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From lhe Library

FRESHERS

EDITI

ONI

THE PUBCMWL PLUS!

Meet The Cornmittee Doc Trumpsl

Chubb's crub and lots, lots more!!!

I

151

1

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Most ofyou will have heard now about the tr-agic death of 5'h year mcdical student Catherine Bullen, while on a pre-elective holiday in Nanibia, Aliica. This is our tdbute to her.

It sounds like a clich6, but it would actually be true to say that robody who knew Cath disliked her. It was impossible to argue with her, and shc ncvcr seemed to have a bad word to say about anyone. She would always be ilterested in how your day had been, and take time to listen ifyou needed to chat. She always had a solution to problems, usually involving chocolate or wine (or both).

Cath loved medicine and loved Bristol. She wanted to be a G.P.

Her

patience, caring

nature (and lovc of tea) woukl have made her a

great orre.

FIer

approach to work was very organised, atld she never seemcd 10 get too stressed. unlike the rest

of us.

Few people know how good her results were, because she never drew any

attention

to

theln.

Despite her success, Cath also found plcnty oftimc to havc lun. Slrc cnjoyccl going out, especially where there was chcesy musio and plcnty of wine. Shc was otien the onc to

look alter us ilwe overindulged.....

Cath was a homeiy person. She loved her farnily and boyfriend offour years, making frequent trips hofie to see them. She had a gift for making people feel special. even though she had rnany friends and relatives. This was rellected in the number ol mo\i g tributcs delivered by family members at lrer firneral.

Cath's e-mails before she died convey what a wonderful time she and Steph were having in Aiiica. lt is hard to accept that she won't be coming back. More than anyone, Cath would have known the right thing to say in a situation like this. We will all miss her so much.

Steph, Sarah, Anne alld Lee.

milrr8wffiirrr8ttlmil#Ew You could save a life. .-.recruiting students onto the registry of potential stem cell (bone marrow) donors...

Joining the register...

a

&

How?

FIND OUT MORE AT ONE OF OUR CLINICS:

Come lo a MARROW clinic.

What wi ll I have to do?

Fill in a form and have a confidenlial chat lo one of our lrained stafr. lF you decide lo join, we lake a small blood sample to pul you on the regisler.

Do )rou take my bone marrow at the

clinic?

NO! We lake a small blood sample lo

CHURCHILL HALL: Sunday 20th oct., l24pm

CLIFTON HILLHOUSE: Monday 4th Nov., 6-9pm

WLLS HALL: Thursday 14h Nov., 6-9pm

regislsr )/ou.

Want to help run MARROW clinics? meet medics from all years, gain hands-on clinical experience at our donor recruilmenl clinics, give as much or as liltle commilment as you want, high guality and relevad

training

and a real sense of

satisfaction - lhis is FUN!

TRAINING SESSION THURSDAY OCTOBER 24tr 6â‚Źpm, Medical Education Centre {opposite BRll

dIEF

.3ar lFe

ro, -ore information about MARROW, visit vvwwmarrow-uk,org or contact Anne on aw8379@bristol.ac.uk or 0117 974 5009

ANTHOT,IY NOIAN TRU9T

rilffirEuJ

Contents,,, PAf,E

sTUFF

4

Letter from fhe President

5

Letter from the Editors

6

Meet the Galeni Committee

10

Fresher's Pub Crowl

72

icendoles 2002

13

Doctor DicKs Jokes

15

Pre clinicol Revue review

16

Hugh's View

18

c Trumpsl

20

Chubb's 6rub

22

The Peripheral Files

Letter from the President...

Welcome to the Committee.

first edition of Block Bo9 from the

2OO2-2OO3 Gclenicqls

To stort we must reflect on the trogic deoth of one of our fifth yeors Coihenine Bullen. She died whilst on he? pr.-eleclive holidoy with Stephcnie Cholmers (also o 5rh year student). This hos mode recenl times vary sod especiolly os most of tha 5th yeor ore spread thinly around the world. Bacouse of this we ote going to orgonise o very speciol iribute when they all coma home at the beginning of November 5o keep on eye out

for

news on

ihot.

This new acodenic yeor signifies a real change in Medicol Educotion wiih the offivol of over 20O new students. This reflects the notional need for more doctors. Old students moy have noticed building work 9oin9 on during the summer to exfend Lectu?e ihealre 1.4. ore chonges will happen wiih ihe odvent of Acodemies where siudents in iheir 3'd yeor will be spending months on Acodemy ouiside Brisiol (Both, Gloucestershire, Tqunfon or Weston) and 6 months here in Bristol (North Bristol or UBHT). We have student representoiives for eoch Acodamy working closaly with the stoff to make this tronsition os smooth os possible. ff you hove orry queries on this subjecf plesse get in iouch.

i

6

in

On o lighter note the?e ore lots of things plonned for the coming yeon.

