How I Do It: Process Control in Medical Student Experiences of Surgery.

Objective: Extreme variation exists in teaching and clinical exposure for medical students, both from specialty-to-specialty but also between universities. There is mounting literature highlighting the need to reform and standardize surgical education to allow for unified graduate competency. In line with the recommendations from the GMC and the Royal College of Surgeons England (RCSEng), Queens University Belfast (QUB) significantly revised their undergraduate medical programme.

Wilms Tumor in Child With Trisomy 18 and Horseshoe Kidney.

Trisomy 18 is associated with several congenital malformations, including horseshoe kidney. It can be full, partial, or mosaic, and mosaicism is often associated with lesser severity and longer life expectancy, placing patients at greater risk of developing neoplasms or malignancies. One common tumor among children with Trisomy 18 is Wilms tumor, which is also associated with renal congenital abnormalities such as horseshoe kidney.

More than just mild thrombocytopenia: Clinical clues in the diagnosis of germline predisposition to malignancy from a rare variant.

Key Clinical Message: In the evaluation of patients with longstanding mild thrombocytopenia, emphasis on family history, genetic testing, and collaborative clinical and laboratory-based family studies can ensure proper diagnosis and monitoring for malignancies.

Abstract: We report the diagnostic approach to mild and non-specific thrombocytopenia with unclear genetic findings in two sisters. Genetic sequencing revealed a rare variant in ETS Variant Transcription Factor 6, which is associated with inherited thrombocytopenia with predisposition to hematologic malignancy.

A scoping review of assessment methods of competence of general surgical trainees.

Background: Only rigorous evaluation of competence will result in the production of safe surgeons that are able to provide the best care for patients. The development of competency-based assessment should ultimately be evidence driven.

Objectives: Explore the volume of existing evidence pertaining to the different objective assessment methods reported in the literature.