End of SSM - Start of "Threads"

Hi,

I had my Special Study Module Assessment on Thursday,which involved sticking a poster up and being asked a few questions about it, and doing a 2 minute presentation in the lecture theatre. I doubt it gave much indication of how much or little work I've done over the 4 weeks, but at least it wasn't too strenuous! Since it's impossible to present everything I've found out about learning disabilities on a 105 x 55cm poster, let alone in a 2 minute talk, I chose to concentrate on the possible reasons behind the increased prevalence of schizophenia in people with learning disabilities compared to the general population. I wrote an essay on schizophenia in learning disabilities first, including other aspects like the diagnosis and treatment, just to get a better understanding of the area. I also found a case study to make the poster and presentation a bit more interesting - a lady in a treatment unit that I visited had schizophenia as well as learning disabilities so I spoke to her and had a look at her notes.

Now that I've finished my 4 weeks with the learning disabilities team, I've got 2 weeks of "Threads" teaching, which includes all the odds and ends that don't fit in elsewhere, like communication skills, ethics, and evidence-based medicine. It's not likely to be very exciting, but it does have the advantage of having a predictable timetable so I'll know what time I'll finish in the evenings and can plan other things more easily than when I'm on the wards. After that I'm off to Reading for a District General Hospital attachment for six weeks to refresh my memory of general medicine and surgery before our end-of-year exams.