Surviving the 1st year studies

Study Guidelines For The Freshers

By Umama Ameen (D’18)
(With some contributions from Muhammad Faizan Ali - D’18)

Assalam-o-Aleikum all the freshers, the DOWITES' 19, "the doctor-to-be" out there !:)

Kudos on your selection to your dream place "DOW MEDICAL COLLEGE !" (Don’t kill me if this proves a nightmare at some points in the upcoming years. :p ) We hope you're enjoying your tafreeh days, exploring places, making new friends and being ragged mercilessly jovially by your seniors. :D

Now, as everybody who is going to enter this field of medicine would know, this is recognized to be one of the longest and the toughest undergraduate course taught worldwide. But take a breath! This is the most rewarding one too! Trust me; this is going to earn you, not just riches, but respect & a place in Allah's eyes, if you do it honestly and righteously. And to be able to achieve all this, first a thorough medical knowledge would be required; and this is what you are going to learn theoretically as well as practically in the forth-coming years.

What I've tried to tell you in this article (pardon me if this gets too long :D) is sort of a study guideline that might help you survive your upcoming modules and semester exams, and hopefully get over with them with flying colors I.A.

Pattern of studies

As you became aware in your orientation, DUHS has acquired an integrative pattern of studies instead of a subjective one. So, you would be doing all the basic science subjects (Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry) from the very first module (Foundation module) along with clinical subjects (Pathology, Microbiology, Immunology and Pharmacology) and accessory subjects (Community Medicine and Behavioral Sciences.)
 

The chapters covered in each subject will be divided according to the system being taught in that particular module. So make up your mind to take everything and every subject along as you move on.

Study Tips

• Try to attend most classes in the beginning, and then you'll easily figure out with time, which lectures are worth attending.
• Go and give a read to the topic taught TODAY at home. Leaving them till tomorrow is going to be the BIGGEST mistake ever!! 
• Studying on a daily basis really would save your time and energy. You'll have to study, whether today or tomorrow, so better do it today, and make things easier for yourself! :) 
• Use other means of acquiring knowledge too besides books: surf over internet, go through video lectures, and arrange group discussions whenever you need; discussion would especially help you memorizing the tedious stuff. 
• Help yourself with 'Kaplan video lectures for USMLE Step 1' for revision. 
• Go for Dr. Najeeb's video lectures preferably for the incomprehensible topics that come your way. 
• You need to take some time out for refreshing yourself every now and then. Don’t just burry yourself into book always as this isn't going to help... GET SOME LIFE DUDE! :D

Books choices

Which books to buy is one of the biggest challenges that you'll be faced in your initial days. I hope you guys will have your online lecture outlines that might help you as well.

GROSS ANATOMY

-           For GENERAL ANATOMY, go for "HANDBOOK OF GENERAL ANATOMY BY B.D.CHURASIA"; according to me this is the most helpful and handy book to carry for your beginner (foundation) module.

-           Since there is great emphasis on nervous system in all the modules, be it foundation or any other, make sure you have a nice grip over this. I did this from "KLM CLINICALLY ORIENTATED BOOK OF ANATOMY" and found it quite conceptual.

-           Go for "NETTER'S ATLAS OF ANATOMY" to help you with diagrams.

-           I won't go into discussions for your gross anatomy book choice that you'll come across in your 2nd semester. Do it from Gray’s for Students (pretty diagrams man!), KLM (clinical) or BD (especially for osteology) whichever you feel comfy with.

-           And yes, I would recommend BRS (board review series) anatomy when you'd come to your gross anatomy revisions later on.

HISTOLOGY

-           For an easy start, facilitate yourself with "LAIQ HUSSAIN's HISTOLOGY", I've found it quite a student friendly book so far.

-           For OSPE, better go through "WHEATER's COLOR ATLAS OF HISTOLOGY" briefly too. (especially if you've been bunking your histo labs off and on :D)

EMBRYOLOGY

-           I personally liked "LANGMAN's EMBRYOLOGY" for its compactness and colored illustrations. Its summaries are quite implementable.

-           "KLM's EMBRYOLOGY" is by no means inferior to Langman, for it teaches you in the simplest possible manner. So with this, the choice is yours.

PHYSIOLOGY

-           Go for GUYTON, it’s the easiest one to start with.

-           GANONG, quite a smart book. It would work, I guess, only for the smartest kids out there.

-           When you've got your exams round the corner, you could also use short revision books: "POCKET GUYTON" and ‘’BRS Physio’’ would be a good choices.

