Adrian Blundell, Richard Harrison, and Benjamin Turney

BMJ Books, 2003
£19.99, 208 pages
ISBN 0 727 91739 0

Rating:***

"How do bicycle gears work?" and "Do you think that those who can afford private medical cover should be forced to have it?" are examples of questions that you might be asked at an interview for a place at medical school. How do I know this? Because this little treasure of a book told me so.

The authors come across like your worldly wise occasionally teasing older brothers, taking you by the hand through everything from completing your application form for the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) to sorting out your finances. The guide includes personal views and loads of interesting statistics.

The language is simple and easy to follow and pitched just right for the target audience of older school pupils who are considering medicine. But Becoming a Doctor should also be beneficial to most medical students because some chapters deal with life at medical school and what happens after graduation.

A separate chapter explains how over 21s can get into medicine, but I think it is a shame that the authors have not covered issues affecting overseas students who want to study in the United Kingdom. As the authors say, a tenth of current medical students are from overseas. Initially I was irritated that the guide includes a chapter specifically about getting into Oxford and Cambridge, but, the authors explain that this is not because Oxbridge is better but because they have different courses, application procedures, and rules.

The first few chapters (on how to get into medical school) give comprehensive details about individual medical schools and courses. But because the situation is constantly changing, you should also do your own research. To this end, the authors have included useful websites at the end of the book.

Some later chapters are less thorough, such as the one about preclinical year; how can all that agony be squeezed into eight pages? And the chapters on career options lack useful details-do not use this book for future career guidance. Becoming a Doctor covers everything its cover promises-that is, how to become a doctor in the United Kingdom-and is a must read for anyone contemplating becoming a doctor.

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