Blog

Blogger Nathan reviews the Gareth Thomas' documentary 'HIV and Me' and explains some of the stigma around HIV.

If you're looking for something to read while you lounge in the sun, check out our review of Carla Valentine's Past Mortems! Perhaps your next summer read?

Need a break from revision? Pick out some extra-curricular reading with Hannah's review of Seven Signs of Life by Aoife Abbey.

We have more medical literature reviews for you, with Blueprint by Robert Plomin reviewed by Hannah!

Eliot takes another look at the controversial anti-vax movement!

Here's the latest in our General Observations series- some thoughts on the anti-vax movement from Hannah.

On #IWD2019, blogger Jess reflects on the role of women in the world of medicine.

As medicine hovers the line between science and art, the 'art' side of CPD is often left unrecognised. Check out our new series on medical literature, starting with Kathryn Mannix's With the End in Mind!

Etymology expert Hannah is back with some more medical word trivia for you to whip out next time there's an awkward silence on a gastro ward round!

Whether you're just starting to think about your elective or practically have your suitcases packed already, there are ways you can save money at every stage of the process. Here are some suggestions from the Medisense team on how to keep your bank account happy:

'Drunk Tanks' are big news at the moment, but are they addressing the bigger issues with alcohol consumption in the UK? Do they help hospitals? Check out blogger Alastair's thoughts...

New blogger Victoria tackles a hot topic- GP waiting times- in our newest blog post!

Who is that mysterious figure managing the cardiopulmonary bypass? There they are again with the ECMO! Guest blogger and Clinical Perfusion Scientist Chris takes us through the role!

This week we're featuring the Masters in Medical Education (MMedEd) as part of our intercalation series. Check out Amy's experiences!

The internet is full of advice to help you improve your focus, ‘crank out’ more work and increase your productivity, but you will already know that you should be taking regular study breaks, staying hydrated, doing exercise and avoiding the cycle of procrastination. What else can you do to learn medicine effectively and so reduce your work load?

Medical students are widely regarded as a different species. The stereotypes - cut throat, super intelligent, socially privileged, work hard and party harder - go before us and make many medics (especially those more senior) reluctant to declare their role. Of course, all of us are hugely privileged to be in this position, but it can be a lonely and difficult place to be.

Now for something a little different... the team of Medisense volunteers have combined their revision techniques and have some pearls of wisdom to share!

Our intercalation series continues with Ellen's account of one of the less common intercalated degrees- the MPH. Check it out...

Study skills are one of those things that need continuous development – as medics we’re always learning new things, and some methods work better for different information and circumstances. Below are a few humble suggestions on the subject of note-taking, to help you with whatever you're trying to learn this exam season!

For a lot of people, doing an intercalation can be a great time to try something a little... different. For example, a year at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine! Read more about doing an MSc in Medical Entomology in our newest blog...

The elective: considered to be one of the highlights of the medical school experience, but it can be difficult to know where to start, where to go, or how to plan the elective of your dreams whilst keeping the med school happy. Guest blogger Laura will help you tackle some of these questions!

Considering intercalation? Academic hopeful Jess gives us the low down on the Masters by Research, the first in our intercalation blog series.

They say a medical degree has more new words than a language degree. It's probably not true, but here's our medical dictionary corner resident Eliot with some medical words for you!

In the first of this series on insect disease vectors, our resident entomologist Eliot talks us through the gory details of the Tsetse fly.

Paramedics are often the first contact for patients in emergency scenarios, and are responsible for getting them stable and safely to hospital. But there is a lot more to their role, as student paramedic Jakob Schopen explains.

Physician Associates- Who are they? What do they do? Where are they destined to go??? Senior nurse turned final year PA student Cheryl WIlliams demystifies the role for us...

Good doctors know stuff. But what kind of stuff? Dr Luke Martin ponders what 5 years of school (and a lifetime of CPD) needs to achieve...

Like a lot of things in medicine, opioids are a double-edged sword. On the surface they seem like a panacea of wonderful pain-free floatiness, but scratch beneath the surface and you find a world of irritations, side-effects and occasionally life-threatening problems. Thankfully, we’re here with a few tips on how to avoid pitfalls and keep your patients and your medical defence union happy!

