Last week I took a brief look at the way OSCEs, as part of the examination process can cause significant stress and strain to and individual aiming to become a doctor. This week I wanted to raise an issue that has set the doctor forums on fire for the past week. At this point I will make it clear, this …
I shudder at the mere thought of writing this post. The objective structured clinical examination or OSCE, is a phrase/abbreviation that will send chills down the spine of even the most hardened medic. Additionally now as GPs, we must complete the clinical skills assessment (CSA), in essence an OSCE before we can now complete our training to become a GP. With …
The other week in The care-home classification: part one, I attempted to classify the variety of care homes that populate our fair and green land. That classification was in respect to its function. However in terms of experience , I also mentioned that such care homes can easily be ranked in terms of suitability, appearance and functional ability to offer the care they aim to deliver. I …
First of all i would like to apologize. Last week I promised a follow-on from the care-home classification, however due to a few reasons, that post will be extracted from my noggin for next week. This weeks primary care related ramblings takes a cue from a colleagues piece of work. In terms of conflicts of interest, while I don’t have direct involvement with this project, I …
Care homes, you gotta love them. Where else can you go to find a collection of like-minded people, sitting about doing the same thing, watching other people, and there be qualified ushers there to move along the stragglers. A football match maybe? I remember when training, one of my more illustrious trainers code-named Dr Legend compared care homes to the …
Visits! Can’t live with them, can’t put them off. (well you could, but it likely to come back and bite you on your heiny). I find visits and interesting part of my day. For one it is my daily dose of vitamin D, where I get to break out from the confines of the practice building, stretch my legs, and then …
I had planned on continuing the ramblings on GP visits. However recent events made me ponder a more unpleasant issue. I don’t think anyone in this country has been oblivious of the riots from the other week. In a short space of time, the country was gripped in fear, defiance, national pride and horror all at the same time. Gangs of …
To visit, or not to visit? That is the question. As a GP, the thought of visits either makes you gooey inside, indifferent to another job still to do, or infuriated at yet ANOTHER job to do. I must admit I sit in the middle road. While I find visits important particularly with the housebound population, I do tend to find …
Did anyone notice the thunderstorms and rain, and general dreariness that began on the first Wed of August and continues today? Some may explain the meteorological reasons for this phenomenon, or put it down to the British weather. I myself blame Black Wednesday. For those non-medics reading this article, Black Wednesday is in reference to doctor change over day. This is the day …
General practice (GP) appointments are a nightmare. I can never get one at my GP when I want one, and I’m not that choosy over which doctor I see either (I only refuse to see one GP at the practice of 8 GPs, as she is a personal friend of mine, and that would just irk me a little.) According …