Medicine course thread

theowen

A Neurotic wrote: »

OH YOU'LL SEE

Funny, methinks you were/are my mentor:p

Psychedelia

how does one acquire the elusive physiology handbook? supposed to download it from https://medicine.tcd.ie/physiology/student/index.php#BMS

but to no avail

blubloblu

The inimitable AndrewJD managed to charm himself a copy which he is now hosting generously.

A Neurotic

Dear anyone above second year,

What, if any, are the most crammable (ie, lesser priority for now) subjects in first term of second med (head/neck anatomy, pharmacology, molecular medicine, and biochemistry [inc. clinical biochem and immunology]).

Last year I managed to cram almost a semester of physiology in a weekend. Would this be possible with any of the above?

Yours,

A person who is clearly shít at college.

PS This semester's pharmacology is only worth 30% of the module. Praise be.

Chuchoter

Just wondering, I've heard that with medicine in TCD you're basically never on campus from 3rd year onwards. Did this kind of diminish the whole college experience for you or were you or was it ok? Also, is the course as disorganized as I've heard? Thanks

theowen

crayolastereo wrote: »

Just wondering, I've heard that with medicine in TCD you're basically never on campus from 3rd year onwards. Did this kind of diminish the whole college experience for you or were you or was it ok? Also, is the course as disorganized as I've heard? Thanks

It'll get worse from next year onwards too. They've built a new building for Med students and some other stuff outside TCD down Pierse street. Not sure if all of the lectures will be there, but maybe they will.

I remember a 4th year told my class to join societies because most of her friends have no reason to enter Trinity at all. May as well be attending St.James'/Tallagh Hospital Medical school.

Chuchoter

theowen wrote: »

It'll get worse from next year onwards too. They've built a new building for Med students and some other stuff outside TCD down Pierse street. Not sure if all of the lectures will be there, but maybe they will.

I remember a 4th year told my class to join societies because most of her friends have no reason to enter Trinity at all. May as well be attending St.James'/Tallagh Hospital Medical school.

And is that good or bad like? One of the major things I'm sort of looking forward to is societies.

theowen

crayolastereo wrote: »

And is that good or bad like? One of the major things I'm sort of looking forward to is societies.

Well it's bad in that you won't have a "normal" college experience like those arts folk sitting on benches all day. But it'd be grand if you join societies. No, make sure you actually go to society stuff and it'd be grand. You can get a bit distracted from that sort of thing by study and stuff.

Aoibheann

crayolastereo wrote: »

Just wondering, I've heard that with medicine in TCD you're basically never on campus from 3rd year onwards. Did this kind of diminish the whole college experience for you or were you or was it ok? Also, is the course as disorganized as I've heard? Thanks

TBH, that's probably the same wherever you go. In RCSI, you spend the first 1.5 years of lectures (the "Junior Cycle") in the college (not including pre-med here, should you have to do it), and the second 1.5 years based at Beaumont ("Intermediate Cycle") - there's teaching facilities there (and I think you might get some patient contact). The "Senior Cycle" comprises of your final two years. I don't know much about it, but I do know you're off on rotations all over the country (I think you get a "buddy" who basically shares the same rotations with you, so you'll always have company)!

So basically I wouldn't worry about not being on campus from third year if you go to Trinity. It happens pretty much everywhere, afaik, so there's not really a whole lot to be done about it. From my personal experience of med, I wouldn't worry about the college experience. You'll make a load of friends - you'd be amazed at how quickly the class group becomes tight-knit. A Neurotic/bythewoods/the other meds here will hopefully be able to elaborate with regards the Trinity course!

Larianne

crayolastereo wrote: »

And is that good or bad like? One of the major things I'm sort of looking forward to is societies.

Just coz you ain't on campus for classes doesn't mean you can't be for social stuff. Only a luas/123 ride away!

