Cardiff questions Flashcards
What is the long-term plan goals?
preventing diseases like obesity, alcohol intoxicated A&E cases, smoking rates, Type 2 diabetes
improved funding for the NHS for enhancing the quality of services
digital soltutions - online appointments and the NHS app
cancer detection to be within 28 days
increasing no. of placements for nurses and medicing undergraduates
imagine you are the prime minister how would you fund money into the NHS
prescription costs - outline the true costs of medicine to patients on prescription so they are less likely to waste it
health advertising = public awareness of obesity, alochol and smoking
article you read recently = use of mRNA vaccine for cancers
Why do you want to study at cardiff?
C21 programm = combination of teaching with lectures and early clinical exposure allows me to develop clinical skills early on and apply them to my learning and vice versa, It will improve my confidence for working in a clinical setting and patient interactions while mainting academic success in lessons
early clinical exposure allows me to observe different areas of medicine and learn diagnostic processes
Spiral cirriculum = for better understanding and memorisation, organisation of content and ensure that the knowledge is nailed into my brain
Intercalation = is an option for me as I admire the idea of studying a subject in further detail which could influence my career choices in the future
widening participation = allows people from all backgrounds and cultures to study medicine, it is in fact these individuals who are able better to connect to their patients
close to home and familiar place so the transition to uni is not too overwhelming and means that I can settle in my course easier, and close to home in case of times in stress
Why do you want to study medicine?
whe studying GCSE biology, a spark lighted in my brain when learning the different anatomical regions like the cardiovascular system and the digestive system, but what intrigued me most was applying my knowledge to when things are not working the way they should be and what happend when something is not quite right internally
medicine provides me problem-solving which ive always loved as a kid, murder mysteries were my favourite to find the cause and who, medicine provides me something similar to undergo diagnostic processes to explain what a combination of symptoms are presenting themselves as.
doing work experience shadowing junior doctors made me feel a sense of belonging and I had found where I was meant to be, this fuelled me with even more motivation than before to pursue my dreams and excell academically to acheive this
Why do you want to be a doctor not a nurse?
nurses are extremely important as they often spend more time with their patients and as a result build closer relationships to them, but this isnt the only thing nurses do
observing a bronchoscopy for me really highlighted the vitallity of nurses that they recorded the obsevations like the patients heart rate, reassuring the patient and taking the biopsys, however talking to both profession while on work experience allowed me to better understand the differences each profression brings
being a doctor allows more oppotunity for specialisation in a particular field of interest in the future which appeals to me
doctors are more involved in the diagnosis of a patient which is most satistifying for me and gives me small acomplishments daily
being a doctor enables me to create treatment plans for patients that allows me to organise my knowlegde, apply my knowlegde while doing what is best for the patient
Should doctors/nurses be able to strike?
they have a legal right like any other profession to strike and take action however striking as a doctor is completely opposing striking as a builder for example, as doctors strikes will have a direct impact on other staff that are not striking and their patients
beneficence = doctors should not strike because they want to do their best for their patients, on the other side of the argument, if doctors did strike and action was taken, the NHS would be a better environment for the doctors and patients overall doctors can then provide better quality care for the patients
non-maleficence = is it particulary safe for doctors to strike if they are responsible for the publics health, striking could do more harm by increasing the strain and workload on those who are not striking due to understaffing, senior staff and nurses would have to pick up more work and this could be deterimental for them
If doctors/nurses were to strike, in my opinion it should be non-emergency departments that do so there is less of an impact on patients and co-workers
Who is the most important member of the multi-disiplinary team?
no one = the MDT brings everyone together as a team that are involved with a patients care
each individual brings their own specialities to the team and are equally as important to helping a patient
radiology = conducting scans for diagnosis of patients
senior consultants = leading ward rounds and hand overs
nurses = tending to patient needs
coming together provides a holistic outcome for the patient
What is personalised medicine?
a medical model that customizes treatments for individual needs
it uses genetic info to identify patterns that can help determine an individuals risk of developing a disease
What is informed consent and when is it not needed?
