How to Compute your Grades for the First Year

Credits to Mara Tuano for making this. Thank you!

FIRST YEAR SUBJECTS: Advice, Tips

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR 1ST YEAR SUBJECTS:

Hahahaha, maybe some of you might feel let down just reading inspirational self help stuff, so here are a few tips for studying/ passing some of the subjects during your first year:

1. ANATOMY

For HISTOLOGY, make sure you take the time to view the slides during your lab sessions, some classmates may like to help out and picture the slides, put them together in a little powerpoint presentation, that's ok, but make sure you put in little time to review them still. Take note of specific characteristics of the specimen, dont just wander around the slide and point out random stuff.

READ THE BOOK. Yup, the book Gonzales and Esteban. The lecturer takes everything from there, word for word. Sometimes he gets a little tricky with the questions, so be sure you've read each chapter. The chapters are pretty concise, but there's a tendency for some info overload after each lecture. Make sure to study them well because they sometimes have pre and post quizzes.

For EMBRYOLOGY, read read read read Langman's Embryo and the Embryo notes from the CD (the CD comes with the Dissection Lab Manual that they will require you to buy at the start of the year). Langman helps you out with the flow while the Embryo notes on the CD helps you out with the genes that you will have to memorize. 

For GROSS ANATOMY, for certain professors, study the powerpoints, for others, study Snell. Absorb, memorize, understand the lectures. In dissection, one professor likes it to be done this way:

1. Study the topics from the book~ understand and remember the surrounding organs, their connections with one another, their boundaries, etc.
2. From the book, look for it in the atlas based on what you know about it.
3. From the atlas, find it in the cadaver.

This professor doesnt like students heading straight for the cadaver, second guessing if this is the organ, or if you cut it out already, etc. Armed with what you know, you should have a good idea where specific organs, muscles should be. He'll go around each team asking the blood supply, the importance of this, the importance of that, etc. He's very, very, VERY thorough with his questions. By the end of the session, you can actually feel the life force drained out of you from all the tension and the mind boggling questions.

2. PHYSIOLOGY

Physio works extremely well with Anatomy. Once you understand your anatomy, Physio becomes pretty easy and vice versa. I recommend reading Guyton. Its simplified, and covers certain topics over and over and over again. For me, the hardest topics were Respiratory and Cardio Physiology. Study on that. 

3. BIOCHEMISTRY

Biochemistry uses a lot of references. Different books for different lecturers. Some prefer Harpers, some prefer Devlin, some focus more on their powerpoints since they used A LOT of references. 

NOTE: THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS IN BIOCHEMISTRY. YOU HAVE TO MEMORIZE AND UNDERSTAND IT ALL. The enzymes are especially tricky...those evil little suckers....



For these last two subjects, never, ever, NEVER EVER EVER EVER underestimate them.

4. COMMED

No shortcuts with this either. Study or die. That's about it.Try to do well in all exams, the earlier the better, because their exams are hard and unpredictable at times.

5. PSYCH

Attend EVERY lecture. They check the attendance, there are recitations, there are quizzes, there are activities. Don't skip any lecture. You can either read the book, or follow along with the lectures, memorize and understand everything. There are only 3 evaluations, followed by Finals. Try to do well in all of them. 

SURVIVING YOUR FIRST YEAR IN MEDICINE: tips and motivation

So. I survived my first year in Medicine.

http://www.wallpapersshop.net/wallpaper/this-is-sparta-300-king-leonidas-warrior-sword-shout-rage/

I was merely a few days away from freedom, and the final week was just pure torture. Everybody was feeling it, everyone was tired, sleepy, cranky, and just ready to get the exams over and done with. I wouldnt be surprised if a lot just kinda gave up on trying to finish reviewing everything, because, honestly, everyone seemed too tired to care.

BUT, we were always reminded, "ONE.LAST.PUSH."

One last push, and then summer vacation.
One last push, and you could burn all your reviewers and dance for joy.
One last push, and then you could sleep and eat as much as you wanted.

I was lucky though, I was exempted from several of the final exams, and it was such a relief that I didnt have to review all that bull-- and just relax at home.

I salute those who are still going to take the final exams and even removals. I seriously dont know how they hve the willpower to study all those topics all over again.

Honestly, I think that those who took the finals and removals have a headstart for the 2nd year, meaning, they have experienced the failures necessary to make them stronger and sturdier for the upcoming years.
I'm happy that I didn't fail any of the major exams in any subject this year, but I'm terrified about the upcoming failures I will be experiencing in the following years.

I don't know how to cope with failure. The one time that I "thought" I failed in an exam (I learned later on that I passed since they lowered the passing rate), I reacted like an immature piece of (expletive). I was depressed for several days, I was always thinking about how I would tell this to my parents, I thought how stupid was I to fail an exam?

I know, it seems a bit extreme for one exam, but Im just describing how terribly ill adapted I was to failure.

