Medicine course thread

WhosUpDocs

Shan32591 wrote: »

Any second years able to tell me what the reflective diaries for behavioural science are supposed to be like cause right now mine just seems like complete waffle. Thanks.

Complete waffle is a good place to start! But what I did was to imagine what exam question might arise from each tutorial and then right study notes for that. It helped come exam time and that's what my tutor (Think it was Sabina) recommended. She didn't want a piece of prose just kind of bulletpoints. It does vary from tutor to tutor though so your best bet is to ask them at the next tutorial!

A Neurotic

Shan32591 wrote: »

Any second years able to tell me what the reflective diaries for behavioural science are supposed to be like cause right now mine just seems like complete waffle. Thanks.

So much waffle.

In other news, it appears the Anatomy question on today's Schol paper was on a type of aneurysm which accounts for 1% of all aneurysms ever. Ouch.

theowen

A Neurotic wrote: »

So much waffle.

In other news, it appears the Anatomy question on today's Schol paper was on a type of aneurysm which accounts for 1% of all aneurysms ever. Ouch.

Ehm wasn't the general theme of the paper aging, or something? General question about Schols for Medicine, is that all they give you going into the test or what's the craic?

starry nights

Shan32591 wrote: »

Any second years able to tell me what the reflective diaries for behavioural science are supposed to be like cause right now mine just seems like complete waffle. Thanks.

How many should we have written by now, and when the fúck are they due?!?!

COMPLETELY forgot about them!

Chuchoter

I went to the open day to go see the medicine talk they had on. What I noticed was the course (or information they gave us) made it seem very...artsy and waffely, like all this stuff like art and medicine. It seemed there wasn't all that much science going on. Can anyone tell me if thats the case or was the talk just focusing on those aspects too much? Also, what is the normal number of hours of classes you would have a week in first and second year? What time of day do most people finish at and how many hours of study do you have to do every night?:)

WhosUpDocs

crayolastereo wrote: »

I went to the open day to go see the medicine talk they had on. What I noticed was the course (or information they gave us) made it seem very...artsy and waffely, like all this stuff like art and medicine. It seemed there wasn't all that much science going on. Can anyone tell me if thats the case or was the talk just focusing on those aspects too much? Also, what is the normal number of hours of classes you would have a week in first and second year? What time of day do most people finish at and how many hours of study do you have to do every night?:)

Oh god I wish that was the case sometimes But no... The medicine in the arts module is only two hours a week of either semester one or two. It's a new idea so I think they like to emphasize it a little more than other stuff. But you'll still extensively cover the basic medical sciences (Anatomy, Physiology and biochemistry). The are the heaviest of the examinable material. There's also Human Development and Behavioural Science (HDBS). So I think maybe the talk just focused on those semi-novel aspects. I've never felt for a second that there wasn't enough ridiculous biochemistry pathways to learn

Hours tend to range between 30-40/week. So there's plenty of science subjcts to keep you going. One of the boons of TCD med for me was the family case study. You get to go out and visit a family with a new baby and track the development over the year. It's really cool to get that early contact stuff that I'm not sure some other courses offer as much.

So yeah, don't be put off by the artsy stuff it's really insignificant in the large scale of things!

theowen

WhosUpDocs wrote: »

Oh god I wish that was the case sometimes But no... The medicine in the arts module is only two hours a week of either semester one or two. It's a new idea so I think they like to emphasize it a little more than other stuff. But you'll still extensively cover the basic medical sciences (Anatomy, Physiology and biochemistry). The are the heaviest of the examinable material. There's also Human Development and Behavioural Science (HDBS). So I think maybe the talk just focused on those semi-novel aspects. I've never felt for a second that there wasn't enough ridiculous biochemistry pathways to learn

Hours tend to range between 30-40/week. So there's plenty of science subjcts to keep you going. One of the boons of TCD med for me was the family case study. You get to go out and visit a family with a new baby and track the development over the year. It's really cool to get that early contact stuff that I'm not sure some other courses offer as much.

So yeah, don't be put off by the artsy stuff it's really insignificant in the large scale of things!