Vaccination against the Human Papilloma Virus has been in the news again- get the lowdown on the debate from blogger Nathan.

Do you wanna be the very best, like no one ever was before? We can't help you catch 'em all, but here are some tips to be a stand-out medical student!

Hopefully you've read Dr Jason Walker's fantastic blog post on 'reflection made simple'. Our reflection generator aims to make this come alive, to hopefully raise more debate about reflection. Whilst this is a fun April Fool's joke (please do not use this for your ARCP), we really do need to talk about reflection...

Even if you have no interest in medical research, being up to date with recent guidelines and best practice is vital to being a good doctor! Jess Leighton gives us the lowdown on how to efficiently make sure your knowledge is current.

Doctor doctor... I feel like I'm a pair of curtains...

Medicine has always been the subject of humour, and jokes are rife within learning tools in Medical Education. But what place should humour have for students, and should we be cautious about its use?

The third in our series of blogs challenging the status quo, come take a trip down to meet with The Devil's Advocate as he argues the case that doctors should have experience of being patients.

The second in our series of blogs challenging the status quo, come take a trip down to meet with The Devil's Advocate as he argues the case against peer learning.

Ever thought about a career in academic medicine? Interested in research? Or have you ever wondered what that big pile of BMJs was for, other than to prop up your bookcase? Then look no further, as Jess Leighton's blog reveals...

Many of us hear 'horror stories' from colleagues and the media about working in A&E as a junior doctor. Tough rotas, high-stakes and work-life stress: is the nightmare a reality? Nat Jansen, an A&E F2, offers his tips on making the most of the job...

The issue of doping in sport has been widely publicised, particularly in recent months, but what exactly is it? And what is the medicine behind it? Here we offer an outline of this hot topic and the challenges doctors need to be aware of...

People talk about using 'SoMe' in Medical Education more and more every day: it's all the rage with the MedEd kids! Twitter and Facebook are pretty well explained out there on the world wide web. But what of Reddit: the 'front page of the internet'? How do we get started? Victoria Emerson provides a handy guide...

Medical school teaches you a lot of things... but not how to survive out there in the 'wild' of the wards. In the first of a new series of blogs, Aidan Whitehead, a new FY1 doctor reflects on his first impressions of surviving on the job. It's a jungle out there...

Final year medical student Peter Murray discusses his concerns about medical students being rushed into career choices. Why can't we live in the moment?

In an age where medical students are facing ever increasing pressures and greater challenges, Jonny Guckian asks whether the answer to all our learning problems lies in embracing our creative and critical sides…

Working on a technology-oriented project invariably means that you have to occasionally talk about technology. And to start with this can cause a few issues for the technophobes. No the internet isn’t a little black box with a flashing red light (sadly), it’s a bit more complicated than that…

Think about it. One moment, you're lying on a beach, enjoying the most glorious and successful summer of your life. Cocktail in hand, you don't have a care in the world. The next, you're curled up under a broken desk in some forgotten corner of a tumbled-down district general hospital, with a bleep shrieking at you and the thumping in your head shrieking even louder. What drug am I supposed to give Mabel in bay 3? What is the half life of diazepam? When is the next flight back to the beach? This is a transition that all junior doctors have to make - from apparent bliss one moment to responsibility the next. How do they cope? Laura Jones reflects on how she managed...

In the deepest circle of #MedEd hell, lives the devil’s advocate. Thinking the unthinkable. Voicing your deepest and darkest thoughts about the world of medical education. In a first of a series of entries about challenging the status quo, why not take a trip with us down to meet him?

You've all met that person at medical school. First to put up their hand for everything and have a season ticket for the front row of the lecture theatre. But how does the 'Gunner' stay professional in the ward setting?

Working in web development, it's sometimes tempting to hack around with software packages to try and get something working. Medisense works with the Symphony CMS, a fantastic way to store and deliver content that keeps you sane in the meantime!