Welcome to the third issue of 2015.
Many readers of the JRCPE will share a concern that, in many countries, the bedside teaching of students and juniors on real patients is losing ground, with a consequent deskilling of the medical workforce in clinic examination and over-reliance on special investigations. We have an authoritative editorial from Elder and Verghese on this topic. Dr Elder recently served a five-year term as chair of the MRCP(UK) Clinical Examining Board. Dr Verghese is Professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine at Stanford University (although many will know him better as the author of moving memoirs and novels).
There is also an editorial by Dr David Shuttleton, which discusses the work behind the Cullen Project and its subsequent launch. This is an online archive of the consultation letters of the 18th century physician Dr William Cullen. The archive is free to access and, who knows, you may find letters from one of your ancestors!
Medical research is dominated by quantitative research, and many with training in the science of medicine are unconvinced of the value of qualitative research. Sceptics should read the paper by Chapman which introduces one approach to qualitative research.
Continuing our series of historical papers commemorating the First World War, Harbison gives a fascinating account of one of the base hospitals to which casualties were moved to from the Front.
Martyn Bracewell
Editor