As usual our Sports teoms will be conpeting both on and off the pitch ogoinst other Med Schools and even in Fronce ot Nontes this year. fhe DHB (Dolphin House Bor) hos just been renovated with the help of money from ihe Speciol Trustees of UBHT ond Golenicols. There ore olso plenty of nights out plonnad like Holloween night ond the Foculty Hop in suggestions contoct onyone December medicsents@hotmoil.com. With lots of other projects on the 9o we work hord fo represent your viâ‚Ź) s so get in touch $/ith us (contoct detoils ot www.oolenicols.co.uk) or speok fo your yeor rep.

and if

hos ony

Toke cane,

Julcs

rx

6

TrotwLhs e'd,itory... well. - .after sevcral months o1'. 'llow's Black Bag coming aloflg whcn's il out'l' and 'Errm-...tr1lst Lrs. it's all under control' we proudly present our first cdition of the year. Houts of blood. sweal and tcars (well hours anpvay) have gone into ploducing this magazinc, which has been dubbed bY many as the best thing to come out of Bristol M{)dical School.-..-......cver.

Thanks go out to evcryonc who has nade a contribution 1rl Black uag (you should scc the size ofout phonc bjll) you know who you arel For those oiyou who didn'l quite gct rou']d to it this filllc' please send us articlcs for olrr rext isstrc (Yes thcte will be arothcr one.. !) to llrr,:1, l,rt .'.rL,rr:'rhr,ttrr,irl i,'Lrr orcall uson0ll797l 3752 Anyold rubtrish will do!

Enjoy the issucl

chu@ a

d',Jo-tnaY

Medical Sickness A spe.ioirst serv(e helping you to-., . Piotect your incornâ‚Ź aSainst sickness, critical illness, death or long term care costs

. .

.

Buy a house or save for the future Retlre when you want and wlth an income to suit your lifestyle Choose the coffect type of invettment for

/our own

particular circumltances lf you need any hâ‚Źlp with Financial Prote(tion. Retirement Planning. Savings, lnvestments and Mortgages Please do

hesilate to ask for our sPecialist advice on Freephone

0808 100 1884 (24 hour messaging service)

www.m edical-sickness.co.uk

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Medi€l Studenis' lnlematio.al Neteork

Hometesssheftor With rellgees CAMPAIGNS

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STILLTOCOME: OUR II{TERNATIOiIAL PROJECIS EVENING ON

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Want to rlo something different? Wanl to leam newskills? Do sodething exciting next summe.? Meet medics from orher yea.s?

Loads of prcjects on

&

i€

$n!.n !\\olvEs?c\.ikiiqro*of c[f'!Pr

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Or contact Suzy at suzvvhooedvahoo.co.uk

or

Luci at loisoilucianaavaho..com lor more info!

q!E!

So why the new society? Many ofyou will have met us at Fresh, and will have heard what the society is all about. We had a lot ofinterest during that week, and a big thank you must be said to all ofyou who joined our ranks. To those ofyou who are waiting to see if your mates joined, or a.e sceptically waiting to see what we do, then I hope this helps you to decide to joh.

So what is it we can do? Perhaps we can help to keep that spark for practical msdicine

alive after a term of disheartening lecture scrawling, or after being locked away somewhere in the South West doing a speciality that sends you insane. Based upon the philosophy that we need challengcs for our minds, our skills, our physical prowess (wcll, drinking abilities) and our sense of adventure) we ainr to make you wellrounded individuals. We are affiliatcd to the Royal Collcge of Surgcons of England, and our Prcsident has to report directly to thefl every year. This is good on two counts. lt looks gleat on your CV when applying for surgical jobs if you've been a supportive member ofthe College's affiliatcd society. Also, any open days and career fairs that arc being held in London get filtered down to us quite rapidly, as would anrwers to specific questions any ofus nray have. Open days and courses are not only held in London. which is why a sense of adventure might be fullilled, especially if you have liiends irr other Unis around thc country,.., Closer to home, we are busy organising a series ofpresentations from Surgeons who work in fields that, as students, we don't oftgfl gct thc chance to soc. Wc arc particulariy iutcrested in getting surgcon$ from the disciplines of Trauma Medicine, Plastics and Roconstruction to tell us about their work, and are finalising dates for talks this tcrm, Anothcr pet project is to find oul more abod surgery overseas, both in Third World countries and hoe exchange programnles with other Developed countries are organised. Many of you have also expressed interest in having a set of presentations on Surgery 0s it relatcs to you, You want to hcar frorn PRHOs and StlOs about theirjobs and experiences, which we will try to organise later this year.

