Contents -- Foreword -- Preface -- 1. Why medicine and why not? -- So, why medicine? -- And, why not? -- Making your own decision -- 2. Opportunity and reality -- Opportunities for women -- Ethnic minorities -- Mature students -- Overseas applicants -- Equal opportunities, equal difficulties? -- 3. Requirements for entry -- Broader requirements -- Personal health requirements and disability -- Academic requirements -- Graduate students -- How about resits? -- Survival ability -- 4. Choosing a medical school -- Location -- Finances -- Range of entrance requirements -- A gap year? -- Mature and graduate students -- Interview or no interview -- Visits and open days -- 5. Application and selection -- Personal details -- Choices -- Other information -- Getting an interview -- When to apply -- 6. Interviews -- The purpose -- The panel -- Dress and demeanour -- The conversation -- Offers -- 7. Medical school: the early years -- The subjects, systems, and topics -- The teaching and the teachers -- Communication skills -- Intercalated honours degrees -- Assessment -- Working hard, playing hard -- 8. Medical school: the later years -- The clinical subjects -- The elective -- Assessments and exams -- 9. Doubts -- Academic doubts -- Vocational doubts -- Personal doubts -- 10. The house officer -- Preregistration year -- Rotas or shifts -- Where to go -- 11. Choosing a specialty -- When should you decide -- What makes a specialist -- Senior house officer posts -- Membership of Royal Colleges -- The specialist register -- Consultants -- Appraisal and revalidation -- 12. Career opportunities -- General practice (Figure 12.1) -- Hospital specialties (Figure 12.2) -- Accident and emergency -- Anaesthetics -- Medicine -- Paediatrics and child health -- Obstetrics and gynaecology -- Pathology -- Psychiatry -- Diagnostic radiology -- Radiotherapy and oncology.

Rehabilitation -- Surgery -- Public health medicine -- Community health -- Other specialties -- Clinical academic medicine -- Basic medical sciences -- Full time research -- Occupational medicine -- Armed services -- Pharmaceutical industry -- Medical journalism -- Postscript -- Appendices -- Appendix 1 The core outcomes of basic medical education -- The principles of professional practice -- Outcomes -- Good clinical care -- Maintaining good medical practice -- Relationships with patients -- Working with colleagues -- Teaching and training -- Probity -- Health -- Appendix 2 The aims of the Preregistration House Officer (PRHO) year ("general clinical training") -- Appendix 3 Guidance to doctors -- The duties of a doctor registered with the General Medical Council -- Appendix 4 Suggestions for further reading -- Appendix 5 Website addresses for UK medical schools -- Appendix 6 Addresses of professional and specialty organisations -- Appendix 7 Grant making bodies for mature students -- Index.