BIOCHEMISTRY

-           "LIPPINCOTT's BIOCHEMISTRY" is a very comprehensive book for this completely dry subject.

-           “HARPER”is quite a lengthy and difficult book. It would help you sometimes, but I won’t suggest it for regular use.

PATHOLOGY

-           No doubt a VERY lengthy book, "ROBBIN's PATHOLOGIC BASIS OF DISEASES" still would be my suggestion.

-           To help yourself, keep "POCKET COMPANIAN TO ROBBIN's PATHOLOGIC BASIS OF DISEASES" by your side too and concern it to conclude the topics.

-         "ROBBIN's PATHOLOGIC BASICS OF DISEASES" is yet another option.

PHARMACOLOGY

-           GOD!!! The most horrible subject of medicine you are expected to know well; again "LIPPINCOTT's PHARMACOLOGY" is going to ease you like none other.

-           Keep "KATZUNG REVIEW" by your side too, go through its tables, it’s quite a nice and precise book. I love it!

 MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY

-           Mainly you have to worry about these subjects in your Blood, Inflammation, Neoplasia and Immunity Module (Yes, this is the name of a single module :p ). The most popular book used is LEVINSON.

COMMUNITY MEDICINE AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES

-           Since they are sort of minor subjects, going through lecture outlines would be enough.

-           "MUHAMMAD ILYAS's CM" would be the text book for CM and ‘’ASMA HUMAYUN’S INTEGRATING BS IN HEATHCARE’ would be for BS, though hardly anyone studies these subjects from books, if at all.

 Examination Preparation Strategy   

• Plan your preparation leave thoughtfully. 
• Your concepts should all be clear by the time you begin with your preparation leave. Utilize this time for revising the stuff and memorizing the important clues and facts. 
• Don’t leave much of the stuff on the last days before exams. 
• I won't advise you to solve every random BCQs books available, just go through the questions and their explanations given at the end of each chapter in your textbooks. 
• Most importantly, keep your nerves under control on the exam day; don’t let yourself puzzled-up when you look at the question book, otherwise your efforts could go all in vain and your paper a complete mess, even if you were well-prepared.

Go, give a try and conquer it. Just do your topics on a daily basis and relish all your spare time. The forth-coming moments of your life are going to be the most amazing and wonderful time you've ever had or you'll ever have!

Make them memorable.

GOOD LUCK! :D

Preparation for MCAT

by Adil Siddiqui- D'18

(with some contributions from Anum Zehra Raza- D'18)

I know how it is, how it feels to be hanging there not knowing what the future awaits for you. Trust me, you need not calm down right now since you hardly have a month left. If I had been writing this post a month back, I would have asked you to be cool about the exam and take it easily. But since the span is less, you guys need to bring up your A-game right now.

I hope by now you all have joined a coaching centre for MCAT preparation and given dozens of tests there (it surely helps!). In case you haven’t, you need not worry. There are students who managed to get in, without attempting a single practice test. These institutes are going to scare you about how hard the paper is going to be and how competitive the race is. They may be true about the latter but not about the former.

The NTS test was the easiest MCQ test I've ever written in my life! My emotions were contrary to this conclusion (and yours might be too) when I first entered the test venue: an enormous, tented ground with thousands of chairs and tables. The only thing that helped me out there was a little trip to the lavatory before the test and loads of prayers to settle my nerves.

So this was a brief strategy as to how you are to think about the day of the paper but there are still questions unanswered. How do you need to prepare for it? Is it okay if you leave some topics? There are thousands of people who have given the MCAT and everyone might have a different tactic to study for it. What worked for me might not work for you. Nevertheless, I will tell you about my experience, how I failed to do what I was supposed to do and what you should do.

 

Study smartly!

Although I am in DMC on merit, I do have regrets. I didn't study much for the paper. I did not go through the books at all before the last month. And whomever you are going to is going to tell you the same thing, "The paper is made from the Intermediate books and the Intermediate books only".

It's good if you have gone through all the subject books twice by now. If not, it's okay. I hadn't too. When it comes to how much you are supposed to study, I had friends studying six to seven hours a day apart from the six to seven hours they spent in the coaching center and it did pay off for some. For some, it didn't. (I won’t tell you how long I studied because it’s shameful :p ).

The key to it all is smart studying. Smart studying is studying in a manner in which you'll be able to retain whatever you go through and not simply reading the way you would read The Kite Runner.