So, onto skills. We're trying hard to add some fun to undergraduate surgery, and arc arranging to run tutorials to teach those who crave technique practise and experience how to suture, throw knots etc. We have several committee members who are more interested fu the A+E side ofthings, and desperately want to increase the experience Bristol students have with basic A+E techniques and procedures. Hopefully, over thc year, there will be some exciting opportunities here.

b

efprâ‚Źcis ofour aims and proposals. It may be a long road, but if we get enough support frorn you it should run smoothly and be an exciting year. Of couNe, to the serious aims you havc to add compulsory socials. We're a new society, and are begging for a proper christening, after all.

So there's the

I

hope this has golre some way to explaining why it is important to have a society Iike Scrubs. I hope also that over the course ofthe year, you are glad to have us. Ifyou have any queries, or a burning desire to help with any aspect, then please send us an e-mail at bljrto ltct! bs4llrjl1l:tqLl.sat!.

Katie Phillips, Secrctary for scrubs.

l0

A Fresh Exoerience Okay, so it took a little longer than I would like to admit for me to work out that the threat ofan exam in six weeks was part ofa spoof lecture, but that was only because the sadistic ofhopaedic surgeon (played brilliantly by Paddy Morgan) was identical to one I encountered on a bout of work experience. Having spoken to other students, it would appear that the Bdstol lot get off lightly; introductory lectures at London unive.sities are reported to have involved semen sampling and sexual practice questionnaircs. I don't think we are in a position to complain.

Ifyou

had already experienced registration for the Student Health Service as I had the day before, it didn't seem a million miles from the rcalms ofpossibility that a number

of us would have to be eliminated from the

course, as was threatened on the Wednesday. After having waited for more than two hours to have my blood d@wn, I speculated that the prccess was a test ofthe fresh medical students' charactâ‚Źr, that the 'A' level crisis had meant too many had been accepted, and that the Medical School would secretly be pleased if about 50 of us couldn't hack it, and bogged offto study for an honours in Powdered Bevemges ofAncient China.

Thankfully, none ofus yet has been kidnapped from our cosy Halls bedroom and sent to the University of Anytown for a degree in Pointless Studies. In getting in to Bristol, we have worked hard to avoid such a fate and havs ended up in a pretty excellent city, in a universi$ where fantastic opportunities are around every comer (or, more likely, up a hill). Ihopetomakethemostofit.

Amy Crees

MEDICS RUGBY WANTS YOU! For a high standard of rugby on the pitch, and an even better social side off the pitch.

Everybody welcome

ofall

standards, especially preclinical students and 22 stone props.

Just turn up to training, every Wednesday afternoon next to the Water Tower, or contact Dan Fromage on

07900 808 697

lt

ryrysw Only onoth.. six

io gp boys...

.(

I !

i""t... ouf

of

f.n...

l

I lt's no use smiling boys, you're NOT COMING IN!

denied fhe rumours thot rnqr rnc|eq5rflg increosing

intoke meons reduced stondord...

i i

l2

Would you

lil(r to

snd(c

ltty

P'F?I

Oi! You said it wos my turn!

lt

Yeoh babyl

l3

Clicendoles 2OO2 Widely regarded as the grcatest show on earth, Clicendales 2002 promised to be bigger and better than ever bqfore. Fo. the F aâ‚Źt*Brs,s last few yea.s, the rcsponsibility ofconvincing people to wear rubber thongs on stage had fallen to Sarah, Eve, and Polly, but, c rt-ir @-e: having lost these lovely ladies to the fine institution that is the NHS. it was time for the new kids on the block to take the helm.

Myself, Zoe, and Ellie were bestowed with the glorious task of watching Bristol's finest g)'rate and strut, and picking an elite team of gods and goddesses to entertain the flesh{hirsty public. After months of practices. meticulous planning, and liposuction (only on my thighs honestll) the big night finally anived, and our adonises did not disappoint.