It is kinda crappy being out in James's all the time. (I'm not med, but another health science course). So I cherish my time in Anatomy or the Pav. I love them both!:pac:

Craguls

theowen wrote: »

It'll get worse from next year onwards too. They've built a new building for Med students and some other stuff outside TCD down Pierse street. Not sure if all of the lectures will be there, but maybe they will.

I think the plan is to move the schools of medicine and biochemistry and immunology, the TCIN (Neuroscience school) and school of physiology to the new building. Once that's done they're planning on removing the old biochemistry building and turning it into a new building for botany and environmental science as well as engineering like how the old building was split up. At that point I'd imagine engineering would probably expand to include other disciplines such as chemical engineering among others. Molecular medicine's probably going to move over too, or at least whatever was based on campus to begin with, I can't see them giving it loads of attention as it's rumoured to be axed as a degree programme. in the near future.

I'd imagine the anatomy departments moving over as well, given I've heard it's been getting on in years and the other med schools seem to have better, more modern facilities.

Forgive the abundance of "I thinks" this info is coming from an EMS newsletter I read last Christmas and some Biochem lab instructors. For more about the project though you can find it here.

Interestingly, the ground floor's open to retail and is rumoured to be a Tesco.

theowen

I've a question, open to all courses really. If you failed first year, repeated and then got 70% in 1st and 2nd year, would you be eligible for schols? Or if you fail your Christmas tests and then ace the Summer ones.

I was thinking that you could (not that anyone would) purposely fail you Xmas/Summer tests so you'd have an extra 3 months to study for the repeats, increasing you chance of doing really well.

Craguls

theowen wrote: »

I've a question, open to all courses really. If you failed first year, repeated and then got 70% in 1st and 2nd year, would you be eligible for schols? Or if you fail your Christmas tests and then ace the Summer ones.

I was thinking that you could (not that anyone would) purposely fail you Xmas/Summer tests so you'd have an extra 3 months to study for the repeats, increasing you chance of doing really well.

That eligibility rule* really only applied to medicine, it's been removed as far as I know but it's been gone as of this year. Haven spoken to A Neurotic about this the only major change is that you're first year result is something 33% of the schols paper.

*Other courses let you sign up and do whatever, although you'd want a first or to have just missed out to be in with a shot apparently.

Feu

theowen wrote: »

If you failed first year, repeated and then got 70% in 1st and 2nd year,

perhaps someone can confirm but i believe if you flunk summer exams you can only ever get 'pass' in repeats, i.e. your marks are capped. Presumably to discourage people from doing what you suggest?

anyway that 70% thing was only ever in medicine, and i think it's been removed now.

WhosUpDocs

Feu wrote: »

perhaps someone can confirm but i believe if you flunk summer exams you can only ever get 'pass' in repeats, i.e. your marks are capped. Presumably to discourage people from doing what you suggest?

I've heard that Trinity is one of the only places that doesn't cap repeat marks. Heard stories of people failing finals on purpose to have extra time to study and coming out with first class degrees. This might have changed by now though!

Some people are crazy...

Feu

in my department if you fail something you can only get a 40 on the repeat

Larianne

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the repeats are capped.

starry nights

im a JF MED and i'm absolutely shíiting it about the christmas exams... i'm actually so worried i'll fail cos there's just so much to know!!!
like there's actually so much to know for the physiology/anatomy integrated paper...
biochem isn't so bad cos the papers nice and fairly predictable (please dont let porter see this and change it!)
any tips for the viva?

aaaaaah seriously fúcked

AndrewJD

starry nights wrote: »

im a JF MED and i'm absolutely shíiting it about the christmas exams... i'm actually so worried i'll fail cos there's just so much to know!!!
like there's actually so much to know for the physiology/anatomy integrated paper...
biochem isn't so bad cos the papers nice and fairly predictable (please dont let porter see this and change it!)
any tips for the viva?

aaaaaah seriously fúcked

Whether they admit it or not, I'd say the rest of the year feel the same way. At least, I do.

