Oxford Handbook of Key Clinical Evidence

Mr Kunal Kulkarni is a surgical trainee in Trauma and Orthopaedics in Oxfordshire. He qualified from the University of Oxford with a first-class degree in Physiological Sciences and a special prize in the final BM BCh examination, before completing his MRCS with the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He has an interest in medical writing and education and has published two textbooks and numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is a peer-reviewer for several journals, runs the popular 'revise4finals' website for medical students, and has taught as a Teaching Associate for Green Templeton College, Oxford and a Surgical Tutor for the University of Oxford Clinical Medical School. He is currently undertaking an MSc in Healthcare Leadership with the NHS Leadership Academy. Dr James Harrison is a Specialist Registrar in Cardiology in the London region. He graduated from Green College, Oxford, having completed his pre-clinical studies at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He completed his Foundation Years at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester and Core Medical Training at St Mary's Hospital, London. He has recently completed a PhD at St Thomas' Hospital, London, combining interests in cardiac electrophysiology and cardiac magnetic resonance. He also has a particular interest in medical writing and has edited undergraduate publications and contributed articles to many peer-reviewed journals. Professor Mo Baguneid is a consultant vascular and endovascular surgeon in Manchester. As a surgical trainee, he was one of the longest serving executives of Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT) both as the Yearbook Editor and Treasurer. He co-developed popular surgical examination courses, The Manchester MRCS Course (ASiT Affiliated) and the Alpine FRCS course (www.surgicalcourses.com ). He developed and leads a Masters programme in Surgical Practice and is developing further postgraduate surgical programmes for vascular trainees. His other educational achievements included redesigning the North Western Deanery Core Surgical Teaching Programme. He has also taken clinical leadership roles both in Manchester as the Medical Director of the South Sector Partnership and abroad where he completed a 18month sabbatical and helped res-shape surgical services in Abu Dhabi as the Chief of General and Vascular Surgery. Dr Bernard Prendergast qualified from The University of Nottingham Medical School in 1987 and trained in Cardiology in Cardiff, Paris and Edinburgh followed by Consultant appointments in Manchester, Oxford and London. He has specialist clinical and research interests in coronary heart disease, percutaneous cardiac intervention, valvular heart disease and infective endocarditis and is an experienced practitioner of evidence-based medicine.

INTRODUCTION; MEDICAL SPECIALTIES; SURGICAL SPECIALTIES