-

The show bcgan with a rather raunchy rendition Brirney Speals' - I'm a Slave 4 U and, with the crowd suitably lubed up, our host for the evening, TV doctor Phil Hammond, took to the stage. With

excitement

and moistute growing by

millisecond, what was to follow had to be believed-

the be seen to

The girls were brilliant in their seductive strip to 'Black Velvet', and the mixed strip provided some very 'intimate' moments between thâ‚Ź guys and the girls in their dance to Kylie Minogue's Canl Get You Out ofmy Head. Stunning performances wete also seen by the 5ive boys (although there were six ofus) and thc girls dancing to Christina Milian, who both provided some poptastic entertainment.

The S Club 7 dance saw some stunning wigs

aIrd honendously cheesy tnoves flying about and, ofcourse, no Clic show is complete without the trannies, who stunned

us with their femininity and grace (Sandeep - you were gorgeous as ever!). And finally to the male strip which, for me, was the highlight ofthe evening, and not just because I was in it. Dancing to 'Bad' by Michael Jackson, we couldn't resist throwing in some moonwalking and wacko Jacko spins. The encorc was even better, with Rob Axe losing his pants about a minute too carly to reveal his stunning zebra print thong.

AII in all, the night was a brilliant success, raising over f,2000 for Cancer

and watching it who came along enjoyed I hope that everyone in Children, and Leukaemia as much as we enjoyed performing it. Also, thank you to Zoe and Ellie for making it a thoroughly enjoyable and rcwarding experience for me and for doing most of the

See you all next year.

Joe May

- "I

was born naked"

l4

Die,kns Jetees A man walks into a doctor's office. He has a cucumber up his nose, a carrot in his left ear and a banana in his right ear, "What's the matter with mel he asks the doctor.

The doctor replies, "you're not eating properly," Doctor Doctor I swallowed a bone.

Are you choking?

No, I really did!

Doctor: I have some bad news and some very bad news.

Patient: Well, might as well give me the bad news first.

Doctor: The lab called with your test results. They said you had 24 hours to live.

Patient: 24 HOURS| Thats terrible!! WHAT could be WORSET What's the very bad news?

Doctor: lve been trying to reach you since yesterday.

Doctor Doctor, you have to help me out......

Certainly sir, which way did you come in?

Doâ‚Źtor: You need new glasses.

Patient: How do you know? I haven't told you what's wrong with me yet.

Doctor: I could tell as soon as you walked through the window!

Doctor Doctor some days I think l'm a tee-pee and other days I feel like a wig-wam.

You're too tents Doctor, Doctor, I keep thinking that I am a cowboy.

How long have you felt like that?

About a yeeeeehaaaah!

Doctor: "lVe got very bad news- youve

Alzheimers.'

Patient: "Well, at least

ldon't

got cancer and

have cancer."

Doctor, Doctor l'm becoming invisible.

Yes, I can see that you're not all there.

Doctor, Doctor will this ointment clear up my spots?

I never make rash promises.

l5

BOOK IIDITID$IS Slrnptom Sorter, By Hopcroft K and Forte V. This clinical textbook adopts a s)'rnptom ruther than a diagnosis lead approach. lt presents differentials, distinguishing featwes, possible investigations and key points for over 100 slanptoms commonly seen in prirnry care.

This is a well laid out book, and is very useful in helping to make a diagnosis when patients present with vague multiple s)'mptoms.

This book might be more appropriate for qualified docto6 going ioto general practise, rather than students, but its grass roots approach does rnake it accessible to medics at all leve1s. It is probably slightly overpriced for the amount of use a medical student is likely to get out ofit.

Published fu Radcliffe Medical Press. ISBN: I 85775 395 X. RRP f21.99

Palliative Car€, By Faull C and Woof R. This book aims to introduce medical students and junior doctors to the problems faced by patients with advanced diseases who need palliative carc. It covers every4hing from the practicalities of procedures such as sgtting up a sfinge driver and physical s)4nptom control to the emotional buiden that terminal disease places on patients r€latives and professionals. There is also a large slice of the student's favourite- the multidisciplinary approach.

This book is certainly useful to for reference purposes on the bookshelf, but I question its wofih as a core text at a student level.

As a junio. doctor, however, I do believe that it would prove to be very usefu1.

Published by O$ord Univenity Press, 2002. ISBN:019 2632809

Medicine and th€ Internet, By McKenzie B.C. This book is aimed at the application of the Intemet fom a clinical point of view, considering issues such as copyright, information quality, medical rcseatch, and consumer health information. Ifyou thi.k that all sounds a bit tedious then you'd be dght. Also, if you know that when sending an e-mail therc is no need for statiomry stamps, or postmen, then you probably don't need this book.

