Endocrinology

Section 1: Information about the writer

Yasir Salah Mohamed ELHASSAN

ST6 Endocrinology and Diabetes and GIM (OOPR) ,

MRC ARUK Clinical Research Fellow and PhD student (1^st year) – University of Birmingham

Section 2: Scope of practice in the UK:

Endocrinology and diabetes is a broad ranging specialty encompassing basic mechanisms of physiology and pharmacology coupled with the ability to improve quality of life and long-term outcomes through effective disease control, and often cure. Endocrine and metabolic diseases are among the most commonly encountered in the UK population.

It is predominantly an outpatient specialty but a number of patients require hospital admission for complex endocrine investigations or the management of complications. However, endocrine disorders and diabetes affect every physiological system of the body and specialists need a wide range of skills and expertise and make a major contribution to general medicine in its broadest sense. This is one of the beauties of the specialty as a good endocrinologist will also be a good general physician.

It is a highly academic specialty and historically endocrinologists have been at the forefront of both basic science and clinical research.

Section 3: Type of Training/ Route to Training

Clinical and academic pathways exist.

This is an uncoupled specialty and ST3 post