it is consent gained from a patient who is fully aware of all risks and benefits of a medical procedure or drug, allowing them to make a balanced decision
it should always be sought out from patients
it is important because if a treatment or procedure did not go as planned and something went wrong, for legal reasons the patient was aware of the risks and made that decision based on their thoughts
it is not needed when:
- the individual has dementia, a learning difficulty or a mental health disorder that impacts their autonomy to the point they are not in the right space to make the best decisions for themselves - the mental health act
- there is a child under the age of 16 require parent consent, some circumstances (gillick competence) this can be overwritten if the child is mature enough to make their own desicions then they have autonomy
- if a patient has an advanced directive which is a legal doc that states the persons wishes on their medical care if they no longer have the autonmy to make their own decisions
What is the most important medical advancement in the last 10 years?
there is not 1 single advancement that is the MOST important, many advancements have been made and are all equally important in their own ways
keyhole surgery:
- it provides greater cosmetic results for the patient
- less bleeding
- similar operation time and shorter stays in hospital
observing 2 of these was so intriguing as watching the surgeons try to navigate the operation by feeling of the rods and observing the screen proved how advanced this procedure is
when smaller operations are needed like removing a gall bladder, it is a more efficient method of operation
mRNA vaccines for cancer:
- personlised immunotherapy treatment that trains the immune system to reconise and destroy cancer cells
- it is currently undergoing clinical trials
- tailoring the vaccine to each perons cancer allows for an even more trageted and personalised medicine
- there is no risk of radiation
What do you know about the NHS staffing crisis?
short of 154000 staff
pay cuts, worsening conditions and inability to provide care decreases the number of people entering the profession and also increases the number of people leaving
8% of jobs in secondary care are not filled in = this increases the workload and stress of those remaining in the jobs, over time they are carrying this burden and are more likely to leave due to burn out
to improve this, the number of staff the NHS actually needs should be considered
it takes about 15 years to train a specialised consultant
there is not enough funding to train too many doctors that are not necessarily needed and could be resourcefeull in areas like social care
the NHS is always changing and so is the world so the NHS needs to keep up to date with regulations and teach their staff
the government have insufficient use of foreign recruitment as their migration policies contradict
goverments plan = increase the number of med school places increase the number of physician associates and nurses training and possibly decrease the length of time in med school
What is stress and how do you deal with it?
it is emotional strain or tension that can be overwhelming
during my GCSEs I was massively burnt out from studying too many hours a day that I over did myself, carrying the burden of constant mental exhaustion to the point my brain would run through my flashcards in my sleep
through this time I learnt the importance of balance - I needed to have more time for myself to relax and do the things I enjoy
in the evenings I would set aside a time where I stopped revising and just took an hour to focus taking care of myself by reading a book or journaling my thoughts
these activities brought my minfulness and peace to take my mind off things
when I had more negative emotions I felt i needed to express, I enjoy mkaing music out of them which gives me something creative and innovative to turn my negative feelings and thoughts into something positive
from observing senior consultant and junior doctors working, as they have always got multiple tasks that need doing often at the same time, the importance of balance exaggerared itself to me, I am grateful to have learnt this at a young age so I know how to deal with stress when it comes
Describe a time you showed resiliance
I have many times I have showed resiliance but this one was most recent and stuck out to me the most
last summer I didnt get the grades I wanted as I had limited time to revise due to moving house, my teachers told me that I wasnt capable of medicine and that I should consider another option. I knew deep down medicine was always my dream since high school so I could not give up on myself. Despite being told I couldnt do it, I knew those grades were not a reflection of my ability so I picked myself up and ensured I nailed the content, so far I have jumped up 4 grades in one of my subjects. I know myself enough that if I have my mind set on something I will acheive it despite what people around me are saying because I work so hard to get where I want to be
My fuel for my resilience is my past version of myself whose only dreams were to be a doctor and she would do anything to get there no matter what gets in her way, I am still this version of me
What are the 3 reasons why junior doctors are striking?
they want the pay to be restored to the same levels as 2008 - 2010
they want to agree on a mechanism with the government to stop pay falling with inflation in the future
they want a review completed on how much they should actually be payed
What are the differences of waiting times in Wales compared to England?
people waited 40% longer for NHS treatment in Wales
the average wait for referaal treatment in Wales is ~22 weeks and ~15 weeks in England
however the waiting times are not accurate as they are measured differently in each country
What are some of the possible issues that Wales has longer wait times?
