The FAQs

We’ve complied a list of the most frequently asked questions by new-comers to clinicals, including questions on time management, clinical life and CV building.

1.When should I leave the ward/clinic?

If you feel you have gotten the maximum out of the clinical experience or that you could be learning better on your own, then by all means leave. Thank the doctor for their time and explain that you are going to leave to do your own private study. No one will feel offended. However, this does not mean: go in, make no effort, decide it’s useless and then leave. It means go in, make a reasonable effort to engage with the doctors & patients and create learning opportunities by asking plenty of questions, and leave only when you feel that you have maxed out on the learning available.  

2.How much time should I spend reading versus going into the hospital?

The written exams especially, require you to read extensively. Yes, you could try to learn passively by being present at the hospital from 9-5, but you’d still be left with huge gaps in your knowledge and lack of clarity if you don’t go back and read about the things that you have seen. Personally, I’d recommend a good even split between clinical exposure time and reading overall. However, I weighted a lot of my reading at the beginning of the year, such that I was able to go into wards or clinics with some baseline level of knowledge so that I could consolidate my learning, ask relevant questions and identify gaps in my knowledge. That being said, I was also careful not to neglect clinical exposure totally even during the reading period, so be mindful of that as you still need adequate patient contact to develop good patient manner.

3. How useful is pre-clinical in preparing you for clinicals?

On the face of it, it may seem pre-clinicals are useless to be a day to day doctor. However, it’s best to think of pre-clinicals & clinicals as 2 sides of the same coin. Pre-clinicals give you a good scientific grounding onto which you can pin on the clinical aspects. For example, it’s easier to make sense of the signs, symptoms & management of a heart attack if you understand the anatomy, physiology and pharmacology. Essentially, you can’t have one without the other.

4.How useful are the clinicopathological conferences (CPCs)? 

CPCs are basically 2 hour lectures on a presenting complaint like shortness of breath. They vary in quality ranging from very well delivered, concise and relevant to some honing in on rare minutia and poorly delivered. In terms of usefulness for passing exams or learning how to be a doctor, not incredibly useful for the Cambridge 4th year exams. But, they are a good guide as to what conditions they expect you to know about. I personally would look at the CPCs, note down the conditions mentioned and use the Pass Medicine textbook to learn more about the condition to be able to answer any questions that would come up. I’d also focus on the Oxford Cases book and Osmosis videos to develop diagnostic processes for each presenting complaint rather than trying to solely use the CPCs. 

5.How can you build a good CV from the start?

Get involved with data collection, analysis and write-ups for research projects & audits that are going on in your ward/department. Try to get a publication and/or a presentation. This might sound daunting, but it’s easy to get involved in. Identify the members of the team involved in research, often the consultant is a good place to start. Approach them in person or via email, express your desire to be involved in research and ask if any appropriate opportunities are available. Often they are keen for your help. 

6.How busy is clinical life?

It all depends on how busy you make it! You can do the minimum, take it chill and get signed off, no problem. Or you can commit and get involved in several projects. Essentially, clinicals provide a lot of freedom, especially in Cambridge as we do not have explicit sign-in sheets for clinical encounters. This allows you to direct your own learning and prioritise your interests, which may be in research or it may be in attending extra clinics as you’re fascinated by a speciality. The key message is that it’s chill, but you can make it as busy as you want by taking on additional projects or clinical experiences.