Updates on DLSHSI Scholarship Results For College of Medicine

May 12 update: most likely results will come out at the end of this week or next week. Just called the admissions department and they said that the they're still discussing it.

For incoming 2nd to 4th years, maybe end of the week because the departments just submitted the grades.

For those who are asking, results of the scholarship arent out yet. They say that it wil come out around 2nd  or 3rd week of May.

Will keep you guys posted. :)

Does Your Med School Really Matter?

Does your school really matter when it comes to Medicine?

Maybe. Maybe not.

I had one such encounter with a friend, and this is how it went...

X: hey, how is med school?

Me: im doing good, but this 2nd year was really really difficult for me. I struggled a lot with most of the subjects.

X: i dont think so. I think its easier for you.

Me: ( kind of confused with her statement, but  continued with the small talk) i guess, the level of difficulty is different for you and me since im in 2nd year, and you're in (X) year.

X: No, i mean, its easier at your school, unlike our school which is really competitive and our performance in the boards are better.

Me: (struggling to control my anger, but i just smiled) why do you say its easier at our school? 

X: a friend said so. You know how it is with your school.

The conversation went on for several minutes with X continuing on with her condescending bashing. This was a friend, and i had no idea where this was coming from. It all started off with her just asking how i was doing, and then boom, roundhouse kick to my dignity and to my school. 

I defended my school by saying that the teaching and the doctor lecturers are just the same as in any medical school, and i dont see how she could say it was easier at dlshsi. I cant say anything else about her school because I've never been there, and I know nothing else about the quality of teaching and whatnot, except for their impeccable passing rate in the physicians licensure. Ok fine, you guys are better in terms of performance, but in the end does that really matter? They'd say that only the nonperforming  schools would use a lame excuse like, " depende na yan sa student/doctor" (it all depends on the student/ doctor) or "wala naman yan sa school e, nasa estudyante na yan" ( its not the school. Its the student) . 

I believe in both, plus the fact that HSI is a very good medical school. It might not be attaining the best of the passing rates, or isnt at the level of UP, PLM, UST, ATENEO, CIM, and the like, but its getting there. And what matters to me at the end of the day is that i become a doctor. 

A patient may ask what school i went to, and might prefer other doctors with a different medical school background, but in the end, the patient will always come back to the doctor who treated them well. Treatment meaning not just the actual diagnosis, laboratories, medications, but the overall care and concern for the person. 

Your school will give you an edge in certain areas, but its up to you to determine what kind of doctor you want to be. 

Like X, her statements are not a judgement of her school, but her CHARACTER. i still admire her school, and every other medical school out there who are making a gigantic effort to mold and develop us into competent, excellent, caring doctors, but what you say and do can only reflect yourself.

All the medical schools are on the same playing field, with the same curriculum, same schedule, same content, same textbooks, etc. So where does it differ? Well, The doctors who teach you, and the students. The doctors are all excellent, with years and years of experience, and a lot actually teach in several different medical schools. So, its down to the students. What kind of student are you?

Back to one point of my friend concerning the passing rates of my school and her school. What is the difference between two doctors who passed the Physician's licensure exam but are of two different medical schools?

NONE.

Yup, NONE. because both of you are FREAKIN DOCTORS NOW. Both of you passed the very same exam, with the same gruelling effort, blood, sweat, and tears. I dont care if you came from this school, or that school, but if you act like an a**hole about it, i might as well slap the living daylights out of you.

But i wont. 

What you said is a reflection of your character, and no prestigious school will be able to make up for your lack of it.

So, to you X, and to many many more others like you, I hope you realize we are not competitors when it comes to taking care of our patients. Our patients deserve better than that.

Update: this is an excellent post from an awesome awesome site The Importance of Medical School Reputation at Anastomosed.wordpress.com. :)

The Waiting is Killing Me- Scholarship and Promo Boards

Just called the admissions office, still no results for the scholarship. 

Promotional boards are coming out today,  im gonna go crazy if they extend this any longer. 

http://icecreamforzombies.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/waiting.gif

This perfectly sums up what im feeling.

Noblest then...Noblest now, and Noblest Forever will be...

Saw this on of our transcriptions, i dont really know who wrote it though.

The Extra Push

This hpened at the beginning of the school year when i just started failing some of my exams. I was feeling down inthe dumps, getting all whiny and stuff about how hard it all was. Then my little brother told me this.

You gotta love family.

So True

How many nights have i done this while staring at so many transcriptions.