What he said. Though hours can be 20 or so some weeks for us. Off at 2 on Monday, when you don't have that artsy stuff . Finished at 1 on either Tues or Wednesday. Then Thursday and Friday afternoons are free every week or second week. Fairly handy really:rolleyes:. In terms of study, 2-3 a night and then a bit of revision at the weekend is grand for first semester. Obviously if you want to get a high mark you can put in as much as you want.

AndrewJD

I have to say, having completed the Arts module last term, I wasn't very impressed. It was nice to do something other than pure science, but I'd rather have just had the time off. The assessments are really no more than "turn up and you pass", and I didn't feel I gained an awful lot from it. Others may feel differently. Certainly it was four 2 hour classes spread out over 7 weeks. Really not a substantial part of the course.

Don't know which year WhosUpDocs is referring to but, but in first year I've totted up the hours for the term just gone (Michaelmas) and it averages out at about 23 hours a week. It's a little longer in the term we're in now (Hilary). Of course, these are teaching hours, as opposed to the number of hours you'll spend studying in the library, studying at home, travelling to James's hospital etc and these vary wildly depending on how much work you need to put in personally, and if you do it as you go or have a cramming session next to exams. Some people can go over a lecture in 10 minutes and have it all, others (like me) need 10 tries at it. So studying time isn't something I can tell you about, I suppose it's similar to how you compared at Leaving Cert. There's certainly a lot of it.

I'd put up the timetable to show you start/finish times but I'm not entirely sure if that's allowed. Suffice it to say, expect 9 o'clock starts every day, a fairly dense lecture schedule, with one or two afternoons off depending on which week it is, what group you're placed in etc.

Coincidentally I've literally just returned from my second Family Case Study visit, and it is quite a nice little part of the course, especially because there are no attachments or clinical skills hours in the year.

There's a lot of waffling there. Hope some of that's useful.

Chuchoter

Thanks so much guys, that was really helpful!

And that timetable looks shorter/same as my current one! There seems to be a fair few afternoons off, which is nice.

A Neurotic

We're in at 2 every Thursday for the first 6 weeks of this semester. 2! Nice change from constant 9am starts...

In other news, after pulling a silly all-nighter and entering the exam with a fuzzy head and shaky hands, I appear to have passed Biochem. College makes no sense.

bythewoods

The absolute glory of passing Biochem. I feel like a BIG LEGE.

Also, what books do I need for Neuro? Anyyonnnneeee?
I've heard Fitzgeralds, but I've also heard that Iunnolike.

Larianne

WR said Fitzgerald and Crossman & Neary but you dudes might be different to us fizzios.

A Neurotic

Crossman and Neary is really nice, haven't looked at Fitzgerald yet. I think I saw a post from mardybumbum a while back saying that Rang & Dale would suffice for biochem and pharm, and lecture notes for everything else. Gonna revive good ol' Sherwood for physiology too. Dunno about "Psychiatry" (ie Psychology)...

theowen

Lucky sodes getting your results back already. Still waiting...

WhosUpDocs

AndrewJD wrote: »

Don't know which year WhosUpDocs is referring to but, but in first year I've totted up the hours for the term just gone (Michaelmas) and it averages out at about 23 hours a week.

Talking about second year but more so cumulative travel/lecture/placement time. This semester is nice and light for us though Blissful 2pm starts!

ontheditch2

Am after applying as a mature student for 2011 entry to medicine. Have read through all posts so far and have found some of the information very helpful. But has anyone gone back as a mature student. Is there many mature students in each year, think the numbers are quite low.
Thanks

AndrewJD

Personally, I was surprised by the numbers of them. A lot of mature students come in the form of our transatlantic cousins as postgraduates, but there are plenty of Irish ones too. I don't think they have much trouble fitting in either. Good luck with your application!

starry nights

ontheditch2 wrote: »

Is there many mature students in each year, think the numbers are quite low.
Thanks

there are a lot of mature students, im in first year and apparently our year is the largest so far 160 people, as 90 are irish and 70 are mature and foreign. TCD's allowing more mature entries then before so don't worry there are loadsa mature students, and generally the mix well and are nice but stick together outside college.

starry nights

oh god... failed both physiology/anatomy AND biochemistry...

and i need basically 4 perfect essay questions (out of 5) to pass biochem.... FML!

can anyone who has failed before or knows of someone who has failed give me advice?

bythewoods

starry nights wrote: »

oh god... failed both physiology/anatomy AND biochemistry...

and i need basically 4 perfect essay questions (out of 5) to pass biochem.... FML!

can anyone who has failed before or knows of someone who has failed give me advice?