On the positive side, the book contains sorne usgful website addresses, such as learning resources for medical students, patent information and online jou.nal clubs. However a book one tenth as long could stil1 contain all this info and would rnake for an easier read.

Published by O{ord Untuelsity Prcss, 2002. ISBN: 0 19 851063 2

16

Pre-clinicol Review'02 Directing the pre-clinical rerue offers one much more than just the opportunity to wear a long black coat smoke lots ofcigarettes and insult people for no reason whatsoever. Oh no. It also, it would appear gives one the glorious chance to review ones owfl

play for black bag. lt is obviously difficult for an individual as naturally reticent as myself to do justice to such a seadng comedic tour de force, such a climax of talent, but it is, I think, only fair that I pay tribute to such an extraordinary magnum opus. I am referring of course, as

many

of you will

have guessed, nof to the play but to Chris Peach's lighting.

As to our work- Rachel and I would like to thank thâ‚Ź cast and entreat the audience to

remember our play not as thâ‚Ź one where no one could sing but rather as the one where poignantly Clive Roberts beat Dr creene to death with a dildo. Finally, I would particularly like thank Eugene Lloyd for calling me a "bastard" as a result ofmy portrayal ofhim as a gay hairdresser ($at's job satisfaction) and also Geoff Clarke for going on holiday rather tha.n coming to see the play (l can think ofno higher praise).

John Ferguson.

Funds foi

Talent Show-

HfV

18'h NoVEIABER We ft,.ow ,Ld rtee is d lEll oJa lot oJiqz,b tatent oLt .hEre adong &e Medical School. Wete head toa sincias ia the showe,. (you ktow who roa @e AL&AM. nis is Jas charce to eet ttut*lf o, stase. set yow Ndohe tuices h.ard aa.t to bz a rart of Brittol MEDslN, fnst de. najd @@w ,ot&tisi,e c@pig tfa Aaow that we cm @@t on you s14,tflrt to mate ttis a wsll

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Ilugh's Vierrys on Medlcal

GtrsB.P. Do you ever have moments oftotal and utter claritf Ones where it feels as ifthe veil lifted, and you are standing in a land ofpure transcendent truth? well, I had one ofthose when I first heard of 'post-prandial hypotension', whisper its name for it is hallowed and true. Now. I LTow we all diagmse ourselves with at least six disorders a week (more when revising), but this is lre ore. It, for those ofyou who have not yet experienced enlighienment, is a drop in systolic blood pressure to <90rnnHg or a fall of more than 2OmmHg less than two hours after a meal. You don't understard? Well, is this scenario familiar: you gorge yourself on subsidised NHS canteen nosh that could work as ballast for the merchant davi then you attend a 2pm radiotogy teaching session, the lights are dimmed the voices soft, and slowly but surely you tip-toâ&#x201A;Ź into the land ofnod. That is 'post-pmndial h)potension', either that or you've only had four hours sleep after a night on the sauce. Now, we all know the old adage that knowledge is power, so what can you do to combat this debilitating condition? Well, short of swigging pure adrenalin there isn't much you can do to cscape the clammy hand ofp-p hypotension- In this, and many medical conditions, prevention is definitely better than cure, my favourite technique is to eat a vast lunch at l1.30am take a nap aftenvards and, just to be sure, have some coffee sachets in your pocket to eat in times of emergency. Good luck with beating this sinister condition. has been

DodorsDkffon is a common misconception that you become a doctor when you qualit. The process of tuming into a doctor is in fact far subtler than that. It starts on day one, when other Freshers ask you )vhat course you do, and your reply brings a chorus of 'bad luck, early starts for you' or Just how nnny years is that then?' You are already marked out as a breed apart. The process continues as the course progtesses, you, like all students, acquire a new vocabulary. But, where an Arts student leams a new 'ism' we leam a new 'itis'- This is all well and good, and I'm glad that I don't use the word 'juxtaposed' when the word oppoJire is perfect for describing where the chippie is in relation to the pub. The sneaky bit about this olherwise benefcial process is that we start using oui medical vocabulary outside the medical setting. Let me be quite clear, I'm not talking about having a chat about an interesting (gory) bit ofmedicine over a pint. Wbat I mean is the tiny changes in vocabulary: severe for bad, incision for cut, there arc also ones that result from hands on experience: pee for piss (patients prefsr it) and the all pen"sive: pre and post for before and after. I da.e you to look at the words that you use in normal conversation, I have caught myself talking about 'benign looking rain' and the 'pre-Easter period'. I was wamed: on my fi$t day I was told that I would leam as nrany new medical words as words I already knew, and I would have done aheady if it wasn't for my impressive knowledge of slang. Wly

It

l8

have I highlighted this issle? Simple, if the process of becoming a doctor is gradual and we are engaged in 'lifelong leaming' liom day one then surely we should get a few sandwiches at all those meetings.