DLSHSI COLLEGE OF MEDICINE TUITION FEE FOR SY 2014-2015

*heart attack*

Stuff You Need for 2nd Year

At the beginning of my 2nd year, I heard from some classmates that we had to buy some instruments to be used for our Physical Diagnosis class, along with other books and whatnot. During the course of my 2nd year, I realized, you don't really need to buy it all.

So here are some of the things that you should have, or at least save up for:

1. Otoscope and Opthalmoscope

     This is the priciest of the bunch, and if you cant really afford it right now, you can just borrow from your classmates during the practical exam in Physical diagnosis. 

Price: from Php3,500-12,000.00

Brand: Welch Allyn (super gaduper expensive, only buy it IF you think you want to go into Optha or something as your specialty~ advice from one doctor). 

You can also go for generic ones (made in China, these are the ones that can be found in Bambang, Tayuman, Manila areas), they're pretty nice, solid, compact, dont get broken easily, and costs about Php3,500- 4,500. Discrepancies in price are from the stores you buy them. At one store in Dasma, they were selling it for 4k, but in Bambang, I asked a friend to buy me one, it was about 3,500. 

Question: Should I buy a brand new one or 2nd hand? Much better if its brand new, at least its yours, and with 2nd hand ones, you cant really guarantee its 100% functional. 

2. Stethoscope

Equally pricey, they would ask you to have your own, but you can always borrow from a classmate for practical exams. I recommend getting your own since this is a staple in any doctor's handbag. MUST.HAVE.ONE.

Price: Anywhere from Php 800 (for generic ones) to Php10,000 (specialized Littman Steths)

Brand: You can get the cheaper ones like Baxtel which can also include a BP set, but during our practicals, some doctors commented that having a Littman is better since it has a better quality when listening to heart sounds, lung sounds, and the like. The Littman I have cost about Php 4,000. With additional costs, you can customize it by color (blue,red, pink, etc, and add on finishing touches like bronze, rainbow finish, etc, and have your name engraved on it). Online sellers are very reliable naman, and for sure, some upper classmen will sell you brand new ones too.

3. BP Set

Better to borrow it nalang, but I still bought my own so I could use it at home on my parents and relatives. Hahahaha

Price: Anywhere from Php500- Php 1,500.

Brand: They say Baxtel is good. There's a Welch Allyn brand one, but very very expensive. Couldnt afford it since I focused on the Steth and Otoscope. There's little difference in terms of quality (based on what doctors and classmates said) between Baxtel and Welch so I went for the cheaper one. 

4. Neuro Set

Sounds expensive right? Hahahaha Again, you can borrow these during practicals, but, its nice to have your own. This includes

• Neurohammer- costs about Php 75-150, just get the simple one
• Tuning Fork- doctors prefer the one thats 512 Hz instead of 256. And dont get the ones with the special head on it, the simple ones will do
• Jaeger Chart- about 25 pesos
• Snellen chart- but this is usually bought by group
• Pen Light- any will do, costs about Php 100-200
• Tape Measure
• Pinhole Occluder- no need to buy this one, you can make your own by getting a piece of paper and poking a hole in it. Voila! If you want to buy one, i think it costs about 30 pesos, but you only use it once or twice.

5. Books

I learned my lesson from last year, I didn't read my books as much as I wanted to, but I should have. Instead, this year, I just bought the baby books (companion books of the actual textbooks-very concise, short, easy to carry around). 

The only ones I bought were Robbins and Cotran's Patho Companion Book, Williams Obstetrics, Harrison's Manual of Medicine, Schwartz Surgery. I bought these all on Pinoy.md :) 

This year, you'll have to buy manuals in Pharmacology, Microbiology, Physical Diagnosis and Pathology. You must must must buy it because they dont allow photocopies. Each manual costs Php 500. Pharma has 2 manuals, Micro has 2. 

The reason I didnt use books that much this year was that the sheer volume of info was too much to go through in books (Im a pretty slow reader), and there's just not enough time to give my undivided attention to all the subjects. What happened instead was I relied more on past transcriptions, transcriptions from my classmates, and the lecture itself. If I didnt understand a certain topic, I'd go back to the book, or ebook, and other online sources like Medscape. For this, I invested in a brand new printer and paper. 

Some will also sell you their past transcriptions. They offered one set of past tranx which cost about Php 3 or 4,000. It was a good thing that I didnt buy it because some of the lectures had different doctors, and so the content also changed. What I did buy was a stack of the upper year's past exams/ evaluations. These past exams are pretty vital since they can help you determine key points that you need to focus on while studying. 

I AM A SURGEON

Saw this on FB, just wanted to share this. :)

"Marwin Matic

After all the brouhaha caused by the BIR ads, this video is for all doctors, surgeons and not.