Kwekubo

A Neurotic wrote: »

What, if any, are the most crammable (ie, lesser priority for now) subjects in first term of second med (head/neck anatomy, pharmacology, molecular medicine, and biochemistry [inc. clinical biochem and immunology]).

Chin up man. We did 2nd year before semesterisation and modularisation so it's a bit hard to compare, but out of those I think molecular medicine is the most bluffable.

Kwekubo

starry nights wrote: »

im a JF MED and i'm absolutely shíiting it about the christmas exams... i'm actually so worried i'll fail cos there's just so much to know!!!
like there's actually so much to know for the physiology/anatomy integrated paper...
biochem isn't so bad cos the papers nice and fairly predictable (please dont let porter see this and change it!)
any tips for the viva?

aaaaaah seriously fúcked

You will be amazed how much you learn during the reading week. For physiology, know all the details in the notes backwards and you should be fine. Use your time in the DR well, but don't just hang around there because you feel you have to since you have no access to the specimens etc at home. Only learn the important root values.

theowen

AndrewJD wrote: »

Whether they admit it or not, I'd say the rest of the year feel the same way. At least, I do.

I feel great. Know everything backwards and sideways. Can't wait for the tests.

Joking. Everyone's bricking themselves.

starry nights

Kwekubo wrote: »

You will be amazed how much you learn during the reading week. For physiology, know all the details in the notes backwards and you should be fine.

really?? loadsa 2nd/3rd meds say that alright but I dunno, can you really cram that much in in a week??
physiology...the notes are ****e from some lectures, then others have sooo much in theres, like yer man for sense organs has 64 pages!! then his other notes have 50 pages...seriously!

starry nights

theowen wrote: »

I feel great. Know everything backwards and sideways. Can't wait for the tests.

Joking. Everyone's bricking themselves.

haha thought you were serious for a sec :P

i've been studying since we began and that has not reassured me at all... especially cos i dont remember anything!!

bythewoods

Larianne wrote: »

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the repeats are capped.

Nope!
My supp wasn't anyway...

starry nights wrote: »

really?? loadsa 2nd/3rd meds say that alright but I dunno, can you really cram that much in in a week??
physiology...the notes are ****e from some lectures, then others have sooo much in theres, like yer man for sense organs has 64 pages!! then his other notes have 50 pages...seriously!

Anwyl, yeah? Out of those 2 sets of slides though, there's 2 questions on the paper. He won't ask anything outside the slides (I emailed him last year asking him stuff, and he told me that. And tbf, he didn't. Unless he's changed his mind this year...)
Just read through them, and add in bits and pieces from sherwoods. You'll get his stuff done fairly fast, it's not actually as daunting as it looks.

Don't leave everything 'til reading week obvo, but there's still time... you'll be fine! Invest in some red bull!

Kwekubo wrote: »

but out of those I think molecular medicine is the most bluffable.

Molecular Med is beginning to scare me, as I haven't even looked at it. It's just so feckin' all over the place... THERE IS NO LINK... ARGHHHH-RAVATION.
How depressing would it be to (fingers crossed) manage to pass everything else and fail Mol Med?

A Neurotic

starry nights wrote: »

im a JF MED and i'm absolutely shíiting it about the christmas exams... i'm actually so worried i'll fail cos there's just so much to know!!!
like there's actually so much to know for the physiology/anatomy integrated paper...
biochem isn't so bad cos the papers nice and fairly predictable (please dont let porter see this and change it!)
any tips for the viva?

aaaaaah seriously fúcked

I was in the same position last year, except I made this realisation in the 2 or 3 days before exams started... you still have a lot of time! Physiology is very crammable - have a look at the revision questions on the physiology website. They're pretty much a list of possible exam questions. Keep them in mind as you go through the lecture slides and you might find them helpful. For example, some of Docherty's possible questions for neuromuscular junction are very simple graphs that come up in his lectures, but look impossible if you haven't prepared for them. I'm very bad at studying, and I was able to cram the vast majority of HFF1 physiology into about 3 days, so chin up!

