Selection of rapid responses

Specialties overlap

Editor—When I trained, the detailed neuroanatomy we studied seemed largely irrelevant to any but neurosurgeons. Now we have computed tomography scans in most hospitals—and those of us in the front line are expected to be able to see at least important abnormalities.

Budding surgeons who struggled with biochemistry and immunology may have wondered about their necessity, but now they work in concert with molecular oncologists and manage their own transplant patients.

How can a psychiatrist refer patients for ECT needing an anaesthetic if they dont know if they are fit for that procedure? And how can they safely prescribe if they have no understanding of drug interactions and physiology?

Possibly the move towards holistic care has gone too far, but I expect any clinician to be able to manage his own complications, and to assess sensibly, and if necessary refer appropriately, serious incidental conditions in his patients.

Medicine resists the modern world

Editor—There is a lot of merit in this suggestion, and it was recognised many years ago by practitioners working on teeth. Now …