medical Student, Keele University School of Medicine

Book Review
Puzzles for Medical Students: Paediatrics
Author: Ranjita Howard

I found this book to be an interesting, thought-provoking read. Aimed at clinical students, it is a mixture of 70 crossword puzzles and word searches, covering the main topics of paediatrics ranging from subjects such as congenital heart disease, neonatal jaundice (a favourite of progress tests!) to causes of short stature. It provides a lighter way to learn these subjects and is a refreshing change to traditional textbooks.

The puzzles are quite challenging and the answers are in a separate section avoiding the temptation to cheat. This approach to the subject meant that the information ‘sank in' a little more easily and I enjoyed the fun way this book is presented.

Reviewed by Mark Pickett
Year 4 Medical Student, Keele University School of Medicine

Book Review
Anatomy Flash Cards
Author: Chief Consultant Kurt H Albertine

The flash cards set is a well-presented revision tool for pre-clinical medical students and ideal for clinical years for quick refreshment of anatomy. The pocket-sized cards allow you to revise anywhere, be it waiting for a bus, or during a break. A toggle and elastic cord keep the cards from flying away! It is ideal not only for an introduction to the anatomy of the various systems of the human body but also for revision of anatomical sites. The coloured diagrams are uncomplicated and well-labelled allowing you to recall the important information easily. Easy-to-follow text explains the diagrams. The layout of the cards allows for easy access to the topics you want to study and they are cross referenced.

I do think it is slightly overpriced but, on the whole, a good revision tool.

In conclusion, this box set is recommended for the first two years of a medical course, enabling you to access what you need to revise in a pocket-sized presentation case.

Reviewed by Raj Gill
Year 2 Medical Student, Keele University School of Medicine

Book Review 
Get Ahead! Specialties: 100 EMQ's for finals
Authors: Peter Cartledge, Mary Watson, Rebecca Cairns and Fiona Bach

At first glance, Get Ahead! Specialties appears very plain, with only a hint of colour on the cover, no illustrations and packed with text. Not a particularly appealing layout for the student with little revision time on their hands. However, don't let appearances deceive you about the usefulness and quality of this book.

Split into 10 EMQ-style papers, each containing 10 questions, this book guides you through Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Psychiatry. The questions cover all aspects of the specialties, from diagnosis and treatment to basic science (remember the hormones of the menstrual cycle? You will!). Each paper is based on one of the specialties so it is equally useful for revision for end of module exams as it is for finals. Designed to take 90 minutes for each paper, they can be easily incorporated into a busy revision schedule, or you can just dip in and out when you like.

Detailed explanations are provided in answer to each question, with information on eponymous syndromes added for interest. These explanations really are the highlight of the book, written to contain all the important information you need, summarised in an easy-to-understand format that makes you want to read more. And, good news for those aiming for honours, the authors have included harder stems just for you!

Get Ahead Specialties! is a valuable addition to the Get Ahead series of revision guides available from the Royal Society of Medicine.

Reviewed by Angela Nelmes, June 08
Medical Student, Keele  University  School of Medicine

Book Review
A Career in Medicine: Do you have what it takes?
Editor: Rameen Shakur

This book details how to commence your medical career, starting with university entry requirements and looking all the way through to the career options available to a qualified doctor both within and outside the NHS. For many of us, especially those in the later years, around half of this book comes too late. There are however some interesting aspects and it is worth reading.

Section 1 gives a brief overview of the development of medicine as far back as Ancient Greece. It is interesting to look at the development from illness being looked at as a curse from the Gods to the medical practise we come across every day.

Sections 2 to 8 have titles such as, entry requirements to medical school, the interview, student finance, and the medical student years and how to survive them. Each section is very brief, and does not in my opinion give all of the information required by high school students.

After this point the book becomes more relevant to medical students. Sections include the foundation years, choosing general practice (primary care), choosing hospital medicine and academic medicine. Each chapter is brief, but gives a taster of what to expect when embarking on this area of your career.

The book does contain some cartoon illustrations (black and white) and tables of career pathways. However, it is a little hard going as there is no colour, and more illustrations are really needed.

