Claire Bromley reflects on a 2018 medical elective in Cape Town’s emergency department and prehospital services. Alongside clinical learning, she describes the emotional demands of unfamiliar trauma care and the value of debriefing, supportive colleagues and retaining empathy when difficult cases leave a lasting impression.
South Africa as a Medical Student Elective. Read More
How can cognitive load theory help us teach? Nick Smith introduces the relationship between attention, working memory and prior knowledge, then considers its practical implications for presentations and clinical education. The discussion explores reducing unnecessary complexity, managing distractions and using questions and discussion to support learning.
Education theories you should know: Cognitive load theory. St Emlyn’s Read More
Does describing clinical work as ‘sexy’ matter? In this FemInEM Ideas Exchange 2018 talk, Natalie May challenges the language of medicine through gender stereotypes, colleagues’ experiences and patients’ perspectives. She also reflects on the social media response and how curiosity and respectful conversation can help us reconsider familiar words.
So Unsexy – Why We Shouldn’t Use The Word Sexy in Clinical Medicine #FIX18 Read More
Why return to whole blood in major trauma? Zaf Qasim reviews the military experience, early civilian studies and practical challenges of introducing a whole-blood programme. This 2018 overview considers compatibility, storage and transfusion risks while acknowledging the limits of the evidence for civilian patients.
Whole Blood in Major Trauma – Everything old is new again Read More
Does early hypothermia improve outcomes after traumatic brain injury? This review of the 2018 POLAR trial examines its patient selection, cooling strategy and six-month neurological outcomes. It discusses the absence of demonstrated benefit in this population and why the findings cannot answer every question about rescue cooling.
JC: Hypothermia in brain injury: The POLAR trial. St Emlyn’s. Read More
Natalie May continues her reflections from the 2018 FemInEM Ideas Exchange in New York. This instalment explores leadership, negotiation and gender equity, including listening to different perspectives, supporting effective teams and finding the courage to influence change within healthcare organisations.
A FeminEM in NYC – Reflections from #FIX18 Part Two Read More
What does excellence mean for an individual clinician and the team around them? Drawing on her St Emlyn’s Live 2018 talk, Natalie May explores reflection, peer review, clinical governance and workplace culture as ways to pursue continuing improvement rather than an unattainable state of perfection.
In Pursuit of Excellence at #StEmlynsLive Read More
Natalie May shares learning from the opening sessions of the 2018 FemInEM Ideas Exchange. Her reflections connect gender equity, racial and gender bias, uncertainty and the human experience of being a doctor, asking how listening to different stories can challenge assumptions and support more inclusive workplaces.
A FeminEM in NYC – Reflections from #FIX18 Part One Read More
