*MEGATHREAD* Interview discussion megathread for 2015 entry

What are the most significant differences between primary and secondary care?

Well, I think two concerns that may come to mind here are:

1) the patient's wellbeing (namely, the 49 yo woman is, I guess, at a higher risk of health complications during the pregnancy);

2) the future child's wellbeing (namely, we are unsure whether the mother will be able to ensure high standards of care for the child).

As for the first concern, I, as a doctor, would share it with the patient and provide her with all the statistics and information. However, if she still insists on receiving IVF and is mentally capable enough to make such a decision, I would have to respect her autonomy and provide her with the treatment she asks for.

As for the second one, again, the potential child in question has only two options:
a) not to be born at all;
b) to be born to the said mother.
It is impossible to say which option is better because nobody can say whether is is better to live or not to live. Therefore, nothing can be done except for making sure the mother knows about any help available in the community for parents in difficult situations.

Ultimately, there is no reason for denying a woman or a couple IVF provided there a resources to carry out the treatment.

What do you think?


Posted from TSR Mobile

We know that medical professionals in primary care provide the first consultations to their patients and respond to any of their concerns either directly or by referring them to a secondary care specialists, who treat specific conditions.


When talking about doctors, GPs provide primary care while hospital doctors provide secondary care.

The key differences between primary care (PC) and secondary care (SC), from my point of view, are:

1) character of relationship with the patient: PC doctors normally have long-term relationships with their patients and sometimes treat them for decades, SC normally only treat the patient for a limited amount of time (there are, of course, exceptions, like long-term cancer treatments, but still, I think it's safe to say that most hospital treatments are quite short-term).

2) role in disease prevention: PC is much more focused on disease prevention. It's the GPs who offer screening, annual check-ups and encourage health life-style

3) in the UK, GPs, unlike SC practitioners, have to manage their practice independently, run it as a business, so they have quite a lot of non-medical work to do

Thanks what I could think of Any other ideas?


Posted from TSR Mobile

What of resources (or funds) were limited?


Posted from TSR Mobile

Thank you for this, also there are fewer health care professionals within a GP practice, including GPs, practices nurses and practice managers

Whereas in hospitals there are more health care professionals in the multi disciplinary team, including doctors, nurses, physios, porters, OT's, volunteers

So PCT's have smaller working teams

Dunno if I'm right, but just a thought

Interview for Southampton! Grad entry 9th December aaaaaaaaah!

well done! that's a pretty short notice though

We know that medical professionals in primary care provide the first consultations to their patients and respond to any of their concerns either directly or by referring them to a secondary care specialists, who treat specific conditions.

When talking about doctors, GPs provide primary care while hospital doctors provide secondary care.

The key differences between primary care (PC) and secondary care (SC), from my point of view, are:

1) character of relationship with the patient: PC doctors normally have long-term relationships with their patients and sometimes treat them for decades, SC normally only treat the patient for a limited amount of time (there are, of course, exceptions, like long-term cancer treatments, but still, I think it's safe to say that most hospital treatments are quite short-term).

2) role in disease prevention: PC is much more focused on disease prevention. It's the GPs who offer screening, annual check-ups and encourage health life-style

3) in the UK, GPs, unlike SC practitioners, have to manage their practice independently, run it as a business, so they have quite a lot of non-medical work to do

Thanks what I could think of Any other ideas?


Posted from TSR Mobile

How should I go about answering a "why medicine" question, it's hard to get across how I feel without sounding rehearsed or cliche 😥

Anybody else here that hasn't heard from any universities yet

Me neither!! Are you from abroad?? I am so I think they may be inviting us last... That was the impression I got last year anyway good luck! x

Me neither!! Are you from abroad?? I am so I think they may be inviting us last... That was the impression I got last year anyway good luck! x

Yeah, I'm applying from Ireland. Checking Track 5 times a day

Yeah, that's something I didn't think of

All the points above show, I think, that optimal personal qualities of primary and secondary care doctors are quite different.

I've heard people saying that current med school admissions process focuses quite heavily on SC-type qualities, so there is a shortage of GPs. What do you think of this?


Posted from TSR Mobile

Yeah, that's something I didn't think of

All the points above show, I think, that optimal personal qualities of primary and secondary care doctors are quite different.

I've heard people saying that current med school admissions process focuses quite heavily on SC-type qualities, so there is a shortage of GPs. What do you think of this?


Posted from TSR Mobile

What is SC?

Posted from TSR Mobile