All in all, this book does give a good overview of the medical career process, but in my opinion it does not give enough detail to make it an essential read. It would be of more use to high school students considering attending medical school before filling in their UCAS forms.

Reviewed by Karen Faulkner
Year 5 Medical Student, Keele University School of Medicine

Race for Life

Four members of our administrative team took part in the Race For Life on a beautiful June evening at Trentham Gardens . Beth Barlow, Teresa King, Sue Cartwright and Janet McNicholas did the 3-mile route around the lake.   In just under an hour the girls had completed the course and raised plenty of money for the Douglas Macmillan Hospice - a truly worthy cause. Be warned, they're on the lookout for more Medical  School team members next time!   Well done ladies.

From left: Sue, Teresa, Janet and Beth at the Race for Life

Medical School RAG week raises much-needed charity funds

This year marked the first Keele Medical School RAG (raise and give) week.   A committee of 3rd and 4th year medical students was responsible for the event, which raised proceeds for the Douglas Macmillan Hospice, Donna Louise Trust, and Water Aid.   The occasion was an enormous success, with bucket collections in Hanley, Newcastle and Keele, a PBL football tournament, a staff vs. student netball match, and campus-based raffles raising a final total of £836.10

Staff and student players before the students' runaway netball victory!

Raffle winners were Kirsty Hartley, Mohammed Jawad, Michael Wanis, Margaret Hollins, Dave Kirk, Adnan Darr, Rosemary Mason and Anne Sourbutts.   The committee would like to thank all the members of staff from both the undergraduate and clinical campuses without whom the event would not have been such a success. Thanks also need to go to the Keele Medical School Society for their significant contribution of £200 to the overall proceeds.   The organisers intend to make this a firm annual fixture which will continue to raise much-needed funds for charity.

The committee, from top left: Moeen Qadri (Events), Mohammed Jawad (Administration & Finance)
and Richard Goodman (Collections)
From bottom left: Kazim Dhanji (Year 3 Rep), Adnan Darr (Sports),
Euchael Davidson (KMS President & Year 3 Rep) & Mahdi Khalfoui (Collections)

Jane on target for European Gold at Bowhunter Championships

Jane Walker, a Clinical Skills Technician for the Medical School at the Clinical Education Centre, has won a gold medal at the 2008 European Bowhunter Championships in Estonia .

The event was held at the Tehvandi Sport Centre in Otepää and was opened by Toomas Tõnise, Secretary General of the Estonian Olympic Committee. The Championships brought 481 of Europe's best archers to Estonia . Participants came from 15 countries: Austria , England , Estonia , Finland , France , Germany , Hungary , Ireland , Italy , Latvia , Lithuania , Holland , Portugal , Scotland and Switzerland .

Competitors shot four courses over four days, in the forests surrounding the Sport Centre. Each course consisted of 28 life-size 3D animal reproductions varying in size from rabbits to buffalo, at distances ranging from 3 yards to 60 yards.

Jane has been an archer for just five years, starting when she took her son to a practice session. She first became European Champion in 2005, when she competed in Italy . In 2007 she won the World and European Championships in Switzerland .

This year, in Estonia, after the first two rounds she was lying in second place but regained first place on the third day and kept her lead for the final day, winning by just 44 points with an overall score of 1763 points.

Next year, the World Championships will be held in South Dakota , USA , in June. Jane hopes to defend her World title, depending on finance and sponsorship.

Congratulations

Many congratulations go to Margaret Hollins, Kirsty Hartley, Marie Bowen and Anita Smith who have all gained the Institute of Leadership & Management - Level 3 Award in workplace coaching for team leader and first line managers.

Sarah Philpott was awarded an NVQ Level 3 and Level 4 in Business Administration.

From left: Kirsty, Sarah, Margaret, Marie and Anita after receiving their awards

And all our very best wishes go to the following members of staff on their new arrivals -

Stuart McBain & Keira on the birth of Benjamin James

Rachel Ansell & Darren on the birth of Joselyn Mae

Richard Emes & Pauline on the birth of Harriet May

Lorraine Salt & Andrew on the birth of Esme Lily