Looking back on the past year, I think I could have handled certain situations a lot better, especially in my academic life... so here are a few tips and words of wisdom to remember in surviving your first year:


1. In situations where you fail, remember this...you are not stupid, you are just adjusting.

from soulhunting.tumblr.com

This is Medicine. This isnt like your elementary/highschool/ college years where you could sleep, eat, poop normally, study for an exama night before and pass. There will be classmates who are smarter than you. They will ace every exam, every subject, they will UNDERSTAND EVERY WORD THE DOCTOR/LECTURER WILL SAY DURING LECTURES ( this is an astounding feat...), in all aspects, they are the ones who Darwin described when talking about survival.

BUT, then there is the rest of the class. Try talking to them. You will not be alone in your struggles. Take the time to look around and see that not everyone is doing so good in class. They may be honor students, summa cum laudes at their school, the math whiz, the top notcher in the Nursing/ PT/ RT/ OT/ Pharma boards.

Remember, this is Medicine. What matters is how YOU answer the challenge.
In the end, its just YOU who will be facing the patient.
It will be YOU handling the situation when you come face to face with a dying patient.

http://pinterest.com/pin/247557310737728706/

Do what you have to to survive (except cheat, and other dishonorable means) in Medicine. Challenge yourself. Stop comparing.


2.Study when you have the free time.

Believe me when I say this. If the exam is a week away and you have a free day/ ISP (individual study period)/ weekend---study. One night--even one day--is not enough to cover all the topics you need to study for the upcoming exam.

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3. When faced with setbacks (take note...setbacks, not failures):

http://pinterest.com/pin/247557310736795482/

4. Within your first few months, try to find out your most efficient study habits.

http://edufastonline.blogspot.com/2012/09/your-learning-preference.html

Know whether you best retain info by reading, listening to lectures, studying while moving around, etc.

If you dont know, try experimenting in your first few months. After a few exams, you'll finally settle into your natural academic groove for studying.

5. Don't be afraid to FAIL.

I've yet to successfully pick up on this, and one I'm hoping I can conquer this coming 2nd year in Medicine. If you've already covered this one, good for you. Hahahahaha

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. 

Medicine is like Jigsaw in the SAW movie, you never know what you're getting into, or what you have to exchange for freedom/ success/ a passing grade. 

I wanna play a game...its called....STUDYING. 

UPDATED: Med Books for First Year- What You Really Need to Know

Note: Im also selling my old books, for those interested, here are the prices :) http://hopingtobeapinoymedstudent.blogspot.com/2013/04/med-books-for-sale.html


Ok, this was one problem that i encountered during my first year, which books to buy, the prices, which ones did the professors really use, etc?

FIRST, I would advise you NOT to buy all the books in one go, unless you know you are a bookworm, and you're studying habit involves reading every chapter instead of using reviewers.

Here are some books that I found most useful during my first year:

-  ANATOMY: the doctors use both Snell and Moore. Certain doctors rely solely on Snell, others on both. One book that you should buy is Netter. Cant Live without it, extremely useful during dissections, and if you area visual learner.


- BIOCHEMISTRY: you can use Harpers or Devlin. Harpers is straight to the point, a bit difficult to understand, but the chapters are short. Devlin discussesthe topics well, but the chapters are a bit long, so if you dontmind reading a lot, this is the book for you. One book that got me through biochem was Lippincott. Extremely easy to understand and a lot of pictures too. There's another booktoo, i'll try uploading it when i can, they call it Digging Up the bones for Biochem. Very very VERY helpful, short, concise, pretty much like Biochem for Dummies.

-PHYSIOLOGY: Guyton or Ganong. guyton is easy to understand but there are a lot of chapters to cover pertopic even if they're short. Its also non-science student friendly. Review of Medical Physio by Ganong is just what it says it is, its a REVIEW. Thats why its a bit difficult to understand, but very concise with their discussion. I used Guyton a lot.

- ANATOMY-Histology and Embryology.

 For histology, you must have an atlas for when you're looking at slides in microscopy. You can go for Wheater's, or Di Fiore. Personally, i liked Di Fiore, even though ididnt have one. By the time i knew di fiore was pretty good, i had already bought Wheaters. :)) most BS Human Bio students from La Salle Taft were already using this~nakitingin lang ako.

Aother thing, you guys should buy the Histology book by Dr. Edgardo Gonzales,  they sell it at school or cem bookstore. Doc Ed is a doctor lecturer so its really important to get this book. Everything he teaches is in this. Hahahaha hope you enjoy his class!

 Hahahahaha For Embryology, Langman's was pretty good with the discussions. And if you can get a copy of Kates- kind of like a booklet/reviewer made by the upper classmen and Doc Jah, its pretty good, and covers everything. Lang,an lacks certain info, while the Kates booklet lacks the small discussions of the processes, so i guess its better ifyou buy them both.

Ummm, cant remember what else, lemme know if you guys need more info regarding some other books. :)


Also, here's a link to Pinoy.Md of people selling second hand med books. Much much cheaper. :)

http://pinoy.md/ipb/index.php?showtopic=10098