101 Things to do with Spare Moments on the Ward

“I went home early, as teaching was cancelled, nothing was happening and I was bored”

Here are 101* of the best ideas to make the most effective use of your time on the ward. Over 250 contributors, including students, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and therapists from 18 countries, help make you the finest doctor you can be!

On the ward, you are surrounded by a multitude of learning opportunities. This book will help you develop your own skills to make the most of this ward time. Written by experienced medical educators, in collaboration with medical students, doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, each tip will provide you with an appropriate overview of the topic and prompt you to think outside the conventional textbook learning methods.

Grouped by theme, you will gain an insight into techniques for learning, followed by tips on clinical examination, practical procedures, prescribing, and data interpretation.

Features include:

• Tasks to work on individually, with fellow students, or with patients
• Tasks you can complete in a few spare minutes or half a day
• The equipment you need for each task
• Further reading for each of the themes

Pocket–sized for ′dipping into′ during a spare moment or a couple of hours on the ward, this short guide is ideal for medical students on rotation or junior doctors who wish to boost learning and motivation. Clinical teachers, who are looking for novel ways to engage their students, will also find this an invaluable resource.

* There are actually 100 ideas. Now it’s your turn to develop tip 101! Submit your ideas to www.101things.org

Table of Contents

Foreword.

Preface.

Table of tasks.

Introduction.

Section 1 Teaching, testing and learning.

Section 2 Clinical communication.

Section 3 Physical examination.

Section 4 Practical procedures.

Section 5 Prescribing.

Section 6 Being curious.

Section 7 Data interpretation.

Section 8 Getting teaching.

Section 9 Effectiveness and efficiency.

Index.