How is medical/other health science school going?

mardybumbum

speeding wrote: »

Hi Guys

Just got an offer for the 5 year course in rcsi on friday. Delighted :-). I'm a mature student who studied radiography. I've very little exposure to chemistry since i didn't do it for my leaving certificate back in 2006 and didn't really do many modules concerning it during my degree. Just wondering if anybody has any advice this summer regarding preparing myself for first year med. Maybe some reading to bring myself up to scratch. Thanks :-)

Congrats.
I can only speak for TCD 1st med but if they are in any way similar you will need very little/no chemistry knowledge.
Biochem consists of learning a load of pathways and keeping them in your head for the exam after which you will not think about them again.


I can understand your enthusiasm but my advice would be to enjoy your summer.
There is plenty of time for the books after summer.
There are 2 RCSI students that frequent this forum. I'm sure they will know a lot more about what level of Chem you will need.

Best of luck

speeding

Thanks mate :-) Can't wait to start

Albection

I'm actually going to be a final med!

Biologic

Results received, 2nd GEP passed . Unfortunately, the therapeutic 'Burning of the Notes' ceremony will have to wait until after the USMLE. Come September though, my ethics notes are getting it.

A Neurotic

Finally finished third year. Started exams on the 8th of May...

Larianne

2.1 in my exams. Delighted and shocked - I nearly deferred them. :eek:

Elective placement starting Monday!

Piste

Still in college, not finished for another 3 weeks. Bleh.

PhysiologyRocks

I'm going into final med too!

mardybumbum

I am disgusted with all of you who have finished.

Piste

I've two more weeks to go and I've just discovered a section on our intranet telling us what we should know by the end of the year. I do hope some sort of mistake was made and this is what we need to have seen/done by the end of med school. For example, the cariology one alone is:

CARDIOLOGY CURRICULUM

CORE KNOWLEDGE
The following topics must be known well.
Also student should have taken at least one history from patient with each of following conditions.
Stable Angina
Unstable Angina
Myocardial Infarct
Pericarditis
Pericardial Effussion
Cardiac Tamponade
Myocarditis
Infective Endocarditis
Arrhythmias
Cardiac Failure
Cardiac Arrest
Cardiac Risk Factors
Hypertension
Cardiac Transplant
Valvular Heart Disease
Cardiac Surgery
Cardiomyopathy





SYMPTOMS
(Student must be capable of taking directed history and exam and be able to order and interpret relevant investigation
Chest Pain (typical and atypical)
Shortness of breath
Collapse/Syncopy
Intermittent Claudication
Palpitations
Orthopnoea





CORE CLINICAL SKILLS
(Student must have performed all procedures below)
Phlebotomy
IV access
ABG
Blood Pressure Measurement
Identify Fundoscopic changes hypertension/diabetes
Clerk patient in for angiogram
Seen an angiogram being performed
Be able to manage post angiogram complications
Attend Bypass surgery
Be Familiar with CCU
ACLS



AXILLIARY CLINICAL SKILLS
(Student to have attempted if applicable or at least witnessed and have good knowledge of procedure)
Angiogram
Echocardiograpy
Ambulatory Testing
Exercise Stress Test
Tilt Test
Cardiac CT
Cardiac Arrest Management
Observe pericardial fluid drainage
DC Cardioversion
Cardiac Pacemaker Placement


CLINICAL INTERPRETATION
(Student must be able to interpret following)
Ischaemia on ECG
All potential cardiac arrest rhythyms
All basic arrythymias on ECG (tachycardias/bradycardias)
Cardiac enzymes interpretation
CXR
Results Stress Test
Cholesterol/Lipid results
Echocardiography results










Suggested Reading

Textbooks

1. Kumar P and Clarke M. Clinical Medicine 3rd edition Saunders: London 2006

Nevermind the fact that my general med/surg rotations have been Orthopaedic Surgery and Infectious Diseases so I haven't seen half of that stuff, there's a list that long for all of the specialties. I think no matter what team I'm on for the next two weeks I'll just ask them for particular cases if they have any and hope for the best.

Larianne

Such great banter today on placement. Got to see some really interesting patients.