starry nights wrote: »

really?? loadsa 2nd/3rd meds say that alright but I dunno, can you really cram that much in in a week??
physiology...the notes are ****e from some lectures, then others have sooo much in theres, like yer man for sense organs has 64 pages!! then his other notes have 50 pages...seriously!

bythewoods wrote: »

Nope!
Anwyl, yeah? Out of those 2 sets of slides though, there's 2 questions on the paper. He won't ask anything outside the slides (I emailed him last year asking him stuff, and he told me that. And tbf, he didn't. Unless he's changed his mind this year...)
Just read through them, and add in bits and pieces from sherwoods. You'll get his stuff done fairly fast, it's not actually as daunting as it looks.

+1.

Anwyl's lectures are actually grand once you look through them. There's a stupid number of pages but half of them are just a single sentence or repeated diagrams or somesuch. I was dreading studying his stuff but it's grand!

bythewoods wrote:

Molecular Med is beginning to scare me, as I haven't even looked at it. It's just so feckin' all over the place... THERE IS NO LINK... ARGHHHH-RAVATION.
How depressing would it be to (fingers crossed) manage to pass everything else and fail Mol Med?

I've been doing a bit - it seems ok. Cancer stuff is good - Maureen O'Sullivan's lecture slides are excellent to learn from, Kelleher's... not so much.
Tried doing the CNS development stuff yesterday though, lecture is incomprehensible! We'll struggle through...

bythewoods

A Neurotic wrote: »

I've been doing a bit - it seems ok. Cancer stuff is good - Maureen O'Sullivan's lecture slides are excellent to learn from, Kelleher's... not so much.
Tried doing the CNS development stuff yesterday though, lecture is incomprehensible! We'll struggle through...

Typically, took notes in all the lectures except Kelleher's. FML for having stupid sleepy Thursdays.

(Have CNS notes, come get them off me! Titled "Mol Med. Moustache man. Turned off all the lights and I'm getting sleepy"

Kwekubo

starry nights wrote: »

like yer man for sense organs has 64 pages!! then his other notes have 50 pages...seriously!

Be thankful that Anwyl gave you notes! Until the year before last he refused to publish copies of any of his slides and insisted that people transcribe every single word from the projector.

starry nights

thanks all ye older meds that replied, yuz have made me feel so much better! I've two weeks, and I have been studying since week 3/4 so I (hopefully) will be ok!!

Whoa, didn't think Anwyl would be like that, he's so nice in person!

Anyone got any tips for the Viva? I'm praying I don't get Mahoney, he's seriously mean, and rude!

And good luck to all the meds with exams over the next few weeks!

OH! and how much do you write for a physiology essay? and biochem?
cos i asked a few lecturers and they all laughed at me and said as much as I can in the time given.... but that doesn't tell me much.

Like do they expect a paragraph, page, two pages a book?

WhosUpDocs

starry nights wrote: »

thanks all ye older meds that replied, yuz have made me feel so much better! I've two weeks, and I have been studying since week 3/4 so I (hopefully) will be ok!!

Whoa, didn't think Anwyl would be like that, he's so nice in person!

Anyone got any tips for the Viva? I'm praying I don't get Mahoney, he's seriously mean, and rude!

And good luck to all the meds with exams over the next few weeks!

OH! and how much do you write for a physiology essay? and biochem?
cos i asked a few lecturers and they all laughed at me and said as much as I can in the time given.... but that doesn't tell me much.

Like do they expect a paragraph, page, two pages a book?

Mahoney is pretty scary alright but he's very fair in the viva for what it's worth. Don't be too disheartened if you get him.

As for how much to write: Remember that physiology questions are short answer question so an a4 page or a little bit more is plenty. Generally they are things like the feedback loops etc. so they shouldn't take up much space. For biochem they tend to be more essay style questions (enzyme kinetics derivations can be learned off and just spewed back onto the paper!! ) so about 2-3 pages. Depending on the question obviously.

Hope that helps calm the nerves somewhat!! Good luck!