Briefings
Communication skills and the problem with fake patients
Susan was sitting in the clinic room as I entered, her head in her hands. Appearing to fight back tears, she looked up at me expectantly. Moments earlier she’d discovered that her pregnancy had ended prematurely, and it was up to me to explain to her that she’d had a miscarriage. Sitting down with her, I found myself trying to care. Or, mo… Read this article >>
Doctors, death, and dying
When Breath Becomes Air,1 Paul Kalanithi’s poignant account of life and death as a young doctor diagnosed with terminal cancer, has been long listed for the Wellcome Book Awards 2017. The memoir, unfinished at the time of his death aged 37, is the latest of several recently publishe… Read this article >>
Doctor AI will see you now
In March 2016, artificial intelligence hit the headlines when Google’s computer program AlphaGo beat the world champion of the complex board game Go.1 But humans didn’t teach AlphaGo how to win. Instead, the program’s algorithm learnt how to play the game autonomously, using a branc… Read this article >>
What the NHS bursary means to medical students
The NHS bursary for nurses, midwives, and allied healthcare professionals is to be withdrawn from 2017, with students having to take out loans instead to cover tuition fees and living expenses.1 Currently, more than 60 000 students benefit from thi… Read this article >>
What the NHS bursary means to medical students
The NHS bursary for nurses, midwives, and allied healthcare professionals is to be withdrawn from 2017, with students having to take out loans instead to cover tuition fees and living expenses.1 Currently, more than 60 000 students benefit from thi… Read this article >>