GMC Student News June 2011
GMC Student News is our regular round up for medical students of what’s happening at the GMC and in the profession more widely. We want to keep you up to date with all the latest developments, whether it’s new guidance for doctors or changes to medical education.
You can sign up to receive the e-bulletin at http://www.gmc-uk.org/studentfeedback/.
In this issue:
Getting to know...
This month, in our regular guest interview, we talk to two junior doctors who took part in BBC Three's recent series Junior Doctors: your life in their hands. Suzi Batchelor and Keir Shiels share their experiences of filming their first moments as F1 / F2 doctors. The show, which was BBC Three's highest ever ratings for a factual entertainment show, gives an insight into the pressures of being a junior doctor and how they juggle their work and social lives.
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| Suzi Batchelor |
Keir Shiels |
Why did you decide to become a doctor?
S: When I was growing up I'd wanted to pursue a career as a singing teacher, but my parents weren't so keen. I'd always enjoyed science and so decided to start my training to become a doctor.
K: I was on the other side of the fence working as a neuropsychologist when I decided that I wanted to do more, which is when I decided to train as a doctor.
What made you sign up to be part of this programme?
S: My friend asked me along to support her in her audition for the programme, but the BBC kindly picked me. I thought it would be a nice keepsake to always remember my first months as a doctor. It will be nice in the future as well to show my children.
K: I was offered the chance to screen test, but initially didn't put my name forward. Eventually I succumbed to the nagging of my friends and colleagues and decided to be part of the show. And once I knew my F1, Katherine, would be in the show I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid the film crews. I decided I'd prefer to be in the TV series rather than be a bobbing gnome in the background!
What was it like having your first tentative moments as an F1/F2 doctor filmed?
S: It's always in the back of your mind that whatever you say and do is being filmed and potentially could be broadcasted to the nation.
K: The camera crew were very discreet. Of course you knew they were there, but I just pretended that the cameraman was my consultant and the soundman was my mum. There is always this suspicion, when you start a project like this, about how much editing will go on and how much footage they will use. All of us were very pleased with the way they portrayed us and in the way the BBC developed our characters and the story. They showed us how we really are.
What are your top tips for surviving medical school?
S: I know it sounds clichéd but never give up, because you do get there in the end.
K: I look back at my time at medical school and think of it like a jigsaw where you don't have the picture to follow. You've all these pieces which you have to try and put together. Have faith, because eventually the puzzle comes together.
What has been your greatest challenge so far as a junior doctor?
S: It's very challenging managing the work/life balance. Most of my friends are doctors which makes it doubly hard to meet up, as we've several off-duties to coordinate just to arrange dinner! If you don't have a social life you will crack. It's a very hard thing to balance.
K: I find the greatest challenge is when you don't know something and you have to put your hand up and say so. Saying ’I don't know’ is particularly difficult. Also, if a patient has a series of problems, there can be a feeling of impotence around not knowing exactly what the greatest danger to them might be.
K: Suzi finds tidying her room very hard!
Does being a ‘famous’ doctor affect how your patients and colleagues treat you - any pros/cons?
S: I think it's quite mixed. I don't think any of us have come off too badly as a result of the TV programme. I get recognised all the time at work and by patients.
K: It's nice to have people recognise you and say that they like you for what you've been trained to do. But it's very strange having people remind you who you are, ‘You're Keir’… ‘Um yes that's right’. Conversations are normally fairly short. People think that they know you. They ask ‘How is Jon? How is Suzi?’ You have to bring them back to the fact that their child is ill and I'm their doctor.
While filming, Suzi and Keir had to deal with the tricky ethical issues of consent and confidentiality. The duty to get consent in advance of making recordings of patients is covered in new guidance issued by the GMC which all doctors have to follow. 'Making and using visual and audio recordings of patients' sets out what doctors must do when making recordings of patients for any purpose, including treatment, research, education, or public media.
To find out more about this guidance visit the GMC's website: www.gmc-uk.org/recordings.
What makes a good doctor?
What do you think makes a good doctor?
As a future doctor, you are already expected to uphold the values and principles of Good Medical Practice (GMP), our core guidance for all doctors. Hopefully, you’ll already have familiarised yourself with the guidance, but, in short, GMP is a summary of what makes a good doctor and it’s against these standards that doctors are measured.
