Entering the clinical phase is when it starts to get serious! You will be used to going to lectures and being lectured all you need to know. Clinical medicine is VERY different. The emphasis is on you to identify what you need to learn. There are very few lectures, and those you receive are only giving you the basics. You will soon come to realise that you are being taught, for the first time, by institutions where education is not the priority. To learn clinical medicine you need to see as many patients as you can. Spending time on the wards, seeing what goes on, following patients to their investigations – that’s how you learn (with plenty of reading!) Clinical courses vary, but in the end, the same product is created!
Below I will give an overview of the main clinical examinations, some examples of clinical school lectures, and give a list of text books that I used to get me through the clinical years! There is also some advice on writing medical notes, tips on finals revision, and a report of my elective.