May we remember, and others understand, that we chose this vocation not to be heroes, not to be saviors, not to be glorified, not to be rich or famous, and certainly not to impress; but because we know that we can endure giving a big part of ourselves to make that difference the world needs despite everything that life throws at us. Just like a medic in a crossfire, no circumstance, no bully nor ad can hinder us from what we are supposed to do.

Because we are doctors. That's what we have trained for... plus we believe in karma."


It can be watched here: I AM A SURGEON.

DLSHSI Scholarship Application Ongoing for SY 2014-2015

Hey guys, here's a sched of the application periods as well as the guidelines. :)

hope this helps! Good luck and God bless!

Aaaaaand....I AM BACK FROM THE DEAD!

Hello friends and anons!

I’m so so sorry if it took me this long to write again. This 2nd year was just...tiring.

No. "Tiring" just doesn't cut it.

Exhausting. Draining. Spent. Consumed. Jaded. Tired. Weary.

It’s true what the upper years told me during my 1st year.

Enjoy it while you can.

The first year in Medicine was a stroll in the park. This year was a stroll through the gates of Mordor.  I wouldn’t doubt it for a second if the upper years told me that the 3rd year (and succeeding years in Medicine) would just get worse.  

The reason why it took me so long to write again was that I was struggling. The subjects were harder,  the workload/ study load was immense, the lecturers were even more strict, and, everything was just happening too fast.

This year, exams were all held in one week (most of the time). Unlike last year where one subject would be scheduled on Monday, another on Friday, or whatever random day they picked, this year, everything happened in a week. Usually, on one day, there would be at least 2 subjects; one in the morning, one in the afternoon. It would have been fine for just one day, but, by the 2^nd day, you’re just waiting for the week end.

I was studying my ass of as usual, and I thought that it was enough to get even a decent grade in that particular subject.

Exams were done. Results came out. Voila. I failed.

I got depressed, I went on an eating binge, and threw myself a small pity party to celebrate my failure.

And just like that, the party just started.

I failed another exam. And then another. And then another.  Sometimes, some of my exams would just resurrect from the dead due to the MPL. I’d rejoice in that, but, I knew that I wasn’t doing as well as I should.

That’s one of the things I noticed with these failures. They tend to haul you down, make you rearrange your priorities and alter your view on what’s enough. Your standards get lower, you sacrifice quality for quantity, and you just keep grabbing at loose ends and find yourself empty handed after it all.

Before, I studied to get to the top,  challenging myself to just do better.  Now, its more of study to get that passing grade. Even before the exam is done, I would be computing for the MPL (adjusted score) at the margins of my paper.  I’d look over my answers, make a quick calculation, and breathe a sigh of relief when I see that I know enough answers to save me for this exam. Quietly, I say a little prayer, and then promise to myself that I’d study harder next time to redeem the really bad grade.

And then it happens again. You get caught in the vicious cycle of just trying to get by. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t. But ultimately, what happens is you just get stuck doing just enough.

Im not saying that if you keep failing, it means you’re not learning, or you’re lazy, or whatever.

It’s the effort that went behind it. If you poured everything into learning and studying for that exam and and still came up short, it just means that you have to try harder. Or smarter. 

When I failed my exams, I tried studying harder. I stuck with the same study routine I had in my first year. Then I failed again.

I continued doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a change somehow. And  then it struck me, its not going to work.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/35565_296671800447151_1518836922_n.jpg

Fine, Pinterest was my go to place for inspiration. And this just struck a chord. I tried different study methods. I worked with index cards, typing my own reviewers, reading, listening to recordings, etc. Up to now, I still haven’t figured out the best way for me to study. But Im doing better. Much better than before.

My grades improved slightly. I was still failing a few exams here and there, but I was getting used to it in a sense that it wasn’t so depressing enough to stop me from studying again with full force.

I used to be so envious of several of my classmates who seemed to get the hang of everything. They were getting really good grades, they were asking all the right questions during discussion, they were LEARNING. While some of us were on the sidelines trying to learn how to tie our own shoelaces, the toppers ( classmates who were excelling) were running about, executing complex drills and the like.

I knew that they studied before hand, that they took the time to review their basics, understood it, and just related it the present lesson, but, I just couldn’t do the same thing.

No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t seem to get the hang of it. I wanted to become the best, I wanted to perform and excel, but I just didn’t know how.

I still don’t know how. But one thing’s for sure, I. WILL.NOT.SETTLE.FOR.COMFORT.OR.MEDIOCRITY.

