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Parveen Kumar portrait

Professor Parveen Kumar

Professor Parveen Kumar was born in India before Partition, where she went to a boarding school in the magisterial surroundings of the foothills of the Himalayas. She then came with her family to the UK in time to study for her O levels. A fascination with medicine lead her to St Bart’s where at the time she was one of very few women there studying medicine. But far from being deterred she "… got used to being the only girl" and has remained loyal to Bart’s where she has worked ever since. It was also at St Bart’s where she met her husband David Leaver, a very gifted musician and respiratory physician. They have two daughters, one of whom has joined the family firm of medicine. An incredibly enthusiastic and energetic educator (she feels lucky to be in Medicine and still finds it fun), Parveen Kumar teaches medical students, trainees, PLAB doctors, refugee doctors and candidates for the MRCP. She is also senior examiner for the MRCP, MBBS and other post-graduate degrees - both at home and abroad. As her writing partner, Mike Clark, once said ‘’She gets herself involved in every conceivable thing and never gives anything up - she just adds it on. At the moment she is probably working 15 hour day - and that is a short day" In 1999 Parveen was awarded the first Asian Woman of the Year (Professional) award, and in 2000 she was granted a CBE for services to medicine. Her past and current appointments are too numerous to mention, but some highlights include:

Professor of Clinical Medical Education Bart’s and the London;
Honorary Consultant Physician and Gastroenterologist Bart’s and the London NHS Trust and Homerton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust;
Chairman, Medicines Commission UK;
President (Academic) Royal College of Physicians;
President of the BMA (2006)
and President of the RSM (2009-10)

Among family and work commitments, Parveen Kumar still finds time to be one half of the now legendary Kumar & Clark and is loved by her own students and those who have benefited over the years from her hard work through Clinical Medicine. She even has her own fan page on Facebook! Now how many people can say that?

Michael Clark portrait

Dr Michael Clark

Dr Michael Clark was born and grew up in Wales and embodies the combined loves of many Welsh men: singing (he was a chorister as a boy), rugby and a love of his country. At school he excelled at science and his parents wanted him to have all of the opportunities they didn’t have, leading to his career in medicine. Training as a doctor didn’t preclude Mike from doing his National Service. He studied at St George's Medical School in London and apart from a stint in the USA in the 1960s he has lived and worked in the UK. Married to Jan Clark, a nurse when they met, they have 2 children, including a son who has followed his parents’ footsteps into medicine (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-560534/The-hypnotist-snubbed-anaesthetic-sent-trance-painful-bone-cutting-surgery.html). He has been described by his writing partner, Parveen Kumar, as having a great critical brain, an amazing aptitude for remembering things, working while giving the appearance of doing nothing and being adored by his students. Parveen Kumar was his registrar when they decided to write the book. Anne Ballinger (Pocket Essentials of Clinical Mediine) was also his registrar. You can safely judge a great teacher by the quality of his pupils! As well as his encyclopedic knowledge of medicine, Mike Clark is an expert on the incredibly palatable subject of wine – he holds the title of ‘Master of Wine’ and owns part of a vineyard in France. We are not sure how he has managed to fit in writing Clinical Medicine among his current appointments which include:

Consultant Physician, The Princess Grace Hospital;
Honorary Senior Lecturer, Bart’s and the London, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London;
Head, Clinical Governance Committee, The Princess Grace Hospital;
Member of Panel for the UK General Medical Council – Performance of Doctors Committee, and
Associate Postgraduate Tutor, Bart’s and the London

… but we are very pleased that he did.

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Do they understand you?

The feedback we hear at Naked Towers from many readers of Kumar and Clark's Clinical Medicine is that Kumar & Clark really understand the learning needs of medical students - delivering the information they need in a way they need it. However, The Naked Truth is all about providing an open and honest forum for students to share their views directly with their peers, so we want to hear from you! For this reason and to mark the launch of K&C's Clinical Medicine 7/e, we have set aside this special area of the NT site. So the question is Do they understand you? if so, why? and also if not why? Your feedback really does help us to make sure that we are providing you with the content you need!

A thank you for your feedback...

As a thanks to ALL of you for your feedback, we would like to give you exclusive access to a learning webinar hosted by Kumar and Clark... details will follow. Not only that, but there will also be a draw of 10 copies of Kumar & Clark's Clinical Medicine 7/e. So please feel free to add your comments and pictures now! Just click on the button below...

Alien

Tara Berger

nabeela adam

Zeid Zwain

Claire Small

Daniela Pinho

Latifa Patel

Mehmet Erkaleli

Anisha Ravat

David Miller

Aniek de Coninck

Andrew Gough

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