Thanthullu Vasu

Securing a place in medical school can be competitive and daunting. This complex process starts from the GCSE level of education in a student’s life and continues through to A-levels, with various hurdles such as the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) application, the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT), volunteering and/or work experience, preparing a personal statement, and attending medical interviews. It is not uncommon for the candidate and their parents to face difficulties at each of these stages; this book provides appropriate advice and resources, and will facilitate the reader’s preparation towards securing a place in medical school. There is an average of 15 to 20 applications for each medical school place. The competition increases every year and the selection processes are becoming more difficult. Recently, some medical schools have increased the grades needed at A-levels for their intake criteria. As candidates can apply for only four out of the 46 medical schools in the UK, it can be challenging to apply to the right university successfully. Each medical school has different criteria for selection and the candidate has to apply based on their personal achievements. Despite these difficulties, many young students still work hard and succeed in their ambition to enter the noble rewarding profession of medicine as their lifelong career. This book covers the entry criteria for most medical schools in the United Kingdom, but these principles will apply equally to other countries. It details each and every step of preparation for the candidate and guides them to their goal. Additionally, the book details the process of clearing in the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service for those who have failed the first time round. Finally, guidance is provided for applying to universities abroad. The authors together have amassed huge experience in conducting national courses for medical interviews and have helped hundreds of candidates to successfully secure a place in medical school. Their career guidance courses have received excellent feedback from delegates. Thanthullu Vasu is the organiser and founder of a popular national course for medical interviews and has more than 25 years of experience in the UK National Health Service. Siva Thanthullu is a third-year medical student and has recent experience of entering medicine and guiding others in securing medical school placements.

Back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide; the World Health Organization regards back pain as a condition for which the greatest number of people may benefit from rehabilitation. It is estimated that low back pain alone affects 619 million people globally and this is estimated to rise to 843 million people by 2050. Up to 60% of the adult population will have low back pain at some point in their lifetime; 5-7% of adults over 45 years of age are estimated to have chronic low back pain. Healthcare professionals see people with back pain routinely in their clinical practice and so education and awareness of back pain and the various treatment options are vital for an effective outcome in these situations. Research has shown that healthcare professionals have a considerable and enduring influence upon the attitudes and beliefs of people with back pain. This book will help clinicians to positively influence the outcome of people suffering from back pain. This book will discuss back pain in great detail and is written in an easy-to-understand style, while keeping an evidence-based approach. Doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, medical students, and other healthcare professionals will find this book informative. People who suffer with back pain will also find the information useful to expand their knowledge in order to successfully manage the condition. This book will be of immense use to candidates preparing for examinations conducted by the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, UK (FFPMRCA), American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA), Royal College of General Practitioners, UK (MRCGP), College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland (FFPMCAI), American Board of Pain Medicine (ABPM), European Pain Federation (EFIC) (European Diploma in Pain Medicine [EDPM]), Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (FPM), and the World Institute of Pain (FIPP/CIPS). The authors are both senior consultants in pain medicine practising in the United Kingdom and are consulted by thousands of patients every year. They have lectured at many international, national and regional meetings and are invited lecturers to public and patient groups on various health topics. They have organised workshops, meetings and seminars for the national anaesthetic and pain societies. They have published many articles, research and textbooks on pain medicine. Their aim is to create an awareness of chronic pain conditions among other healthcare professionals and the public.

Medical interviews have changed a lot with time; in the last two decades, multiple mini interviews (MMIs) have revolutionized the assessment strategies for entrance to medical schools. MMIs usually consist of 6-10 stations of independent assessments done in a timed circuit so that the same examiner evaluates a specific skill for a station among the candidates. Many of these stations assess a candidates soft skills, including critical thinking, problem solving, team working, leadership and professional attitudes in addition to their knowledge, skills and motivation towards choosing medicine as a career. MMIs are not just a test of a candidates knowledge or skills, but their ability to use it appropriately at the right time. Aristotle said, we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. Candidates wishing to succeed in medical MMI interviews need repetitive practice in the various stations. These stations usually include assessments on communication skills, medical ethics, recent medical facts, role play with an empathetic approach, data interpretation and calculations, scenario-based situations, personal character, motivation and judgment. This book will provide an excellent variety of opportunities to practice these stations and guide the candidate with a framework of answers. This book can be used for various medical university entrance exams, including those in the United Kingdom via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), the United States via the American Medical College Application Service (AMCA), Canada via the respective Medical School Applications Service, Australia via the specific state Tertiary Admissions Centre and many other countries via their specific admission pathways.

