Learning Online

Learning Online

“When I went to medical school, the term ‘digital’ applied only to rectal exams.” – Eric Topol   An embarrassment of riches I can clearly remember a time when I had to catch a bus to go to the medical school library to find the resources that I needed to prepare...
Understanding Vaccination

Understanding Vaccination

Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material (the vaccine) to stimulate an individual’s immune system to develop adaptive immunity to a particular pathogen. Herd immunity is a type of indirect protection from infectious disease that occurs when a...
How to Differentiate Bell’s Palsy from Stroke

How to Differentiate Bell’s Palsy from Stroke

Being able to differentiate Bell’s palsy from stroke is an essential skill for all front-line clinicians. Bell’s palsy, which is also sometimes referred to as idiopathic facial paralysis, and ischaemic stroke are the first and second most common causes of acute facial...
An Overview of Leukaemia

An Overview of Leukaemia

Leukaemia is a very common exam topic and one that many candidates struggle to get to grips with. This article is not intended to be an all-encompassing review of this complex and highly-specialised topic but should provide you with the knowledge needed to approach...
Test Your Anatomy Knowledge – The Lower Limb

Test Your Anatomy Knowledge – The Lower Limb

Test your knowledge of lower limb anatomy with these questions. 1. Which SINGLE statement is true regarding the blood supply to the lower limb? A. The femoral artery arises directly from the internal iliac arteryB. The profunda femoris arises from the medial side of...
Mendelian Inheritance

Mendelian Inheritance

A good understanding of the fundamental laws of inheritance helps us to understand the different patterns of disease transmission. The inheritance patterns of single gene diseases are referred to as ‘Mendelian inheritance’ after Gregor Mendel, the first person to...