Wales is known to be an older and less healthier population than England therefore more people are requiring treatment in the first place
there are more older people staying in hospital that may not have anyone to take care of them when they are out therefore they need to find homes for patients which can extend their stay in hospital
wales has less private sectors so more people are using the general NHS
the NHS in wales focuses on the urgency of clinical need rather than the longest waiters which would impact those who and categorised as less urgent waiting longer therefore waiting times if not an accurate measure of comparing the NHS in england and Wales
What qualities does a good doctor need to have?
Empathy:
- doctors need to be able to build trust and relationships with patients to let them allow you make decisions with them and take care of them, also need to build trust to allow patients to open up to you
- Work experience = patient with down syndrome was also needle phobic needed bloods taken, the F1 showed how talking to the patient themselves by changing their tone and talking to the patients family to reassure them can allow you to carry out your job as a doctor even when you have to deal with distressed patients
communication:
- patients must be able to understand their treatments to provide informed consent, Doctors need to communicate to work as a team with many staff with different responsibilites
- a lack of comminication proved a major issue for a respiratory ward consultant, mistakes were made on a patients treatment plan as there history and other medication were not previously recorded by other doctors so they were excluded and missed, The doctors should of communicated what they knew about the patient already to plan what to do next time seeing them to avoid mistakes and assumptions being made
balance:
- a work-life balance is important as being a doctor is very pressuring and demanding at times, need to be able to make time for yourself and family when needed and take breaks, careful not to over-work yourself
- talking to an F1 hearing about all of her future plans and projects highlighted the vitality of balancing life and work as a doctor, she vented to me how tired she was but the job was worth it because of the oppotunities shes recieved.
What is the role of a junior doctor?
in the mornings they participate in the hand over from the night shift staff and recieve updates on patients conditions from overnight, then conduct evening hand overs to the evening staff
consultants lead them to do ward rounds and talk to them about each patient
they write discharge letters
order blood tests
provide medication
check on patients and listen to their concerns
What are your self weaknesses?
Self-doubt:
- I often doubt myself when I have not done as well as I wanted to as I am a perfectionist at times. Especially, having people doubting you as well can be difficult. But I always remeber why reasons for why I am on the path that I am on to keep going and acheive my goals. For me singing, has improved my confidence the most. I struggled to listen to my own voice when filming or recording myself, however I have written and produced 2 of my own songs. I continued to promote my music even when I doubted if it was any good because I remebered my efforts and reasons for prodcuing the music.
Stubborn:
- I can favour following my own ways with things and like to think that I am often right about something when I am not. I notice this when I am in chemistry with my friends and I think I have the right anser when Ive actually made a mistake. I am working on this particulary with my friends by asking them for help with the work in chemistry when I am unsure if my answers are correct and then asking the teacher reasons why I may have made a mistake. I always come back to reminding myself that my friends are in the same position as I am
What is primary and secondary care?
Primary :
- the 1st place a patient goes for healthcare
- provided by GPs, dentists, pharmacists and opticians
- can help with colds, flues, broken bones, rashes and chronic conds
- immunisations
- wellness screenings
secondary:
- requires a referal from a primary care provider
- can be planned or urgent
- planned operations, specialist clinics and rehabilitation services
-mental health services
What is patient-centred care?
