Contents: July 2003

Editorials

Just how demanding can we be before we blow it?
Hilda Bastian argues that assertive, articulate patients who swallow up doctors time with their lists of questions are increasing health inequalities by leaving needier patients waiting

The BMJ patient issue

Impartial careers advice for doctors and medical students
The BMJ careers advice zone may help fill the gap

News

UK medical students arrested in Israel

WHO declares SARS epidemic under control

Liquorice offers potential treatment for SARS

UK can't cope with sexual health needs

Research funded by drug companies introduces bias

Nurse trains in surgery to improve patients' experience

Exercising in the afternoon is better than the morning

Sex law criminalises agony aunts

Leeds students are angry at lack of information about final results delay

US court ruling could end positive discrimination

Controversy grows over India's genetically modified potato

US investigates 82 cases of monkeypox virus

Education

Basic plastic surgery techniques and principles: Using local anaesthetics
In the third part of our series, Ben Taylor and Ardeshir Bayat explain local anaesthetics. Which anaesthetic should you use and why? And what are the risks?

Trauma part 4: Burns
In the final article in our series on trauma, Omar Mukhtar and Kirsten Jones explain how to assess and manage burns

Biomedical ethics: Organ transplantation
In the third part of our series, Pierre Mallia looks at the controversial world of organ transplantation

Korotkoff sounds
Tom Cunningham is not convinced Korotkoff sounds are caused by turbulent blood flow. He looks into how those important everyday sounds reach your stethoscope

Picture quiz: renal impairment
Adverse drug event

Careers

To hell and back
Lizzie Miller is a founding member of the Doctors' Support Network. She spoke to Peter Cross about her medical career and her victory over bipolar mood swings

UK postgraduate education: all change
Junior doctors' training in the United Kingdom is changing. New arrangements will affect current medical students, but will it make them better doctors? Adam Poole explains

International medical conferences
Joanna Coghill, Rachel Gaywood, Sarah Christie, and Gavin Perkins give some crucial advice on how to present your research

Tips on Conferences: getting there and getting the most from them

Papers

Paper plus: Comparing antidepressants in primary care

Life

Vampire bats and moonshine
Mohit Kaushal and Christopher Niranjan went to Costa Rica for their elective and found that effective health care is more than clinical skills

Planning your elective: Costa Rica
Mark Wilson gives you some tips on arranging your elective

Global perspectives on patients
Doctors and patients relate to each other differently in different cultures. Here seven medical students from around the globe share their insights

Neurolinguistic programming: the keys to success
Joanne Walter and Ardeshir Bayat explain how being successful in your career and personal life could be within your reach

Networking: how to play the game
You are at a conference, academic or otherwise. How do you make the most of it? Charlotte Allan and Timothy Rittman suggest some ways to tap into networks