Highlighters are a good tool for this purpose but please don’t end up painting the book! Highlight the lines that deem importance, for example you should highlight the vitamins involved in the Krebs cycle (Vitamin B complex), what the grasslands are called (bread baskets of the world), or the definition of Pauli's exclusion principle.

You might be wondering if you can leave some topics. Yes, sure you can but on your own risk. You cannot expect anything from the NTS! 

There is a fair chance of repetition of questions. So try solving past papers; any NTS paper will do. MCAT books might also facilitate you; I had Dogar Sons. I didn't look at it much but the chapters I went through became my forte. You should only go for MCAT books if you are done with intermediate books. If not, then don't waste your time on anything extra.

Subject wise tips

It's been a year, I cannot recall it all but what I remember is that the Biology and Chemistry section of the test can be easily solved if you have read the books (thanks to the "ratta" type questions).

Try not to ignore Organic Chemistry since it's important. Do chapter 10 thoroughly. In Biology, no chapter is less important than the other. If you are worried about Kingdom Plantae and Animalia, you should at least know the botanical names of plants and classification of animals. Though, no more than one hard and three easy questions are going to be made out of these two chapters combined.

Physics is what most pre-medical students find difficult. The key to do good in Physics is to solve all the numericals and examples given in the Intermediate books. It helps when you have the image of the answers of each and every numerical in your mind from the examples of the books (This is a good trick, trust me :D).
Any numerical requiring very lengthy working is not expected to come. So, do not and I mean DO NOT look at the ladder numericals in God knows fourth or fifth chapter of the first year book. The examiner isn't stupid to give it in the paper since you only have a minute for a question.
Chapter 2, 3,4,10 are most important. You cannot, at any cost, ignore them. At least one dimension would be asked from chapter 1 and that would probably be the only thing to be asked from this chapter. You must know the definitions from chapter 5. Numericals would be mostly from chapter 2,3,4,7,8,10. Doppler effect is the likely thing to be asked from chapter 8. You are expected to know the mass, radius of earth/moon from chapter 6. Learn the values of all important constants.

For English, you need to not worry at all. Two vocabulary questions are the only tricky thing in this section, which wouldn’t be a problem if your English is fine.

 

Manage your time properly

"One minute for a question", keep that in mind. Contrary to this, I was taught "20 seconds for a question" from where I did my preparation but the mere thought of it is bogus too.

Yes, you might not even need 20 seconds for easy biology questions but then there are Physics numericals and Organic chemistry that definitely take a minute. I used the word 'easy' here , you must understand that every student who's least interested to get into a medical college will get these questions correct (the pattern of the NTS test is approximately 10 difficult questions, 50 moderate questions and 40 easy questions).

Don't bother about more than half the hard questions if you're not aiming to get in the top 25. Getting in the top 25 sounds very fancy but it all dies down in a while when you're in the medical college.

Do not overdo your paper

All of you might have calculated your score out of 50 by now. If not, then you should do it now. Add 10% of your O levels’ equivalence or Matric percentage to 40% of your Inter or A levels percentage and you have the result. It's well and good if it's above 40. If it's not, you just have to score more in the test, there's no big deal there.

This score, out of 50, will give you an idea of how many questions you need to attempt correctly in order to secure your seat. If for instance your score is 43/50, keeping in mind last year's closing percentage of 85.3, you need to score a minimum of 86 in your test. If you are sure you'll get 86 questions correct, do not try to pick an intuitive answer. Negative marking can mess it up for you. I attempted 91 and got five wrong. 

Final Advice 

Lastly, do not rush with the smearing circles there, you're supposed to fill it in pen so no recovering your answer.

At the day of the paper, be prepared with everything you're supposed to bring. DO NOT leave the admit card like a lot of people did. Have a light breakfast, try not studying a lot the day before, and rather spend some time watching light comedy, praying or reading poetry. This helped me and it might help you too.

You need to have that one determination in you: you are going to beat the sh** out of the paper! It probably is the most important paper of your life and you'll be dealing with a hundred folds difficult papers from now on. I'm not going to say it's okay if you mess up the paper. You're going to ruin your life if you do that trust me. And it'll be a matter of hours when you find out if you're becoming a doctor or not.

I'm sorry to fabricate this tension in you but start studying like there’s nothing else to do. Read the books again and again. As the stress starts building, don't be too fussy with your parents; they are the ones who want it the most for you.

I've given you a good tactical analysis I hope, but of course, the experience of it will be somewhat different. Good luck with everything that comes along the way. Do share your experience after the paper and ask anything if you're confused about it.