S€xual InequalthP

I

recently completed two quite diffe.ent placements as part ofmy course; I shan't specift what they were, because ofwhat I am goiog to say about them. Well, alright, here's a hint: one involved muscles and bones and the other involved looking after older people. The reason I have mentioned thes€ two is because ofthe dgbate about the sex of medical students: more girls than boys are applying to medical school, and this imbalance has concemed some sections of the medical profession. What is the lirk I hear you cry? Simple, the fust placeftent was run almost exclusively by men; as a rcsult it was adequate and worked. The second placement was alrnost entirely organised by wome[ it was exceptionat all lectures ran to time, we rcceived two packs on arrival with ali the details we needed (including all the lectue notes), pa*ing discs had been organised before hand and there was free coffee throughout. I should point out (before I get told off tty someone) that both placements were well within the standards requircd by the medical school and the GMC. My anecdotally based conclusion? The medical profession will not suffer as a rcsult of the gender imbalance at all, even if the imbalance continued and the profession was entirely run by women. So, don't gel worried if more girls than boys want to be doctors, celebrate it, encourage They will organise the system far more gffectivqly, with flexible hours and.job sharing to keep people in the profession. As well as that they would further erode the 'tally-ho' 'holistic?-schmolistic!' attitude that has prevailed for so long. Yes, I do realise that I have just wandered into the huge trap labelled 'gender stereotlping' but then doesn't any engagement with the issue acknowledge that there arc some differcnces b€tween thg sexes? And no, I am not being flippant, I really don't think the imbalance matters. But, I think it's best to keep one or two guys hanging around (I don't mind being one ofthem).

it.

Corpus Corpus is o studeni run orgdnisoiion ihol tries io entice you ;nto 6 lecture thedtre in your spare tine. Doesn't sound tike o t rinner does if? Well, the conbindiion of a gredt spedker ond frce pizzo hos worked for o good few yeors now- The tdlks dre nothing to do wiih the sylldbus (pen ohd poper are o foux-pos) biJt they ore voguely ttredicol. The ldsf iolk wos on expediiion hedicind lhink Indidm Johes but wilh d rtefhoscope instead of d whip, ond it went down well. This yeor there will be one or lraro d tefm, lhey stort dt obout 8pm dnd there is pizzo in ihe DHB fron about 9pn. The first tolk of ihi3 terrn will be by the doctor who ddvises the hakers of Cosuolty on how to moke thei. progrdn look redlistic. 5o come olong if you r4,onl to find ouf how fo combine showbiz ond nedicine (or if you're skint dnd wdnt sone pizzo).

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Discloimer: The editors toke no responsibility for any offence coused to onyone....ever. ( Article submitted by ononymous 4th yeors... cheers Tom ond Jonny ) 20

flre Kenyp S.corn ?rojecli The Kenya Acorn Proiect was initially set up in September 1998 by a retired nurse.

The small hospital consisting of 15 beds was built in the village of Ndhiwa, West Kenya. It is a rural village close to Lake Victoria wlrcre medical facilities are limited and HIV is rife affecting

approximatelylin3of the Huo pcople. In the last tu,o years Bristol

Medical School

has

become involved in this project organlsrng

fundraising events to raise money to help the charity. Wirh this help a laboratory has bee. built in the hospital and a microscope donated.

This has been of great benefit to the people of Ndhiwa as cases of tubcrculosis and malalia can now be easily diagnosed, instead of having to rely solely on clinical iudgcment. The money raised last year has enabled the hospital to purchase solar panels, as there is no elect city in thc village. This will power a fridge and lights, enabling vaccines to be stored in thei required temperature.

As well as tho hospital the project supports six local scltools. Money is donated to thenl fo. construction ofnew buildings and school matcrials. Volunleers from Bristol have giverl talks in the various schools about comnon medical conditiom, especially H IV. The Kenya Acorn

Project the

prcvides perlect

opportunity

experience

to a

completely differeirt culture and way of life. giving something back 1() the Huo people in

whilc

retum. There

is

scope for a wide range of SSM projects for all third years looking for exciting places to spend their summer- If anybody is interested in helping with fundraisirg and organisation, or in going to Ndhiwa then visit the website (r\ \. \'. l\!ll-\ rl:il!o!!-!!-q,!!l!), or e-mail Carrie Thomas (q31l9l1r1bri:.rLt Ltl).

