We recently published an article Unsafe Abortion: taking a public health perspective which concluded: “Abortion has for too long been a subject relegated to the shadows of public health. It is a topic within which many emotional, religious and political perspectives have become entwined, each vying to assert their influence on policy. With so many vested interests what is required is the same detached scrutiny that would be applied to any other public health matter that claimed the lives of 68,000 people a year. The navigation of moral complexities should be left to those directly affected by the outcome- the women themselves.” So please read the following about what is currently happening in Brazil from Rob Hughes, our current Lancet and Lancet Student intern, with that statement in mind! Rhona

Recife Carnival courtesy of www.brasilferie.net

This week in Brazil festivities started for the world famous Recife Carnival, but controversy is brewing over plans to improve access to emergency contraception during and after the event. The plans are part of a government initiative that also involves distribution of 19.5 million condoms across the country during the carnival season under the slogan of ‘good in bed means wearing a condom’, but have been met with condemnation from local Catholic church leaders. (more…)

Tanzania: photo courtesy of Edward Armstrong
Most students are fortunate enough to go on an elective, an exchange programme, or receive some of their training in another country. All have unique experiences and lots of stories to tell. They can also be helpful and give advice to other students thinking of doing the same thing, or going to a similar place. That is what our electives section is for. It gives you a chance to share your experiences so others can learn from them. For example, I have just published a report from Edward Armstrong from Imperial College, London about his time in Teule Hospital in Tanzania which is an interesting and informative read.

We really want this section to become a useful resource for you. Therefore, as you all have very different experiences of your electives, we have decided to make this an “anything goes” section so elective reports can now be as long or as short as you like (within reason), remain unedited (unless for typos or MASSIVELY long etc), and will no longer be peer reviewed by our student reviewers. It is your chance to write an honest, personal, and informative account of your elective and to show off some of your photos. So spread the word and let’s make this section a very useful resource to students everywhere. Rhona

Today is a BIG day in the United States- Super Tuesday. But what is this and what does it mean? Anand Bhat, a second year medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston explains to us non-US readers what is going on and also highlights the points to watch out for. Rhona

From How to untangle the politics of the Super Tuesday Primaries (1)
Today, 22 states across the United States will be voting in presidential primary elections to decide who will become the Democratic and Republican presidential nominee for this November’s general election in the largest primary day in American history.   Participation by young people and students is on the rise and may be a decisive factor for the victor.  What exactly is going on here?

Unlike every other nation in the world, in the United States anyone can vote to select nominees for their party.  You do not need to join a party, sign any code of common values, attend functions, or pay dues to either party to participate.  In some states you may need to simply register as a member of the party, but in many you can vote in whichever primary you care to.  In Texas, for example, you can switch between the two parties from year to year. (more…)

Things in the US election are hotting up. Heather Finlay-Morreale a medical student at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio, discusses the resources available to help voters make up their minds, espcially over health care issues -RhonaHeather FM
Hi all! It’s primary season! If you still need to register to vote, you can visit your town hall or visit the Rock the Vote website at http://www.rockthevote.org/rtv_register.php?ms=homecolumn??

At this point the field of candidates for President is getting smaller by the day. Comparing candidate’s proposals on health care is now more manageable and with the tools I will recommend gathering accurate, detailed, non-partisan information is a snap.

Project Vote Smart and Health08 are websites run by non-partisan groups with excellent, in-depth information on candidates. These sites can help you investigate and compare health plans and other proposals by candidates. (more…)

Hi there. I hope you had a good weekend. Today’s blogspot goes to Goran Mijaljica, a 6th year medical student at the University of Split, Croatia but also holds the impressive position of being Secretary General of the International Federation of Medical Student Associations (IFMSA). He tells more about the IFMSA and the work they do below- Rhona

Goran Mijaljica
This is  my first blog entry on TheLancetStudent, I’d like to write a couple of interesting details about the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations - IFMSA.

IFMSA is one of the largest student organization in the world - representing over one million medical students from 98 countries across six continents! IFMSA was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1951., although there were several meetings of medical students’ leaders in the years before. Since then, IFMSA has become an important partner to many organizations - it is recognized by the United Nations as an NGO, represented in numerous institutions, such as UNESCO, WHO, UNAIDS, etc.

The IFMSA General Secretariat is located in Ferney - Voltaire, France, in conjunction with the World Medical Association, which recognized IFMSA as its Student forum. The vicinity of Geneva, which hosts many important international institutions, is of great benefit for our Federation. The wide range of activities are organized in six standing committees, five support divisions, and many endorsed, transnational and initiative projects. (more…)

Somalia: Photo courtesy of www.irw.org
Hi there. I just want to draw your attention to this week’s Lancet Student podcast which is a climate change special. Rob Hughes, a medical student who is currently on placement with us, and I discuss the highlights of a conference on climate change at the Royal College of Physicians in London this week.  Also included is the closing speech of the conference given by Hugh Mongtomary, a Consultant in Intensive Care and a pioneer in climate change, and the full speech given by Richard Horton, Editor of The Lancet. The quality of the speech recordings is variable but you should be able to hear everything. At least it will give you a flavour of the conference!

I also thought that you would be interested in this.  Forbes magazine has just complied its annual list of the World’s Most Dangerous Destinations, after conferring with risk consultancy specialists at iJet and Control Risks. Both companies have offices worldwide and advise corporate, governmental and non-governmental clients about security risks in various countries.  IJet determined safety levels by assessing six factors: crime, security services, civil unrest, terrorism, kidnapping and geopolitical stability.  Control Risks used a five-tiered risk rating, which determines whether security, terrorism or travel risks are extreme, high, medium, low or insignificant.  (more…)

There was a special conference on Climate Change at the Royal College of Physicians in London this week (29 Jan). Rhona MacDonald, editor of The Lancet Student, and Rob Hughes, a medical student currently on placement at The Lancet, discuss the highlight of the conference and some of the key issues. Also included is the closing speech of the conference given by Hugh Mongtomary,  a Consultant in Intensive Care and a pioneer in climate change, and the full speech given by Richard Horton, Editor of The Lancet. The quality of the speech recordings is variable but you should be able to hear everything. At least it will give you a flavour of the conference!

 

 Rhona and Rob discuss the climate change conference-includes Hugh Montgomary's final speech: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Richard Horton's full speech at the climate change conference: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download