Now to stand in on neurosurgery or not... ? That is the question. Nearly fainted during a relocation of a hemiarthroplasty.

A Neurotic

Larianne wrote: »

Such great banter today on placement. Got to see some really interesting patients.

Now to stand in on neurosurgery or not... ? That is the question. Nearly fainted during a relocation of a hemiarthroplasty.

Stand in! You can always leave if you aren't feeling well. It's a cool opportunity!

Piste

Almost fainted during Colonoscopy today. On a concious level I wasn't that disgusted by it, I think it was just standing in a warm room.

PhysiologyRocks

I think patients are great!

And I got some new suturing experience under my belt.

Piste

First exam tomorrow. Trying to cram at half two in the morning. This was a mistake.

Jessibelle

best of luck!!

Albection

Best of luck Piste!

You'll be fine.

If you need anything, let us know.

Larianne

Last week on elective coming up. So much to learn, so little time to learn it all. :cool:

Biologic

Results received today for my end of placement OSCE, and I managed a first. It's the exam which the school uses to allocate US placements for those sitting the USMLE, so I'm glad it went well. It makes being up at 04:30 studying for the actual USMLE that bit easier

Albection

Biologic wrote: »

Results received today for my end of placement OSCE, and I managed a first. It's the exam which the school uses to allocate US placements for those sitting the USMLE, so I'm glad it went well.

Well done!

Biologic wrote: »

It makes being up at 04:30 studying for the actual USMLE that bit easier

:eek::eek::eek: That sounds more than a little unpleasant! Do you have much longer left before it?

Biologic

Albection wrote: »

Well done!

:eek::eek::eek: That sounds more than a little unpleasant! Do you have much longer left before it?

Thanks! Last night was abnormally late. I got very little done during the day on account of the results, so had to make it up at night. I'm planning to sit the USMLE in mid September, so that gives me roughly 10 weeks from now.
How's your break going? You're headed into final year right? I'd give my first born to be headed into final year right now.

Piste

Got my results back (which was very quick as the last exam was last Friday!) and I passed! This makes the last 6 months of college seem totally worth it.

theowen

Piste wrote: »

Got my results back (which was very quick as the last exam was last Friday!) and I passed! This makes the last 6 months of college seem totally worth it.

Do ye have lots of MCQs or something? We didn't get ours back for a month and a half :P. And you probably have twice the number of my class!

A Neurotic

I passed 3rd year and also am doing an elective in Zambia at the mo. Quite happy with all that.

Piste

theowen wrote: »

Do ye have lots of MCQs or something? We didn't get ours back for a month and a half :P. And you probably have twice the number of my class!

We just had the 1 MCQ, but we had a physical exam OSCE and a history OSCE so they were marked pretty quickly, also there was some continuous assessment that was taken into account.

I found this hilarious tumblr which pretty much totally sums up med school: http://whatshouldwecallmedschool.tumblr.com/

A Neurotic

Starting Psych in 2 weeks, really looking forward to it. Any recommendations for textbooks?

mardybumbum

A Neurotic wrote: »

Starting Psych in 2 weeks, really looking forward to it. Any recommendations for textbooks?

I absolutely despised Psych and got a mediocre grade in it so I am not the best to give advice but most people used Psych at a Glance and the oxford handbook.

mardybumbum

Biologic wrote: »

Results received today for my end of placement OSCE, and I managed a first. It's the exam which the school uses to allocate US placements for those sitting the USMLE, so I'm glad it went well. It makes being up at 04:30 studying for the actual USMLE that bit easier

Where do ye get US placements?

Kwekubo

I liked Psychiatry by Ten Teachers. It's brand new so it probably isn't on the recommended reading list yet. Get that and Core Clinical Cases in Psychiatry and you would be doing well - it would be feasible to read both cover to cover.

Biologic

mardybumbum wrote: »

Where do ye get US placements?

There are a few high profile ones in Hopkins, Mayo and Columbia but I'm definitely not guaranteed one of those. Although my chances are probably decent as I'm only looking for them to set up an IM one. I've got an EM one organised on my own. I don't know where the rest are. How are yours going so far?