At the moment we’re undertaking a major review of GMP and we’ve dedicated a new section of our website to this at www.gmc-uk.org/gmp2012. Have a look and vote on an ethical dilemma faced by Dr Julia, the star of our monthly ethical soap.
You can also find out what the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland and others think about GMP, and what the Chair of the GMC, the Chairman of the Environment Agency, and the Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year think makes a good doctor.
We want to hear from you as tomorrow’s doctors. Don’t miss out on this chance to have your say about the standards you’ll be expected to follow as a doctor.
Colour blindness: a medical student’s perspective
You may be surprised to know that colour blindness affects around 8% of men and 0.4% of women. For those affected, including some doctors, the condition has implications which are not always well understood. A new society for colour blind doctors and medical students is aiming to change this. Tom Murphy is a 5th year medical student at Imperial College London and is helping launch the new society. He tells us all about it.
TM: 'Blindness' is actually a misleading term. Colour blind people are not blind to colour. It’s their ability to distinguish between certain colours which is impaired. It’s hard to describe the condition in just a few sentences - there are entire books dedicated to the subject - but difficulty arises in discriminating between naming and matching colours. Often, sufferers will be unaware of the mistakes they make, and the mistakes may not always be picked up by others.
While colour blindness rules out a few jobs, for example, becoming a pilot, there is thankfully no restriction on colour blind people becoming doctors. However, colour blind doctors and medical students may have difficulties in some situations. An unpublished report in 2005 by Eoghan Burke identified a number of challenges facing medical students in particular. A recurring theme in the report was that there is a low level of awareness and inadequate support for doctors and medical students with the condition.
One reason for this could be that colour blindness does not actually create too many problems for doctors and medical students. This is of course a good thing. However, I discovered during my first clinical attachment that there are certainly some challenges. I met an Asian woman with dermatomyositis. One of the obvious signs of this condition is a red rash. My colleagues instantly spotted the extensive rash, but I couldn’t see it. When they pointed out the rash, I could appreciate it, but it hadn’t been as immediately obvious to me as it was to everyone else. Colour blind doctors and medical students may also struggle with identifying cyanosis, pallor, jaundice, or blood in stools.
The problem is that there is no comprehensive list of the challenges that colour blind doctors and medical students may face, and possible solutions to them, even though sometimes it may be as simple as making sure colleagues are aware of the condition.
The team at colourmed.com has therefore decided to establish a society for colour blind doctors and medical students. We aim to collate experiences of the challenges they face and the solutions they have found. We’ll then make available this learning to help others.
I envisage a future where colour blind doctors and medical students will know exactly what their limitations are and exactly how to address them. I want them to be able to find their colour blind senior colleagues at the click of a mouse, to seek help, support and advice. All doctors need to be aware of their limitations. Making appropriate adjustments for them will improve patient care, which is something that we all strive to achieve. Colour blindness is a limitation that is easily quantifiable and, I believe, easily supported.
If you are colour blind and would like to share your experiences, please visit http://www.colourmed.com. The website contains useful information and links to some of the research that has been done on the subject already.
Clinical placements
Clinical placements are a key part of your learning as a medical student. They help prepare you for clinical practice and moving to be an F1.
Earlier this year we published new supplementary advice for medical schools titled Clinical placements for medical students.
The new advice makes clear what a clinical placement is and what it isn’t. It advises on how medical schools could introduce the new ‘Student Assistantships’ that we will soon require. It also brings together examples of how placements have been delivered across the UK, while recognising that local circumstances and requirements vary.
Take a look to find out what you can expect from a placement.
Starting as an F1
Are you finishing medical school and starting work as an F1 Trainee this August?
If so, then you’ll doubtless have lots to remember and be looking forward to taking this exciting next step in your medical training.
Don’t forget though, you must have provisional registration with the GMC in place before you start work as an F1. You can’t begin your foundation training without it.
You should have received a letter from us explaining how to apply for provisional registration. Don’t put it off, make your application as soon as possible.
Visit our website for guidance on how to register or email gmc@gmc-uk.org.uk.