Contents: May 2006
Front cover (large)
Contents page (PDF)
Editorials
Funduscopy:to dilate or not to dilate?
Dilating the pupil with mydriatic eye drops before funduscopy doubles sensitivity for testing for diabetic retinopathy, but what additional risk does dilation carry? Gerald Liew and coauthors assess the evidence
Male circumcision: time to re - examine the evidence
Stefan A Bailis and Daniel T Halperin argue that the benefits of circumcision exceed the risks
Behavioural medicine: changing our behaviour
Human behaviour is a major determinant of health, and a growing body of evidence shows how to make behavioural interventions effective. Theresa Marteau and colleagues explain the way forward
News
Doctors defend online system for allocating junior doctor posts
News bites
Medics worldwide: news and opportunities from the IFMSA
Jana Kammeyer president, International Federation of Medical Students' Associations, president@ifmsa.org
Education
So what do you think of this laser eye surgery, doc?
Laser eye surgery has been a subject of focus in Ophthalmology in the last few years and patients increasingly want to know about its use in eye conditions, as Jaheed Khan and Victor Chongexplain
WORD SEARCH: OPHTHALMOLOGY
How good is your ophthalmology? See how many answers to the following questions you can find in the puzzle
From medical student to junior doctor: The medical handover - a good habit to cultivate
The art of effective handover is a neglected topic in medical school. Richard Beasley and colleagues explain the importance of best practice when exchanging information between healthcare professionals, in the eighth article of our series
ABC of wound healing: Diabetic foot ulcers
Diabetic foot ulcers can be divided into two groups: those in neuropathic feet (so called neuropathic ulcers) and those in feet with ischaemia often associated with neuro-pathy (so called neuroischaemic ulcers)
Droopy eye
A woman aged 83 presented with increasing shortness of breath of a few weeks' duration.
Blurred vision
A 76 year old right handed man presented to the accident and emergency department with blurred vision
Careers
Why is eye disease difficult to diagnose?
Jaheed Khan and colleagues discuss the barriers in diagnosing eye disease and point out potential solutions to overcome these problems
Ophthalmology around the world
Medical students and doctors from many countries share their opinion about undergraduate training in ophthalmology, as Stacey Strong reports
The founder of Unite for Sight
Medical student Jennifer Staple founded Unite for Sight, an organisation that has improved eye care worldwide. She has received many awards and is profiled in a book about inspirational young leaders, she tells Irina Haivas
Overseas doctors' health
Julie Sladden explores the difficulties facing international medical graduates, and how these can affect their health and wellbeing
The advice zone
A doctor and crime novelist
Tess Gerritsen graduated as a doctor in 1979. She gave up practising medicine to focus on writing fiction. Nowadays, she is an acclaimed novelist of bestsellers and has sold about 10 million copies worldwide. Klaus Morales finds out how she got there
Tips on...Getting the most out of an operating theatre session
Papers
HProviding the results of a trial to its participants: qualitative study
How do the participants of studies react to receiving a summary of the results of the trial in which they took part? Christiane Rehwagen critically appraises a qualitative study
Life
Cosy up with any good books lately?
Media medicine
Newspapers, magazines, and even medical journals influence the perception of medicine and healthcare professionals . Emma Gibson explored her passion for journalism with several powerful media outlets
Nightclubs and the seven deadly sins
Philip Hendy discusses the immediate and long term medical hazards of clubbing
Letters
Ed is everywhere
GAMMSdoes not work in Nigeria
Misconceptions
A divide is unacceptable
Reviews
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Are TLAs more trouble than they're worth?
Ophthalmology
The long and the short of it
Eyespy