A comparison of general surgery training programmes across 11 countries: improving understanding of the experience level of international medical graduates in the UK.

Introduction: Within the past five years there has been a significant increase in the number of international medical graduates (IMGs) joining the United Kingdom's (UK) workforce. Having mentors and supervisors who understand the needs of IMGs and clinical and cultural differences in the workplace can benefit in the transition to working in a new country. Improving knowledge of and understanding differences between general surgical training programmes and grades across different countries could therefore aid in the support of IMGs within the UK.

infection of the appendix: a case of appendiceal tuberculosis in rural England.

Appendiceal tuberculosis is a rare mimic of acute appendicitis, demonstrated by several case reports of patients from tuberculosis endemic countries. On literature review, there are few cases reported of appendiceal tuberculosis in urban England, and no reports from rural England. This case describes a patient with primary appendiceal tuberculosis from a remote district hospital in England who underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy for suspected acute appendicitis.

Tipping the balance: Haemoglobinopathies and the risk of diabetes.

Aim: To establish a link between the risk of diabetes with haemoglobinopathies by examining available evidence of the effects of iron and blood glucose homeostasis from molecular to epidemiological perspectives.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using electronic literature databases using various search terms. The International Diabetes Federation World Atlas was used to generate a list of populations with high rates of diabetes.