F.mma Williams

2t

CHUBB'S GRUB If y ow v a got tlw wt'nrhl'e*, A n d.'

aro boredt of dhct ta'+net oU" t'ur'vwlv*,

Dowtbodlwr u)(flv a/ tanqizt, Ru^dr/Ltp

ChilhAYWanU!

Ingredients (Serves 2): I

large onion, diccd.

I large clovc ofgarlic. crushed.

2 Diced chicken breasts.

1 Tcaspoon ofgaram masala.

%- I Teaspoon ofchilli powder.

I Teaspoon ofcumin. l0 Cardamom pods. % mug ofsultanas.

200 grams ofBasmati ricc.

Almonds.

MushroonN (optional) Oil for frying

Method:

-

Preheat the oven to 160"C. Saute the onion and the garlic in the oil in a casserole dish with thc garam mrsrla, chrlli powdcr and cumtn.

Add the chicken and fry until lightly brown.

Add the rice, cardamom pods, sultanas and mushrooms.

Add enough boiling water and so it is I inch abovc the rice.

Cover and place in the oven for approxitr9tely 30 to 40 minutes, checking regularly to ensure that there is enough watel.

Meanwhile toast the almonds in a dry pan, and when the biryani is ready stir

them in.

Serve with a shop bought vegetatie curry. (I don't know how to rnake that.

Sorry. )

Enjoy!

Ch jby (nb.a"

The'REAL na*zn' &P{1)

22

at a Glance Series

Paediatrics at a clance is a concise. velFillustrated and accessible to all aspects of paediatric medicine. Following the

guide

easy-to-use af a G/a'ce form at. each double page spread contains a diagram summarising the main differential diagnoses for each presenting symptom. r'rith accompanying text which covers important conditions and management issues in more detail. For each symptom,

details are given of the relevant history and examination findings to lookout for during the consultation

The book is highiy structured into nine different sections, which cover the full range of paediatrics There are distinct sections on development,

common symptoms. acute iliness. emergencies. the newborn baby, chronic illness and disability Separate chapters also address evaluating the child. child health surveillance. the child at school, community and fumily issues.

Witten byfirst class paediatrlclans. ...jho are practising clinicians as well as enthusiastic teachers. Paediatrics at a Glance fits the budget and reading time of medical siudents. pre-regiskation house officers or general praciice trainees lt is ideal as primary or supplemeniary reading on a lecture-based course and is especially usefu for exarn preparation. lf you are aboui to go on your paediatric attachnrent. thls book ls just \i;hai you needl Nursing studenis. physiotherapists and other health professionals vanting an insight also llnd this book in'"â&#x201A;Źluable. into paediatrics as jt ls practised

''i

To order a copy of Paediatrics at a Giance, visit your local bookshop or go to...

www.medirect.com

The Peripheral Files,,.

Most ofus drcad

the prospect ofbeing sent away liom our expensively rented homes in the glamorous areas of

Bristol to distant parts of the South West that we haven't evcn heard of, for anything up to six weeks. jn Bearing mind peripheral attachments are bound to clash with your best iiiend's binhday and probably the most legendary nights out in Bristol any ofyou friends have everlud. Ia going to try a d convircc you tlut they are rot all that bad. Iamgoing to tell you more about Cheltenham and its Gerreral Hospjtal, a resource that is sure to be used more in the future as we wave goodbye to the likes ofExeter and Plymouth.

I know this may look a bit like a brochure from

a travel agent, but believe nre, you

will find this guide useful if you ever find yourself posted to the heart of

the

Cotswolds.

Getting there: By car: Cheltenham is a simple journey up the M5 it takes about 45 mins (beware numerous speed checks especially in the 50mph limit areas) and you need to get ofat Junction 12. Carry on straight towards the town centre and the General Hospital is sign posted.

1

spcnd about

!4 in petrol one way

in my little Peugeot 106.

By train: Takes an hour from Temple Meads, costs just less than flo retum and trains go ftequently. The hospital is signposted liom the station and is walkable if you are fccling fit.

By bus: Thc favourcd mcthod oftransport ofthe nedical finance olfice. Yes it is the cheapest public tmnsport at â&#x201A;Ź8.75, but no its not thc nost convenient. Buses don't travel that often and they take lhr 15 mins. The hospital is walkable from the bus station though.