I may not be one of the smartest, or brightest in the class. But I will not settle for just being one of those people who tell themselves that “Its ok if I don’t do well now, I’ll just do better in the future, when Im a doctor. At least I’ll get to do things my way.”

Never become these people. Its tempting to think about it. Its even more tempting to live it and accept it as it is because so many people are doing it. But don’t do it.

I’ve met a few people , and some lecturers who proved this wrong. They may not have been the smartest of the bunch, but they worked like hell to get where they are.

We should do the same. We’re going to be doctors. Nobody wants a half-baked doctor. 

Medicine

This is Amazing!

The wonders of modern technology. This is inspiring. :) gotta study harder!

http://www.carbonated.tv/news/doctors-inject-hiv-into-6-yearold-girl-youll-want-to-know-why

Sweet Second Year

Annual Lasallian assembly. :)

THANK YOU LORD!!!!!

My scholarship application for this year was APPROVED!!!!

Wooooohooooooo!!!!!

How to Compute your Grades for the First Year

Credits to Mara Tuano for making this. Thank you!

ASK ME/ CONTACT ME

http://forum.tis.edu.mo/yu/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/contact-me1.png

Hey guys, if you'd like to ask a question, advice, etc but are too shy to post, you can email me here at animomedstudent@gmail.com

or you can post your questions and comments in the FORUM.

2nd Year MED BOOKS PRICE LIST

FELLOW BATCHMATES! Advice for Incoming 2nd Year

SUPERULTRAMEGA THANK YOU TO ONE GENEROUS, SELFLESS INCOMING 3RD YEAR STUDENT WHO WISHES TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS. 

YOU. ARE. A. LIFE SAVER!!!!

http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/31322935.jpg

Disclaimer: Each student has his/her own strengths and weaknesses. Some tips mentioned here might or might not work for you. The tips are based on what I experienced last school year, and there could be changes this school year (such as number of evaluation exams, coverage, etc.).

PATHOLOGY

·         There are only 8 evaluation exams the whole school year, plus 2 semestral exams and 1 final exam. The coverage of each evaluation exam is usually very long. Better prepare several days before the actual exam.

·         You need to see the specimens/slides to understand what is being described in the lecture. Just reading the PPTs or your books might just confuse you.

·         Past evaluation exams could be helpful if you ‘dissect’ each exam. Some questions could be repeated as is, but they usually change the pattern of the questions even if they are based on questions asked in the past evals.

·         Exams are usually based on the lectures. The chapters in the Pathology book are very long, so if you don’t have much time, use the latest PPTs or handouts they give. Do not rely on past ‘tranx’ if you have the updated lectures with you.

·         Watch out for Doc Renan Navarro’s exams because they are very confusing, so you need to study EVERY detail.

·         Answer your laboratory manuals whenever you have time. Most students answer them when the deadline is near, adding unnecessary stress.

·         In Pathology lab sessions, have an atlas available (or other resources) so that you know what to look for in the slides.

·         Study your evaluation exams for the semestral exam. Dissect them for better understanding. For the final exam, study all your evaluation exams and your semestral exams.

MICROBIOLOGY

·         Evaluation exams are usually based on the lectures given. The coverage varies per exam (there could be as high as 9 lectures, and could be as low as 3 lectures)

·         They do not give their PPTs but they give handouts.

·         Watch out for Dra. Padla’s and Dra. Mendoza’s exams. They are usually difficult and confusing. Dra. Mendoza usually gives questions based on cases, therefore do not rely on memorizing information.

·         Dra. Barzaga’s exams are usually the “life savers” because she frequently gives easy questions.

·         Every after Dra. Padla’s lecture, there will be a 10-item quiz.

·         The semestral and final exam questions usually are NOT based on past exams.

·         They RANDOMLY check the laboratory manual during lab sessions. Answer them as soon as possible. Once the names of the ‘lucky’ students are announced, they are required to pass the lab manual on the same day or the following day.

PHARMACOLOGY

·         Exams are mostly based on the lectures. Watch out for questions from Dra. Dela Cruz and Dra. Alvero. The questions (and choices) are usually tough and confusing.

·         Attend each lecture. They give bonus points for attendance and add them to the evals scores.

·         Dra. Aguinaldo usually gives the relatively easier questions, but you still have to master her lectures because usually her lectures involves a lot of drugs.

·         They usually do not ask about dosages. Focus more on their classification and primary action.

·         Exemption from the final exams if you reach 85%

·         The amount of material you have to study may be very overwhelming. Try to utilize various strategies in studying instead of just doing passive reading, such as tables and flash cards.

