Contents: February 2006

Editorials

Medicine's dark past
The medical profession played its part in the atrocities committed during Hitler's Third Reich. Shmuel Reis and Uri Weinberg document the involvement of doctors

Russia's health crisis
Now that Russia has presidency of the G8, the time is right for countries in the EU and G8 to help Russia tackle its health crisis, argues Rifat A Atun

News

News Bites

Medics worldwide: news and opportunities from the IFMSA

Education

What a belly ache
You are a medical student attached to a general surgery firm. While you are shadowing the senior house officer he is contacted for a trauma case; you accompany him to the resuscitation bay of the emergency department.

Care of the critically ill surgical patient
Critical care is now an accepted part of surgical practice, and for many surgeons it is the most stressful part. Questions on critical care are coming up more often in postgraduate surgical examinations. Paul Sutton and P J Livesley explain the idea

Teach yourself to suture for under a tenner
Suturing is one of the basic surgical skills that medical students can learn. Iain Varley and Duncan Taylor show you a cost effective method to get you up to speed. Take one banana . . .

Management of postoperative nausea and vomiting
Patients who experience postoperative nausea and vomiting describe it as the worst side effect of their surgery and remember it for longer than any other side effect. Ronan O'Leary and coauthors explain a stepwise approach to managing this important surgical complication

Management of finger lacerations: a simple approach
If you have ever worried about the way you approach minor surgical procedures, then this article is for you. Ahid Abood and David Floyd give practical advice to help you improve the management of finger lacerations.

From medical student to junior doctor: care of the deceased patient
In the fifth article of our series, Richard Beasley and colleagues explain why the death of a patient should not be considered the point of cessation of care and describe what you should be aware of after your patient dies

Jerusalem syndrome
Impress your mates at the pub with your startling repertoire of esoteric medical knowledge

Homoeopathy:a pseudoscience?
Despite considerable popularity, homoeopathy is irrelevant to medicine because its effects are not proved and it lacks a credible scientific basis, argues Balaji Ravichandran

Careers

A subtle wisdom
Kavery Nambisan, a surgeon and acclaimed novelist, did her undergraduate training in Bangalore and trained as a surgeon at the university of Liverpool. Despite other more lucrative opportunities, she returned to work in the rural heart of her homeland. Balaji Ravichandran caught up with her after the release of her latest, partly autobiographical, novel

Balancing the books
Supporting your studies with evening or weekend work may make sense. Gretchen P Purcell describes how she paid for her undergraduate and professional education doing unique jobs that advanced her career

Organising and carrying out an elective project
There are many good reasons for doing a project on your elective, including personal interest, increased funding opportunities, and availability of a dedicated period of time. A well thought out and completed project also looks good on your CV. Here are some tips on getting that idea off the ground and seeing it through to the end.

Are you fit to practise?
Medical knowledge and skills do not, intrinsically, make you fit to practise medicine; health and conduct also play a part. Madeleine Locke explains why you should be aware of fitness to practise proceedings

The art of the abstract
The abstract is your calling card to the world of scientific research. Senthil K Selvanathan and coauthors explain what you need to do to get your message across in a non-abstract way

The art of making good posters
You’re done with the research, and now it’s time to show the results to the medical community. Arun Natarajan and coauthors explain how to make a poster that does your work justice

Finding accommodation during a clinical attachment
Sorting out accommodation is one of the first priorities after getting a clinical attachment. Because of the increasing number of clinical observers, however, getting hospital accommodation is becoming a distant reality. Although these tips are primarily aimed at clinical observers, I am sure they will be of help to any doctor who is considering moving to a new area.

Papers

Swimming with dolphins to treat depression: randomised controlled trial
Swimming with dolphins to treat depression might seem an innovative approach, but does it really have relevance in clinical practice? Nick Dunn tells us the bottom line

Life

Legalising euthanasia
Euthanasia is one of the most controversial issues in modern medicine. Holger Unger explains the ongoing debate in the Netherlands, the first country to have legalised euthanasia

Don't talk about death: we’re medical students
Dealing with people who are grieving the loss of a loved one is something that medical students cannot learn from a textbook. Jemima Tagal says that it’s all a matter of understanding

In death’s vicinity
Many attempts have been made to explain near death experiences. And although common, we are still no closer to understanding them, says Kaushal Raj Pandey

Medical profession and public perceptions: an Indian perspective
In the West, medical professionals are subject to increasing levels of public scrutiny. In India, the medical profession has remained pretty much unscathed, and doctors are widely praised, thinks Balaji Ravichandran

Letters

A different perspective on PLAB

Managing hospital inpatient care

No subjectivity at all

Reviews

Stem cells: a biological repair kit

Taking responsibility

Marathon medicine

Misconceptions and stereotypes

Geriatrics

Eyespy