Arrival: Most medical students will be given free accommodation in Cunningham House; about 5 nrinutes walk from the hospital. It is said you could walk around this building for a week and not see a soul. Cunningham house is bare but has a TV or two to keep you occupied. lf you find any kitchen crockery hcrc you will be lucky, it is worth taking your own basic kitchen irnplements and eating tools.

Cheltenham Ceneral Hospital is a maze. It's front entrance is an old pillared affair, go through lhese doors and lind yourself a colour coded map, but don't be aftaid to ask a porter where you are going. The old part ofthe bospital is where you will find

24

theatres, a couple ofwards and the Blue Spa Caf6 (perhaps a little less glamorous than

it

sounds) btrt the numerous extensions which have been incongruously added over the years house most clinics, A and E, medical admissions and the Labour Ward.

There is even a delightful art gallery in the Link Corridor!

B stol Graduates. Jobs in Cheftenham are usually the most popular on the PRHO matching scheme due to the good rgputation ofthe hospital and the tolvn. The hospital has a grear atmospherg you will get very good teaching from all kinds ofpeople, and you can use the tfuie you have here to do some much needed reyision!

You will gobobly rccognise a few of the PRHO's wandering around as

The Town: to popular belief, Cheltenham is not just filled with ageing upperfuddy-duddies.

Yes, Cheltenham is a wealthy place but no worse than middle class the areas of Bristol most studeDts are found! Having lived in the town for all my teenage years, I can vouch for the fact that the nightlife in Cheltenham is not at all Perhaps contrary

bad.

The doctoB tend to all go out on Thusday night

but you will invariably see a few any dght in the nEdics favourite hatrg out, The Beehive, a small but friendly pub in close proximity to th€ hospital. Another favourite bar is called The Retreat (which sells the most Stella of any pub in the country), just down the road jlom the Beehive. Alcohol is not cheap in Cheltenhan!

and unless you go to the grim local Wetherspoons, you rrill not be abl€ to find a pint for under €2.00.

Your best b€t for later drinking in town (and ask one ofthe PRHOS Fopping up the bar in the Beehive where it is as they will undoubtedly be going there) is Subtone, a bizarre Regency house converted into a nightclub.

There is to be had some fine dining in 'Nam including the excellent Balti Walla, down the Bath Road, a B.Y.O curry bouse and you can take beer and wine. Iflou havejust had your student loan you could try Raymond Blanc's Le Petit Blanc.

The centre oftown is easily walkable, and it has a reputation fo. great shopping ('the Bond St ofthe West!'). The nearest supennarket to the hospital is a Somerfield about l5 mins walk down Bath road-

You may only know Chehenham for its racecourse and the Ladies' College but give the town a chance. Don't tbink of it as a chore when you find yourselfposted th9re, get some good teaching and have a few beers. Enjoy.

end'ft'na.Il,y...

This is a genuine letter of response to an application for an elective placement!

Dear Comrade-

I

it a great

honour to seize this opportunity to write you this interestilg letter. How arc you? I strongly t elieve you a.e in good spirit as I am here.

W€ happened to get your letter which was addressed to our Head of Institution your stating interest in coming down to have your elective period here. Indeed I was moved by you. letter especially in your desire lo work with us. May God richly bless you for making such a tremendous altempt lo have your fieldwork in one oflhe most deprived areas of Ghana.

Moreover, I have expressed interest in you and I therefore propose that we should be friends. Actually I want a wonderful guy like you to be my best friend. I call you a wonderful guy because you are a supermodel to me when it comes to education. I have always dreamt of having someone who sees education as his first priority and can therefore give me similar courage and assistance to also progress in education.

In view of this, I will therefore plead with you to assist me in one way o. another to enter in to any univeisity ofyour choice so that I can pursue a higher education as Ar as I share the same vision with you. I now see you as my role model in life and really, I am counting on your comnitment in helping me also achieve higher education abroad. I hopofully think together with yoq we can rnake it.

More irnportantlt kindly forgive me for not waiting for sometime before telling you about my vision. However I believe it is best I tell you before since 'the earlier, the better'. I have the feeling that this will surely strengthen our fiiendship as every friendship has a purpose and our purpose on my side has been defined prior to your agre€ment.

To me, I am very p.oud ofyou as a fiiend ofalrnost the same generation and therefors count on your co-opsralion- Thank you. deem

Yours Com"dely,

D.H.B! ?

CARLINa€1

? KRONENBOURG

€

1.20

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26

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