Editor - During the past six years of being a medical student, I have attended several seminars and courses where pharmaceutical companies had the opportunity to present their products. The sales employees in charge of these demonstrations were always willing to help medical students. They gave us copies of the last studies and presented us the results. Yes, of course, we could also take some items with us like pens, block pads, and so on.

What effect did these presentations and items have? The items—none. But the presentations were the best of all. I learnt more in one hour reading these articles than in my pharmacology lessons in one year.

I don't remember the name of each drug and the company which produces it. But through these presentations I learnt about the pathological mechanisms of many illnesses, and I have learnt how to do a research project to introduce a drug in the market.

My tutors have told me that on occasions companies only publish successful results of studies, so medical students and doctors must be careful when reading and analysing the data. For this reason, I go to a pharmaceutical presentation with the aim to learn, to ask how the drug works, and how they have developed the drug.

How many commercial names can I remember? No more than five. How many scientific principles do I know? Many more.

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