patient is at the forefront of your thoughts when making decsions regarding their healthcare
working with the patient for the patient
Describe a time you were a leader of a team
S = at work they rely on me a lot to lead others during the shift, I will lead the bar and front of house team and delegate people to their appropriate roles
T = 2 groups of customers came in and they were frustrated, my coworker came to me about the situation as I was putting through an order, I then had to confront the difficult customers
A = one customer was not happy with where they were sat, so I had to arrange different tables for many bookings to accomodate to this table, this customer was annoyed with us and was raising her voice at me questioning my position in work
R = I rearranged the tables so that all customers were pleased
R = doctors need to be able to work as a team always and need to be confident when dealing with difficult patients that could question their expertise
Describe a time you showed empathy
S = volunteering at my gym, people would come to me to voice their concerns about the gym or things in their lives
T = customer opened up to me about their struggles with an eating disorder and they were at the gym towards their efforts for recovery
A = I listened to everything they told me and when appropriate I asked open ended Qs to allow them to further explain things to me while ensurign they were comforatble doing so
R = the customer told me it meant a lot for me to listen to them and try understand her
R = Drs need to listen carefully and intricately to their patients needs and conerns whether it be about their health or life, Doctors need to be someone people can trust that people that open up to and explain things, that way the doctors have the advnatage of gaining more information from the patient as they opened up to them
What do you see yourself doing in 10 years time?
specialising in an area that interests me the most
medicine offers me the oppotunity to find what I am drawn to the most and what I would like to look at in further detail
possible areas so far are immunology which we have touched upon in A levels, the aspect of probelm solving to find what is causing certain symptoms and conditions would bring me gratification daily
Or if I come to the conclusion that I prefer general medicine to prehaps go into general practise and take care of people in my local community
what is the role of a doctor in promoting public health?
doctors provide advice, treating patients and developing and delivering health services
support healthy lifestyle programmes = stop smoking groups and to take part in more exercise
work on immunisation programmes and screening based in local communities
promote healthy nutrition in relation to diet-related diseases like obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes
How do you cope under pressure?
I experience the most pressure in exam settings
It is not a matter of life or death but I like to think I only have one chance for the exams to ensure I work my hardest in the exams
Before the exam is about to start I take a couple of deep breaths and affirm to myself positive statements to place myself in the right mindset and not allow my nerves to consume me
also from being a performer by singing and dancing, i am under pressure to remeber the routine, do it well and act it out at the same time, as you are under the spotlight there is little room for error especially doing a solo thats broadcasted to the world, i needed to shake off my nerves before going on stage and again place myself in the right mindset
Doctors need to cope well under pressure because they need the ability to think logically when there could be a matter of life or death at hand for a patient. They need to think clearly to ensure they are doing whats best for the patient
Why can working as team propose challenges?
respiratory ward example meeting = missing information for a patient due to a lack of communication between doctors led to mis-treating the patient, doctors are very busy and caught up on multiple tasks they need to complete therefore communication may be fleeting and forgotton, doctors need to ensure they discuss patients and write down everything in the patients file
Why is the ageing population medically important?
shows the success of healthcare = people are living longer which is a sign of progress in the healthcare system
increased stress on NHS resources = elderly people tend to need more healthcare so an ageing pop adds strain to the NHS funds and resources
Increased incidences of certain diseases = Type 2 diabetes increases in likelihood as you get older, it has become more prevalent in the NHS
increased retirement age = people are retiring later because they have longer to live, experienced consultants retire later which helps increase the supply of high quality doctors in the NHS
Why is antibiotic resistance rising and what implications will this have for the future?
there is an increased no of prescriptions being given and some are unnecessary which leads to the resistance
it occurs when bacteria become resistant to antibiotics so they are not being killed by the antibiotics, the antibiotics loose their efficiency
antibiotics will become ineffective at treating bacteria eventually leaving patients without an effective treatment plan
doctors and pharmacists are prescribing the antibiotics however it is also patients demanding them frequently that leads to this
therefore there should be stricter regulations on prescribing antibiotics
Describe a time when you worked as part of a team
In my part-time job in a resturant you are always working as part of a team, we deligate different areas like the bar, taking orders and running food to different people to ensure every task is taken care of fully. The front-of-house staff also need to work in conjunction with the Kitchen staff and ensure all orders are done correctly and on time.
communication = Being on the floor in work means that I have to stay in contiuous and constant communication with my co-workers espcially on busier shifts to make sure that every task has been done and that we are not doing it twice, as it is such a fast paced envrionment, jobs can be missed or repeated without any effective communication
problem-solving and collaboration = in the past, I will notice on shift the people that I work with have their own strengths and weaknesses in the workplace. For example, some are better on bar with minimal interaction whereas others like myself strive on the floor ensuring that everything is running smoothly. I have delegated people to the correct and appropriate areas that they are the best at to allow for better quality experience for our customers
on work experience i realised the importance of working as a team even more, when I was on placement there was an outbreak of covid on one of the wards, all the nurses and doctors had to come together and move all the patients to another ward bu pushing all the beds through all the corridoors
What will you bring to the medical school?
