ECG Core Curriculum

The author, Dr Eranthi Samarakoon, being a dedicated and a committed teacher, understands the difficulties faced by the students ever since the single best answer (SBA) questions were introduced in medical curriculum in many countries around the world. She realises that the successful preparation for a professional examination requires understanding the style of the questions asked and the process of the examination. With these goals in mind, she has produced this set of two books containing a large number of questions in obstetrics (214) and gynaecology (214) to help the students in facing the examination with confidence. Eranthi Samarakoon MBBS, MS(SM Lanka), FRCOG (UK) is a senior lecturer and consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Peradeniya University and the Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She obtained second class honors at the final MBBS examination and came first in the order of merit at the Master of Surgery in obstetrics and gynaecology (Sri Lanka) part 1 and part 2 examinations. She completed the final year of her postgraduate training at St Mary?s Hospital, Manchester, and got through the MRCOG (UK) examination at the first attempt. She was Board certified as a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in Sri Lanka in 1983 and has been in active practice since then. This book is based on over three decades of experience as an active clinician and academician who has been teaching medical students for the final MBBS examination and training postgraduate students for the Doctor of Medicine (MD) in obstetrics and gynaecology (Sri Lanka) and the MRCOG (UK) examinations. She has been an examiner for the final MBBS examination in all eight universities in Sri Lanka and for the MD obstetrics and gynaecology (Sri Lanka) examination. She plays a major role in the clinical training and examinations for undergraduate and clinical training of postgraduate students. At least five students are trained each year at the Peradeniya University Hospital for the MD (Sri Lanka) and MRCOG (UK) examinations.

At the end of the nineteenth century, Paul Ehrlich suggested the use of "bodies which possess a particular affinity for a certain organ as carrier by which to bring therapeutically active groups to the organ in question". Unfortunately even today the concept is still at the experimental stage and has not been translated into practice.

Understanding of acne has undergone a rapid change over the last couple of years in terms of its epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical variants, etc. Acne is no longer a disease of adolescence but can involve anyone from pediatric to geriatric age group. Also, many systemic drugs and a few syndromes are associated with acne. This book is meant to be a comprehensive ready-reckoner for busy practising dermatologists, residents, postgraduate students and family physicians alike.