UK Training Pathway for Congenital Cardiac Surgery

Applying Congenital Cardiac Surgery (CCS) is a GMC-recognised sub-specialty within the main specialty of Cardiothoracic Surgery (CTh). (https://www.gmc-uk.org/education/standards-guidance-and-curricula/curricula/congenital-cardiac-surgery-curriculum) Trainees on the CTh training pathway compete for a place in the two-year training programme for CCS (National Fellowship in Congenital Cardiac Surgery). CCS subspecialty training positions are advertised on Oriel (https://www.oriel.nhs.uk/) for national selection. Applicants are

FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery

Part 1 Taken in local Pearson Vue test centres. Only Single best answers (SBA) – choose one correct answer out of five options. Previously one paper had EMQs (extended matching questions), but no longer included. Two papers (AM and PM) – 120 SBA questions each (total 240 questions) in 135 minutes (67.5 seconds per question).

Study Budget across UK Deaneries

Take-away point: Deaneries should publish their study budget utilisation for prospective trainees to factor in when choosing their posts. There is a wide variation between study leave budgets and policies between deaneries across the UK. Although a requirement of 30 days of study leave is widely accepted (see BMA advice: http://bma.org.uk/practical-support-at-work/contracts/leave/study-leave), how this is utilised varies widely

Ideas for Improving Process of Cardiac Surgery

Rapid publication of serious incidences Near-misses and adverse events should be published after anonymisation, on a national level. Anonymisation might not be possible in all instances, in which case, the lessons learnt from the case should be published. Although the cost of AE may be great to the patient and the team, it is even

Anatomy Demonstrating in the UK

Positions Info Progression from an anatomy demonstrator to a surgical trainee (Mar 2014) – http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tct.12102/abstract Where Do Anatomy Demonstrators Fit in Modern Medical Careers? (Jun 2013) – http://iamse.org/conf/conf17/poster101-110.html The role of anatomy demonstration for surgical trainees (Feb 2011) – http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/rcse/brcs/2011/00000093/00000002/art00010 The anatomy demonstrator (Apr 2009) – http://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/view-article.html?id=20000138 Demonstrating anatomy (Sep 2004) – http://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/view-article.html?id=420

Einstein’s aneurysm

Einstein PC: Upper abdominal pain associated with vomiting. Risk factors: overweight, heavy smoker. OE: expansile, pulsatile central abdominal mass. Dx: AAA. Mgmt: Referred to Dr. Rudolph Nissen, of Nissen’s fundoplication fame. Op notes: Nissen wrapped an external support made of cellophane to strengthen the aneurysm. Post-op: Five years later, on Friday,  April 15, 1955, Albert

Larynx

Function The main function of the larynx is protect the inlet of airway – viz. as in birds, they close the larngeal inlet (rima glottis, the true vocal cords), but can still produce sound by passing air through the syrinx, a dilatation just above the bifurcation of the trachea. So phonation in human is extra. Lungfish Lungfish