In an interesting survey amongst doctors, fibromyalgia was considered the least prestigious disease. Although this survey was done in a Scandinavian country and was done more than 13 years ago, the grim situation is still the same today all over the world. Patients suffering with fibromyalgia feel that they are not believed and they are not listened to. Despite knowledge being gathered on this disease for a few centuries, and having definite diagnostic criteria and management pathways, the healthcare system still fails many patients who are left without a diagnosis or treatment plan. Fibromyalgia is a disease that causes widespread pain in many areas of the body and has significant accompanying symptoms like fatigue, waking unrefreshed and cognitive symptoms. Fibromyalgia affects patients as a whole including their cognitive performance, physical skills, psychological status, ability to work and social life. It can present as a part of the spectrum of functional pain syndromes, often accompanied by other systemic conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, headaches and chronic fatigue. It is estimated that 1 in 20 can suffer with this debilitating condition. This textbook will cover the condition in great detail and is written in an easy-to-understand style. Doctors, nurses, medical students, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, and other healthcare professionals will find this book informative. Patients who suffer from fibromyalgia will also find it useful to understand their medical condition; the book will help to direct them to specific treatment strategies, explaining the benefit and risk in detail. As this is a common chronic pain presentation, it will be of immense use to candidates preparing for examinations conducted by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, UK (FRCA), Faculty of Pain Medicine, UK (FFPMRCA), American Board of Anesthesiology (AB), College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland (FCAI), European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (EDAIC), Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (FANZA), World Institute of Pain (FIPP/CIPS), Canadian Board exams, National Board of Examinations of India (Dip NB) and other competitive exams across the globe. The author is a senior consultant in pain medicine practising in the United Kingdom and is consulted by thousands of chronic pain patients every year. He has won many educational awards including a national innovative award in pain medicine. One of his innovations is published in the list of examples of excellence by the Faculty of Pain Medicine, London. He has lectured at many international, national and regional meetings, and is a regular invited expert lecturer in public groups and fibromyalgia patient support groups. He has also published many articles and textbooks on pain medicine.

Chronic pain is a silent epidemic -- it is estimated to affect 20-30% of the population. A good understanding of the disease, diagnosis and management are imperative in providing patient-centred care. A broad range of practitioners will frequently encounter patients with chronic pain. This book covers important topics in chronic pain relevant to many clinicians including, but not limited to, anaesthetists, intensive care professionals, surgical and nursing staff, junior doctors, operating department practitioners, general practitioners and medical students. It makes essential reading for healthcare workers and is also an invaluable first reference for physiotherapists, healthcare managers, psychologists and researchers with a need for an overview of the key aspects of this topic. This book will not only be an invaluable resource for trainee anaesthetists but also for practising anaesthetists with an interest in teaching the basics of chronic pain; it is also a succinct aid for clinical practice. Medical students and junior doctors, who are about to embark on a career in anaesthesia or intensive care medicine, will also find the book to be a useful educational tool. Subjects discussed range from the comprehensive assessment of chronic pain to the multimodal management of chronic pain. It is written in a simple and consistent style that can be easily understood and applied to day-to-day clinical practice. This material will be an important tool for professional exams. It is an ideal companion for candidates who are preparing for their final exams that include the topic of chronic pain and will help to assess their preparation and guide appropriate revision. Questions on chronic pain appear in written and structured oral examinations. This book will be handy for candidates preparing for examinations conducted by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, UK (FRCA), The College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland (FCAI), the European Society of Anaesthesiology (EDAIC), the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (EDIC), the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (FANZCA), the National Board of Examinations of India (Dip NB), and the American and Canadian board exams, as well as other competitive exams across the globe. Candidates appearing for advanced pain examinations will find this book useful to refresh their knowledge on pain medicine. The authors are consultants in pain medicine with clinical and teaching experience in university hospitals across the UK. They regularly conduct successful pain education courses which consistently attract good feedback. They conduct regular final FRCA and FFPMRCA exam courses attended by candidates from all over the country.

The Royal College of Anaesthetists has introduced Constructed Response Questions (CRQs) as an innovative way of testing trainees, in the fields of anaesthesia and intensive care medicine, in their final FRCA examinations from September 2019. CRQs are a more structured way of assessing knowledge and understanding; they also assess the application of knowledge, evaluation and judgement. This book categorises 134 questions based on the Royal College model, with six mandatory sections of training and two separate sections on general duties and optional units. In the FRCA exam, there will be a total of 12 questions, one each from the six mandatory units of training (neuroanaesthesia; obstetric anaesthesia; paediatric anaesthesia; pain; cardiac anaesthesia; and intensive care), and six from general duties which may include one from optional unit training (perioperative medicine; regional, orthopaedic and trauma anaesthesia; other topics in general medicine; and optional topics). The answers have been extensively researched from recent BJA Education papers, e-learning, CEPD resources and other vital educational materials. To make it easy for the revising candidate, the questions have been split into their respective subspecialty topics, so the reader can assess their knowledge appropriately in a timely manner. It is an ideal companion for candidates who are preparing for their final exams in anaesthesia and will help to assess their preparation and guide appropriate revision. The topics are pertinent for other anaesthetic exams worldwide, including the European exams, Australian and New Zealand fellowships and the Indian DNB exams. The authors have extensive experience in anaesthetic teaching and lead anaesthetic intermediate teaching in the UK, running regular and successfully attended courses. This book will help candidates to adapt to the recent exam changes and revise in an efficient manner. It will not only be an invaluable educational resource for trainee anaesthetists but also for practising anaesthetists. Medical students and junior doctors, who are about to embark on a career in anaesthesia or intensive care medicine, will also find the book to be a useful educational tool.