I think most medical students thrive academically and yes I will bring this to the acedemic community as I am constantly striving for more out of myself, pushing myself because I know what I am capable of but thats not all. I’d like to think I would be the doctor that patients can relate to. having gone through times of struggle and finding resiliance by myself, I’d hope to be a doctor and medical student even that understands people on a deeper level as I have a high level of compassion for others because I understand what its like to be in their positions
Through my work experience and volunteering this has enabled me to better adapt to others even further by realising that patient populations are highly diverse that come from different backgrounds, when people have opened up to me in the gym, I actively listened to them and asked further questions when appropriate, they would tell me that me trying to undertsand them and listening to them made them feel so much better about their situations.
How is AI being used in medicine?
definition = a technology that enables computers to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence
can be used in diagnosis, data analysis and precision medicine
pro = Dr can improve quality of care while saving time on tasks that can be automated with AI, it can carry out repetitive administrative tasks therefore reduing physician burnout
its diagnostic ability can match or exceed clinicians as it is less subjective = however this means that jobs in pathology, radiology can be lost
the aspects of empathy, compassion and emotion are invaluable in providing holistic patient care beyond diagnosis and treatment
can improve access to care = people who are unable to get to a GP can use a chat setting to ask questions about their symptoms from home
it should be used to enhance medicine and it cannot replace human elements, it should empower doctors with the latest tech tools to serve patients better
What hobbies do you have outside of medicine and school?
gym = i regulary go to the gym and release stress and negative emotions through the medium of weight lifting, I also like the diverity of the gym because I can partake in cardio or functional strength training, high intensity workouts take my mind off my everyday tasks, it provides me validation and gratification when I can start to see and feel my hard work paying off through my appearance. going to the gym has taught me discipline and through that discipline I learnt to enjoy pushing myself physically
singing = I have always been a creative person who loves perfroming or even painting or crafts, singing however was my personal creative outlet, I have created 2 of my own songs which are on all music platforms, I always struggled with self-confidence when I was younger and I found making my own music difficult because I couldnt even listen to my own voice, performing on stage in front of hundreds of people and cameras broadcasting to the world pushed myself to have more self-belief, singing allows me to feel into my emotions in a creative form and to easily let them go
doctors need to have hobbies and interests outside of medicine because they need to retain a work-life balance, being a doctor can be demanding and tiring at times, but developing areas of your life that you can be in the present moment and simply enjoy what you doing allows you time to recharge youself
Describe a time you carried out self-directed learning
I was given the oppotunity to look into a topic that I am deeply passionate about and that fully engages me by completing an EPQ. Ive always had a keen interest in how the body works and how all the systems work together to keep us alive. I based my EPQ therefore on pathology tracing back the causes of death and disease. I was able to expand my knowlegde on something I am highly intrigued in. I had to carrying out hours of research to overall structure my report but to also further my understanding to be able to present my research in front of my class. Completing my EPQ taught me skills that are invaluable for my university work. for example, writting accurate references, conducting scientific research and organising my new-found knowlegde. I thoroughly enjoyed completing my EPQ as I gave me the time to look into something I enjoy further alongside completing my a-levels. I looked forward to lessons and used it as a break from my routine teaching of my a-level subjects.
medical students carrying out a lot of their own research themselves and present what they found to case-based learning sessions to other peers
What do you know about the assissted dying bill?
allows adults who are terminally ill to request assistance to end their own life
2 doctors must independently assess the request to ensure the person meets the criteria
they have to make sure the person is informed and reached the decision voluntarily
14-day period after requirements met for patient to request assistance to end their life
if the doctors still approve = an approved substance will be prescribed to end their life
doctors will not face any criminal charges