·         Do not study overnight. It may work in the other subjects but in Pharma, it simply won’t.

·         Keep quiet during the lectures of Dra. Dela Cruz. She does not tolerate distractions during class.

COMMUNITY MEDICINE

·         Do NOT take this subject for granted. That was the mistake of most of my batchmates, and ended up getting low grades. This subject is totally different from Commed in the first year.

·         Get a copy of the past evals and try to answer the questions on your own. Familiarize yourself with the process, the computation, etc. Do not just read passively.

·         There are only 6 evaluation exams.

·         Exemption is 80% (including the research paper grade)

·         Do not rely on the research paper to pull your grades up. The bulk of the grade is still based on your evaluation exams.

·         Attend all of your preceptorials. They check the attendance. Preceptors also base their grade on the attendance and performance during the preceptorials.

·         Quizzes about the research paper may be given before the schedule preceptorials.

BIOETHICS

·         Analyze the past evaluation exams to familiarize yourselves with the pattern of the questions. They may or may not repeat the questions as is.

SURGERY

·         Exams are usually based on the lectures, but some professors get their questions from the book. Dissect past evaluations. They are usually helpful.

·         Exemption is 85%

·         Watch out for the topics about Physiologic Monitoring and Surgical Complications – they are the most difficult topics (at least for me) in 2^nd year Surgery.

·         Most students choose to not attend Surgery classes because they consider it a “minor” subject (and prefer to do something else), but if you really want to learn and not just get a passing mark, do attend. Learning should not only be for exam purposes.

MEDICINE

·         Most exams are based on the lectures, but if you have time supplement it with your book. They may or may not repeat questions.

·         The neuro module is the most difficult based on my experience.

PHYSICAL DIAGNOSIS

·         Dr. Versoza once said that no one fails in PD (except one who was caught cheating during a return demonstration). Do not take this one for granted, though.

·         Exams are usually based on the lectures, but other professors may use other resources. If s/he did not mention the resources s/he used, you may just ask him or her about it.

·         There are practical exams wherein you demonstrate physical exam techniques to a preceptor. Beware of ‘terror’ preceptors. Some preceptors though remain silent all throughout the practical exam and just observe.

·         Master the techniques and be familiar with the rationale behind each technique.

OBSTETRICS

·         We had pre-tests and post-tests almost every meeting.

·         They usually change topic assignments for professors every year, so do not rely on past evaluation exams. They usually do not repeat questions.

·         Use your book when studying. The lectures are usually not enough to get a decent grade in the evaluation exams.

·         There are only 3 evaluation exams.

·         Exemption is 85%

·         They give refresher exams for those who fail, but the total number of items is reduced by 50% and you have to pass the refresher to get 75%. If you fail, you retain your previous score.

·         They do make several new questions for the final exam.

PEDIATRICS

·         We had only 2 evaluation exams. Our first evaluation exam covered 9 long lectures, so study beforehand.

·         You have to memorize a lot of normal values (ex. head circumference depending on age, weight depending on age, etc.).

·         Past evaluations could be helpful to determine the pattern of the questions, but they usually do not repeat questions as is.

PSYCHIATRY

·         Three evaluation exams and one final exam.

·         Usually exams are based on the lectures, while some questions may be lifted from the book.

·         Make sure to attend special activities they hold (film showing, role play, etc.) to avoid the hassle of being rescheduled to perform those activities.

·         Final exam: study your past evaluation exams

General Tips:

·         Do not rely on past ‘tranx’. Use the latest lectures if available. Past tranx could be incomplete or may contain factual errors. Better yet, use your books if you do have the time.

·         Past evals, if used correctly, could help a lot for your evaluation exams (except Microbiology and Obstetrics). Do not just memorize the questions and answers.

·         You do not have to purchase all of the books, because usually there is not enough time to read through them. I recommend having the Internal Medicine (Harrison’s), Surgery (Schwartz’s), and Obstetrics (Williams) books for the 2^nd year. Better yet, just get ebooks and be used with studying on a tablet or PC. I used to prefer studying using a physical book or a printed handout, but eventually I got used to studying using the digital formats. It saved me a lot of money, paper, ink, and space.

·         Subjects with exemption from final exam: Pharmacology, Community Medicine, Bioethics, Surgery, Obstetrics

·         Exams are usually given within a week. Some days might even include four exams in one day. Manage your tasks wisely.

PRICES FOR FIRST YEAR MED BOOKS

You can buy these at the ground floor of the Angelo King Building, or during your LOAD orientation. :)

Got this from the a batchmate of mine. :)