Student BMJ Review: October 2007 issue

As a regular reader of the Student BMJ I was pleased to be given the opportunity to review the October edition. I have read the journal over my past three years at medical student with great interest and watched it develop and grow from strength to strength. I still believe that the Student BMJ provides an excellent medium which reflects on the many relevant and exciting issues in the constantly changing medical world. By its very nature medicine is a field which is progressing at a rapid pace. The Student BMJ strongly succeeds in making original and relevant medical news more accessible for students on a national and international level.

I found the October edition of Student BMJ to be an informative, intellectually stimulating and enjoyable edition to read. This issue succeeded in providing an appropriate mix of scientific, clinical, political and global health content. I have outlined some more specific comments below which correspond to the various subsections of the journal.

Presentation and layout

This edition, like most of its predecessors, employed a very eye catching and aesthetically pleasing design. Throughout the journal the layout is clear and relatively simplistic. The picture to text ratio is appropriate and the frequent use of figures is helpful in conveying key points and complementing the text.

News bites

These form a succinct and appropriate way to briefly summarise important international news.

News and Editorials

The predominant theme of healthcare rationing is an important one relevant to medical students now and especially in their future careers as health care professionals. This edition of Student BMJ covered this issue well with a variety of themed articles. The news and editorial articles all gave a slightly different slant on health care rationing but provided a thought provoking and enlightening approach.

Life

I have always regarded the life section of Student BMJ as a valuable asset that allows medical students to express, without constraints, issues which are important to them. The life articles included in this month’s edition were very varied and this provided a refreshing and engaging read.

The head to head article ‘Should eponyms be used?’ was an interesting and balanced account regarding the maintenance of such a deeply rooted tradition. This article was first published in the BMJ and I believe that the Student BMJ could benefit from including more articles previously published in its parent journal. The BMJ publishes a great number of articles which would largely be suitable for republication for a student audience.

The other articles published in the life section provided an excellent mix of educational, anecdotal and even eye opening experiences. This further emphasises that one of the greatest strengths of the Student BMJ is its ability to effectively tackle a wide range of topics.

People

This section always provides an insightful window into the lives of people with a strong connection to the scientific or medical field. It is often quite inspiring and interesting to focus in and see how key figures arrived at where they are today. The questions asked where interesting and appropriate.

Careers

The careers section is one which, like the life section, provides a wide and diverse array of informative articles. The article on ‘Applying for your first job’ offered some very useful advice for final year medical students about to apply for their foundation year position. Though the central theme of this article may seem more suitable for final year medical students it does offer essential advice on a number of skills which are paramount for medical students of all years.

I found it very relevant to have an article included that had been co-authored by the consultant breast surgeon interviewed on the previous page. This provided an interesting progression which further explored a specific career. I strongly believe this could form a useful angle if the journal looked at one surgical or medical speciality each issue. The pros and cons of working in that field could be explored as well as briefly describing the career progression. A similar idea was utilised in the Student BMA News last year and many of my peers commented upon the utility of it and the possibility for development.

Education

The articles in education were extremely informative and quite varied in this month’s edition. I thought that the ‘Postoperative emergencies’ and ‘Prescribing for older people’ articles were particularly relevant and engaging as they described important issues which nearly all medical students and junior doctors will encounter. The information was given in a very succinct and easily accessible manner. I frequently find the picture quizzes to be a useful way to reinforce medical knowledge and test myself on conditions I may have previously encountered. For this reason I think the journal may benefit from the inclusion of more than one picture quiz in each edition. The question and answer style of the article makes the section very interactive, engaging and educational.

Paper +

This month’s paper + provided an interesting analysis of a recent BMJ paper. The level of detail was appropriate and the explanations concise and coherent.

Frontiers

This is a welcome section to the Student BMJ and has helped the journal adopt a more scientific tone in many respects. This is a useful addition which, I believe, can help drive scientific intrigue and curiosity amongst medical students. However, there is still room within the journal for further articles with a more defined focus on the scientific research that is vital for the progression of clinical medicine.

Reviews

Another extremely diverse and well received section to the Student BMJ.

Eyespy

The eyespy section forms a nice conclusion to the October edition of the Student BMJ. Its unique approach of touching upon novel medical stories is highly engaging.

Summary and suggestions for improvement

In summary, I believe that the Student BMJ performs an excellent job of making medically focused articles and news more accessible for students and doctors alike. The journal and articles within are presented in a clear and desirable format and the wide range of topics covered is highly commendable.

The points I would like to offer for improvement are as follows:
1. The potential for having an article focus on a specific medical or surgical speciality in the careers section of each issue.
2. The addition of some articles that explore a little further the scientific basis of medicine and the research which helps propel clinical medicine forward.
3. The potential further use of articles already published in the BMJ.
4. The addition of another picture quiz in the education section of certain editions.

Thank you once again for a very informative, interesting and enjoyable issue of the Student BMJ.