School of Surgery

In probably the most important series of 4 podcasts for any budding surgeon to watch, Ben Baker and Jill Arrowsmith take you though how to suture, from handling instruments, through simple interrupted and mattress sutures, running sutures and finally, how to perform a z-plasty.
Performed on a cadaveric specimen, these video podcasts are high fidelity and essential viewing for all medical students wanting to follow a career in surgery. They will also be useful to all foundation doctors (interns) and core trainees (residents).
Made by plastic surgeons, these videos help you to get into good suturing habits from the start, rather than develop or pick up bad habits as you go along. Suture as in these videos and you'll have good technique and nice wounds for the rest of your career.
Jill Arrowsmith is a consultant in plastic and hand surgery at the world famous Pulvertaft Hand Centre at the Royal Derby Hospital, UK and Ben Baker is a trainee in plastic surgery.

After blood tests, X- rays are the most commonly requested investigation in a patient presenting as a surgical emergency. In this video podcast, Lee Creedon takes you through the indications for requesting x-rays in the acutely ill surgical patient and uses examples to illustrate common pathologies.
Essential viewing for medical students and foundation doctors (interns), learning objectives are mapped to undergraduate and ISCP curricula.
Once you've watched this, have a look at our other radiology podcasts at http://schoolofsurgery.podomatic.com/entry/2014-02-08T01_00_00-08_00 http://schoolofsurgery.podomatic.com/entry/2013-07-12T16_00_00-07_00 and some others you can find when you search of School of Surgery in iTunes podcast store. They're all good and they're all free!
Let us know what you think of the podcast and what else you want to see on School of Surgery at https://www.facebook.com/surgeryschool

National selection into higher specialist training in general and vascular surgery in the UK has just ended for 2014. This video is the pre-interview briefing for applicants, and might be useful to you if you will be applying in the UK to either of these specialities in future years.

So, you're a medical student who has just started a vascular surgical attachment. You have no idea what the surgeons are talking about when they are discussing the operations on the list tomorrow. How are you going to find out what it all means?
Help is at hand: Keaton Jones explains the basics of all the common vascular operations, from anatomy, though indication to the operations themselves in this video podcast.
This is essential viewing for all medical students on a surgical placement and for any students interested in a career in surgery.
This is the second in the "Basics of..." series. You might want to view our other podcasts on aneurysms, amputations and varicose veins after you've seen this one, which discuss vascular surgery and pathology in more detail.
Keaton Jones is an Academic Clinical Fellow at the University of Oxford, UK

The interview was going well until at the academic station the interviewer asked: "Can you tell me what you understand by the power of a trial and what was the sensitivity of the test used in this study?" A bead of sweat appeared on the forehead of the applicant. If only she'd listened to Rob Radcliffe explaining binary tests, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and power she wouldn't have to come back next year and try again!
These terms are in regular use in medical studies, tests and trials. They are often very poorly explained and even less well understood. Rob takes you though binary tests and power in a step by step manner which is easy to understand. You will not find this more clearly explained anywhere else. This video podcast will help you to understand and critique research and help you to design your own studies. Watch this and you will need all you ever need to know.
Rob Radcliffe is a former teacher of mathematics and is now a trainee in the School of Surgery in the East Midlands, UK.

This podcast contains all you need to know about the medical management of severe ulcerative colitis, from definitions, treatments, toxic megacolon, when to call the surgeon and many other things you will find useful to know whether a medical student, trainee in medicine or trainee in surgery.
It is longer than many other podcasts from School of Surgery, but well worth the time, so make yourself a cup of tea and settle down to listen to Jon Lund talk to Bod Goddard about severe ulcerative colitis.
Andrew "Bod" Goddard is a consultant gastroenterologist and Jon Lund a consultant colorectal surgeon, both working at the Royal Derby Hospital, UK

"Why would you do a t-test on these data and what is it?" asked the interviewer in a national selection interview. "Errrrrrr...." replied the trainee surgeon who was beginning to think they wished they had watched the video podcast on hypothesis testing using this test. Oh well - he thought, I can always try again next year....
In the third podcast on hypothesis testing, Rob Radcliffe tells you all about t-test, what t is, how you use the t-test and what it actually means. This podcast is the clearest explanation of the most commonly used test in medical statistics you will find anywhere. Watch it and know all you will ever need to know

School of Surgery is 1 year old today. We would like you to get involved through our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/surgeryschool) and tell us what's good and what could be better, whether you want more interaction through Twitter or Todaysmeet.com, what you want us to produce podcasts about and any other suggestions to help us get even better in our second year. Happy Birthday School of Surgery!

"Doctor - is it normal for that wound to be red and pus leaking from it? What shall I do?"
It is inevitable that you will see post operative wound infections whether you work as a doctor or other healthcare professional, in primary care or in secondary hospital care. This podcast by Jennifer Murphy and Daniel Couch takes you through the definition, diagnosis, classification and treatment of post operative wound infections, starting from those occurring at the skin edge and working deeper, including cellulitis, infection, abscess and dehiscence. Best treatment and further management is also discussed.
Essential listening for all doctors and other healthcare professionals involved in looking after patients after surgery and also for medical students trying to get a grounding in this area, often not well covered in text books.
Jennifer Murphy is a Core Trainee in Surgery and Daniel Couch is a Higher surgical trainee in general surgery, both in the East Midlands, UK

So, you're a medical student who has just started a surgical attachment. You have no idea what the surgeons are talking about when they are discussing the operations on the list tomorrow. How are you going to find out what it all means?
Help is at hand: Keaton Jones explains the basics of all the common colorectal operations, from anatomy, though indication to the operations themselves in this video podcast.
This is essential viewing for all medical students on a surgical placement and for any students interested in a career in surgery.
Once you have mastered this podcast, you might want to check out our other podcasts from School of Surgery in the "Explained" series and the "How to" series, as well as the podcasts explaining stomas and wounds.
Keaton Jones is an Academic Clinical Fellow in Surgery at the University of Oxford, UK