I failed HFF1 last year. Was close enough to be within the pass/fail viva range, but I failed my pass/fail viva too so eh... repeated it in August.

I basically did my best to compensate in Semester 2. Was so close too!
A lot of people managed to compensate, it's completely doable. Worst case scenario is sitting a repeat in August.

And don't be too disheartened. Semester 1 is feckin' hard, even just in terms of getting used to college exams and stuff. It's not like you won't be a good doctor or something now! You just need a gameplan.

I did quite crap last year, but my exam results are actually quite good this year, so it's all about figuring out a system and methods that'll work for you.

If you've other questions hit me up with a pm

blubloblu

starry nights wrote: »

oh god... failed both physiology/anatomy AND biochemistry...

join the club!

A Neurotic

It's not the end of the world. I failed HFF1 and Biochem quite dismally in the first semester, was able to make up the Biochem grade to a 50 somehow with the second semester, and repeated HFF1. No biggie. It'll be fine

theowen

blubloblu wrote: »

join the club!

Ye will be grand!:rolleyes:

bythewoods

And sure hey, for those of you who have to sit supps, we can all have major banter seshage in the library in August!

I missed 2 of my exams, so I know I'll be mad craicing it up over the Summer. WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

See ya in the DR lads? Awh, it's gonna be so much fun!

starry nights

bythewoods wrote: »

I failed HFF1 last year. Was close enough to be within the pass/fail viva range, but I failed my pass/fail viva too so eh... repeated it in August.

I basically did my best to compensate in Semester 2. Was so close too!
A lot of people managed to compensate, it's completely doable. Worst case scenario is sitting a repeat in August.

And don't be too disheartened. Semester 1 is feckin' hard, even just in terms of getting used to college exams and stuff. It's not like you won't be a good doctor or something now! You just need a gameplan.

I did quite crap last year, but my exam results are actually quite good this year, so it's all about figuring out a system and methods that'll work for you.

If you've other questions hit me up with a pm

Thanks for that... you've made me feel a bit better. It's just a bit disheartning cos i did study from like week 3 in the last semester, but like you said semester ones real hard with settling in etc, but i'm happier this semester (except the grades) then i was last semester so i hope it'll help.

Loadsa people keep telling me the repeats aren't that bad, but is it not huge pressure? Like it sounds kinda scary!

bythewoods

starry nights wrote: »

Thanks for that... you've made me feel a bit better. It's just a bit disheartning cos i did study from like week 3 in the last semester, but like you said semester ones real hard with settling in etc, but i'm happier this semester (except the grades) then i was last semester so i hope it'll help.

Loadsa people keep telling me the repeats aren't that bad, but is it not huge pressure? Like it sounds kinda scary!

I got very stressed about the repeat I had in the respect that it's actually your final shot. Before my Xmas exams last year I had a bit of a "Meh, I'll just do the repeat" attitude, but obviously there's the whole "If you don't pass this exam, you have to repeat the year!" feeling in August!

Saying that though, the repeats tend to be a little easier, (At least HFF was, apparently Biochem was a bitch!) and also, you can pick up on where you went wrong and improve. Learn from your mistakes, if you will.
I was miles more confident going into that exam than I was the original, you'll have loads of time to study and stuff. I also emailed lecturers, and met them, and went through my exam paper to see where I went wrong.

If you do have to repeat, it's far from the end of the world. And nearly everyone passes. Just put it out of your mind for this semester and focus on what's examinable in the Summer exams, and work on doing as well as you can there to compensate.

starry nights

anyone know a good way of learning inflammation and folate/B12/Haem metabolism? like any books with helpful explanations (instant notes has nothing)

There's feck all in the lecturers notes but the suggested reading may as well be in arabic cos I don't follow it...

Kwekubo

I found Scott's notes, plus the notes I made in lectures, were plenty. Read one or two of the suggested review articles.

bythewoods

Bloomfield was very very helpful, I emailed him some answers I wrote up and he corrected them until they were honours-answers.

jmn89

Lads try to enjoy yourselves now. Wish I hadn't sweated it so much in the younger years as final year is utterly awful craic.

Juss sayin'.