4 weeks left 'til exams.
I really shouldn't be complaining though. Been working like mad for the last 2ish weeks. Revision is coming along...but could be better. My aim is to finish studying with 2 weeks left before exams...so technically I have 2 weeks left to finish studying. Definitely cutting it close. I finished my first module IMMS (which was an absolute MONSTER - binder was 2" thick crammed full with notes). Now studying Cardiovascular. Should be finishing tomorrow. Then two more main modules left to study: Respiratory and GI/Liver. After that I have the "miscellaneous" binders such as: Public Health (...ugh), Histology (pink and blue blobs!), Clinical Skills, Critical Numbers (literally need to self-teach myself), and Study Designs. Funnnn. Also I have to go through my revision books: Crash Course and At a Glance. Hopefully these books won't take too long to get through and would be a good refresher right before the exam.
Surprisingly I thought I was going to be at war with Physiology...but so far it has been fairly okay (probably will change when I get to Respiratory Physiology). Not as bad as I thought. A lot of people think anatomy is really hard, but I disagree. Anatomy is pretty much just a test of your memory. Simply open your textbook and memorize! Much rather sit and stare at pictures - memorizing parts than trying to understand pharmacology. Actually the truth about passing the medical exams (I think...as I haven't passed one yet...) is that it is just one big test of who has the best memory - literally. Sounds kind of ignorant but it really just is a matter who can remember the most.
Hopefully I am putting in enough work into passing the exam and hopefully doing well as well! Trying to aim to get a high mark so fingers crossed. Head down for 4 more weeks then SUMMER HOLIDAY! Can't wait. Seriously though, this year went by really really fast. Next thing you know: it'll be graduation day and becoming a Doctor!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Offical Countdown to Exams....in 2 days.
Finally got the draft timetable (most likely will not change) for our exams and we will be the first bunch taking exams. May 24-26. 3 exams in 3 days. Funnnnnn. Pro: Done with exams nice and early! Con: LSKFJSLK:AKLJF SO SOON?! *hyperventilates*
Uhmm I was not expecting our exams to be so early so I had a mini wake-up call when I found out about our exam schedule. Pretty much have been burying my head in my notes ever since I found out. I really need to get snapping and get studying properly. I'm pacing at about 2 lectures a day...not good enough (and pathetically slow). I will not finish in time. BUT the last few days I have been studying biochemistry and I really do not like it. I am finally done with biochem so hopefully everything else will go smoothly and quickly. I'm hoping to finish revising 2 weeks prior to exams so I can break out my revision books! So in 2 days it will officially be properly 6 full weeks before exams. Eek.
Uhmm I was not expecting our exams to be so early so I had a mini wake-up call when I found out about our exam schedule. Pretty much have been burying my head in my notes ever since I found out. I really need to get snapping and get studying properly. I'm pacing at about 2 lectures a day...not good enough (and pathetically slow). I will not finish in time. BUT the last few days I have been studying biochemistry and I really do not like it. I am finally done with biochem so hopefully everything else will go smoothly and quickly. I'm hoping to finish revising 2 weeks prior to exams so I can break out my revision books! So in 2 days it will officially be properly 6 full weeks before exams. Eek.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Exam Prep.
After 3 days of prepping my notes I think I am finally ready to start studying. One problem: Where should I start?
I've got five 2" binders full of notes and four 1.5" binders plus 8 textbooks of reading. The crazy life of a med student. *headache*
I've got five 2" binders full of notes and four 1.5" binders plus 8 textbooks of reading. The crazy life of a med student. *headache*
Thursday, April 1, 2010
SSC and Random Thoughts.
I just finished my SSC project (Student Selected Component) and sparked me to write a little entry about it as it is a requirement for all medical schools to do them. At my school, we have three of these per year. For first year we have:
1) History of Medicine
2) Critical Analysis
3) Communicating Health Information
The first one is a 2500 word essay and you would choose an essay topic from something ridiculous like 260 topics? I found this to be the hardest of the three assignments. If I remember correctly, they expect you to have about 12-20 references for this essay and it really kicked me in the ass. I cannot recall borrowing so many books from the library before! But other than collecting the info, writing the essay was pretty straightforward and easy. It was practically just summarizing your findings.
