Contents: May 2005

Editorials

A wolf in sheep's clothing
President Bush's candidate, Paul Wolfowitz, architect of the war on Iraq, is the wrong choice for the World Bank, argues Kamran Abbasi

Using pictures in the studentBMJ
We want lots of pictures, but have policies on using them ethically. Trish Groves and Jan Croot explain how to submit pictures without infringing privacy

News

Patients don't mind inexperienced students

Discrimination against hepatitis B infected medical students could end

Problem based learning better prepares students for practice

Medics worldwide: news and opportunities from the IFMSA

Crusading for change

Education

First aid: Syncope
In the fourth part of our series, Samena Chaudhry and Magnus Harrison explain the management of syncope

Common skin infections in children: Impetigo and tinea capitis
In the second of this series about children's skin infections, Michael J Sladden and Graham A Johnston give an evidence based approach to the diagnosis and treatment of impetigo and ringworm

Cannulating children

ABC of preterm birth: Obstetric issues in preterm birth

10 Minute consultation: Irritable bowel syndrome

Pub medic: Junk DNA
Sequencing the human genome has revolutionised the way molecular biologists look at our DNA. And junk DNA, material once thought of as irrelevant genetic waste, is becoming a focus of scientific interest, as Raghav Chawla explains

Puzzle: rheumatoid arthritis

Careers

15 minute interview: Social responsibility

Starting an eye project in Africa
After taking his college exams, ophthalmology registrar Daniel Morris decided to work on a trachoma eradication programme in Africa. It broadened his experience - and didn't jeopardise his job prospects when he got back

Tips on... Theatre etiquette

Understanding personality type: What do type dynamics tell us about life stages and stress reactions?
In the eighth article of her series, Anita Houghton explains how preferences interact and develop over time

Life and loathes of a new doctor: Putting it into perspective

Producing patient literature
Students are sometimes asked to produce a patient information booklet as a project or module on their course. Richard Crane and Bakula Patel explain how to get started

The advice zone

Papers

Paper plus: What medical students should know about psoriasis: modified Delphi technique
Teaching about psoriasis gets little time in medical school. Leanne Tite considers the pros and cons of a qualitative study that used the Delphi technique among experts and patients to determine what aspects should be taught

Life

West goes East
When medical student, Lisa Teoh, discovered her family still owned their ancestral home in China, she decided that the building should be used by the local community. It's now the base for a cultural exchange between British and Chinese medical students. Delilah Khan and Jiawei Liao explain

Unclean & unseen
The idea that menstruation is dirty has been used to demonise and control women for centuries. Laxmi Vilas Ghimire describes the situation in a part of Nepal where women having their periods are banished from their homes

The bank that cares?
Chances are that most people working in health will be able to tell you something about the World Health Organization. But the World Bank? What does a bank have to do with health care? Rebecca Hope explains why it should concern doctors and medical students

Sign of the times
Deaf patients have specific communication needs. Following on from last month's article about interpretation, Channa Panagamuwa and coauthors consider the role of sign language interpreters and the legal obligation of doctors to provide them

How to be a really good bully
Anita Houghton gives some tongue in cheek tips on how to be an effective bully and get away with it