The second one is where we chose a drug from a list of topics and we would have to analyze it and present it to a small group. I found it pretty easy and actually did it up only a few days before deadline (shhhh). Really straightforward...and requires hardly any energy.
Third one is what I just finished. It is a public health assignment. We can pick our own topic just as long as it is a public health problem and do up an information poster about it. Again...really straightforward (zzzZzzzZZ). Finally pulled my brain together and managed to finish the entire thing in five hours.
I don't know what the other medical schools do for their SSC topics but personally I think the ones that we have are pretty bland and straightforward. Most of my friends truly believe that they give us these SSCs just to keep us busy. Personally I don't find that I learn a whole lot from doing the SSC unless I pick a topic that pertains to what I want to do in the future and what I am interested in. For example: the critical analysis SSC to me was pretty pointless. I found out a lot from ONE drug...and a bit about others but the stuff we present aren't that informative for the future. It was pretty much just a brief outlook on the drug. On the other hand the History of Medicine and Communicating SSC are the complete opposite. The two topics I chose are something I am interested in and I am considering to possibly specialize in either one of them - so I find these projects more informative. I guess it really depends from person to person.
Also forgot to mention that these are marked on a 1-5 scale.
1 = Outright Fail
2 = Borderline (kind of failed - require meeting)
3 = Satisfactory
4 = Good
5 = Excellent
It is pretty hard to fail...the only way to fail is to not hand it in or do absolutely nothing. OR the scariest part is plagiarism. I still remember the first lecture we had on plagiarism and the university takes it really seriously. I get really nervous every time I hand in my work and I always make sure I did all my citations correctly and stuff.
Random thought: I was thinking the other day if I should register for a volunteering job at a hospital back home when I go back for summer. The problem is that most hospitals are not keen to accept people for short term volunteering and I think I will only be home for 1.5 months, which ain't a long time. Hmmm. Thoughts? Opinions?
1) History of Medicine
2) Critical Analysis
3) Communicating Health Information
The first one is a 2500 word essay and you would choose an essay topic from something ridiculous like 260 topics? I found this to be the hardest of the three assignments. If I remember correctly, they expect you to have about 12-20 references for this essay and it really kicked me in the ass. I cannot recall borrowing so many books from the library before! But other than collecting the info, writing the essay was pretty straightforward and easy. It was practically just summarizing your findings.
The second one is where we chose a drug from a list of topics and we would have to analyze it and present it to a small group. I found it pretty easy and actually did it up only a few days before deadline (shhhh). Really straightforward...and requires hardly any energy.
Third one is what I just finished. It is a public health assignment. We can pick our own topic just as long as it is a public health problem and do up an information poster about it. Again...really straightforward (zzzZzzzZZ). Finally pulled my brain together and managed to finish the entire thing in five hours.
I don't know what the other medical schools do for their SSC topics but personally I think the ones that we have are pretty bland and straightforward. Most of my friends truly believe that they give us these SSCs just to keep us busy. Personally I don't find that I learn a whole lot from doing the SSC unless I pick a topic that pertains to what I want to do in the future and what I am interested in. For example: the critical analysis SSC to me was pretty pointless. I found out a lot from ONE drug...and a bit about others but the stuff we present aren't that informative for the future. It was pretty much just a brief outlook on the drug. On the other hand the History of Medicine and Communicating SSC are the complete opposite. The two topics I chose are something I am interested in and I am considering to possibly specialize in either one of them - so I find these projects more informative. I guess it really depends from person to person.
Also forgot to mention that these are marked on a 1-5 scale.
1 = Outright Fail
2 = Borderline (kind of failed - require meeting)
3 = Satisfactory
4 = Good
5 = Excellent
It is pretty hard to fail...the only way to fail is to not hand it in or do absolutely nothing. OR the scariest part is plagiarism. I still remember the first lecture we had on plagiarism and the university takes it really seriously. I get really nervous every time I hand in my work and I always make sure I did all my citations correctly and stuff.
Random thought: I was thinking the other day if I should register for a volunteering job at a hospital back home when I go back for summer. The problem is that most hospitals are not keen to accept people for short term volunteering and I think I will only be home for 1.5 months, which ain't a long time. Hmmm. Thoughts? Opinions?
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