The Unofficial Guide to First Year - University of Oklahoma Health ...

The Unofficial Guide to First Year

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction to medical school
CHAPTER 1
The Grand Scheme 4
CHAPTER 11
Where to find…? 30
CHAPTER 2
Exams 10
CHAPTER 12
Student health and Insurance 36
CHAPTER 3
Exam Review Committee 14
CHAPTER 13
Social Life 37
CHAPTER 4
Note groups 16
CHAPTER 14
Student Gov’t 39
CHAPTER 5
Anatomical Donor 17
CHAPTER 15
Book List 41
CHAPTER 6
Computers in the Electronic Age 18
CHAPTER 16
Exam Review 42
Section A- Gross 43
CHAPTER 7
Home Schooling 21
Section B- Biochem 49
Section C- Embryo 57
Section D- PCM 60
CHAPTER 8
Financial Aid 24
Section E- HB 62
Section F- IMPS 70
Section G- Phys 72
CHAPTER 9
Help when you need it 25
Section H- Neuro 78
Section I- Histo 96
Section J- EBM 99
CHAPTER 10
Parking 28
Credits to Jim Albertson, to the class of 2012,
and all those that came before and will come after.

UNOFFICIAL GUIDE
Esteemed
Medical Students…
Foreword
Presented to the Class of 2013
The Class of 2011 List Of
THE MOST ANNOYING
THINGS THAT OCCUR
DURING A TEST.
1. When the person next to
you shows up late, out of
breath, and begging for a
pencil.
2. People who turn in their
test when you are on
question 15.
3. People who constantly get
up to go to the bathroom.
4. Chair shifters…
5. People who Neglect their
Hygiene… enough said.
Let me first say that this guide could not have been possible without the
efforts of the writers from the class of 2010 and 2011. Specifically, editor
Jacqueline Teddi Lee who put together one of the most complete guidebooks I
have ever seen. So good, in fact, that to change the formatting or some of the
chapters would detract from its quality. Thus, my version is an edit of hers and uses
most of the same formatting. It is the most updated version of the information she
and her classmates compiled.
The Unofficial Guide to First Year is a repository of knowledge, gathered from
not only our class but those that came before us as well. It holds information on just
about everything that you may come across during your first year in medical school.
If you’re curious about parking, student loans, biochemistry, or bar tour, the
information can be found within plus much more.
This is the real story behind first year, stripped of everything but what you need to
know. Trust me, you will hear many long winded speeches about how to make it
through medical school but take it from me, this guide is probably your most reliable
source of factual information. It helped us, and so in turn, we hope it can help you.
Finally, I want to stress how important it is to get to know your class. Say “Hi” and start a
conversation with someone new each day and I promise it will pay dividends in the end. Your
classmates are your support group and your fellow colleagues. Treat them with respect, don’t be a
gunner (more on that later…), and remember, getting into medical school was the hard part!
Now it’s just a matter of finishing. And you WILL finish.
Congratulations. You’ve earned a spot in Medical School. Be Proud. Kick Ass.
And of course… DON’T PANIC!
Rachel Clapper
Secretary, Editor
Class of 2012
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Welcome & Words of Advice
Welcome & words of advice from the President of the Class of 2012!
You can now kiss your old life good bye and usher in your new life as an MSI. But what to think about your
new life? Maybe you don’t want to give up your college fun? Maybe you wish you did things in the past and
now you think that you won’t have another chance? Maybe you think that your new life won’t be much of a
life at all? Well if you answered yes to any of these questions then you’ve got a warped view on medical school.
Let me start by giving you an insight into what my first year was like and then I’ll tell you a few helpful hints to
make sure you get the most out of your first year. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you anything though; you must
extremely smart and downright amazing to get into medical school. I would know, I’m pretty amazing myself.
Anyways, before my head gets too big for my shoulders, I’d like to personally congratulate you on this amazing
accomplishment. Go ahead and pat yourself on the back (right now!). Feels pretty good doesn’t it? You
should be proud of what you’ve accomplished and excited about what you will accomplish in the next 4 years.
But I digress; let’s get back to introducing you to your new life as a med student.
My first year consisted of studying, sleeping, and studying. But it also consisted of going to concerts, attending
bar tour, joining an indoor soccer league, going to the lake, watching movies the day they premiered at
midnight (since I was up studying anyways), working out, getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, and so much
more. I tell you this not to make you jealous that I was able to adopt a pretty good lifestyle but to encourage
you to do the same. As long as you stay on top of your studies, you should never find yourself losing control
of your life. With a little time management, you’ll be able to do so much more than I did first year and have a
lot of fun doing it! If you need any help with that I’d be happy to help. I’m actually writing you this letter
from Army basic training right now and am learning to manage my time EXTREMELY well. I’m also an
excellent person to distract you from studying which is probably why no one in my mod studies with me
anymore. Now on to some tips that will make your first year one of the best years of your life.
First and foremost, GET INVOLVED! There are plenty of interest groups on campus and you are certain to
find one that fits your interests. Plus you get to meet a bunch of cool people who know some insider tips that
can make your journey through medical school that much easier. And if you’re looking for a significant other
who’s not in medical school you’ll probably find someone through these interest groups. For the men, the
dental hygiene students last year were pretty easy on the eyes and I’m sure they recruited some stunning ones
for this year (just a heads up). For the ladies, the male nurses had some studs last year (that’s what I was told, I
never took a look for myself).
Second, stay healthy and EXERCISE! I guarantee that you will fall behind in your studies if you get sick. If
you want to stay on top of your game, make sure you get a good amount of sleep (when you can), eat healthy,
and exercise regularly.
Third, go to bar tour and other functions to MINGLE with your classmates outside of the classroom.
Sometimes you’ll be surprised how much fun they can be when they’re not staring into a book. Especially get
to know your mod mates! You’ll be around them for the rest of your time in medical school and they’ll
become your second family. Also, just like you wouldn’t hook up with any of your family members, I
discourage you from hooking up with your mod mates. We call it modcest and it can sometimes lead to a lot
of unnecessary drama if things don’t work out.
Lastly and most importantly, HAVE FUN, study, and make sure to enjoy your first year!!!! I and the other
MSII’s are looking forward to meeting you and can’t wait for you to join the program. I’ll see you soon and
enjoy the rest of your summer!!!
Barton Blackorby
President, Class of 2012
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Chapter
1
The Grand Scheme of Things…
So you’re starting med school, now what? No matter what your
background, chances are that the next four years will be quite a change from
what you are used to. The bad news is that you’re technically a “freshman”
again, and with that title comes the usual amount of adjustment. The good news is, now you get
to be called an MS1 (medical student, first year) which at least sounds a little better…
Let’s get down to the basics. Comprising a total of 4 years, medical school is better examined in
halves. For the first half you will spend most of your time in the classroom (also called the “Basic
Science Years”), while the last two years will be spent doing clinical rotations either in OKC or at
the Tulsa campus, depending on preference and availability. As a general rule, MSI’s should only
focus on the first year curriculum and adjusting to medical school, and possibly looking into
summer jobs (i.e. research opportunities). The following is just an overview that you can use for
future reference.
FIRST YEAR
During the first year you will be learning the “supposed to’s” of the human body. In other words,
first year courses focus on the way the human body should be functioning under “normal”
conditions. Classes will deal with the both the anatomical and psychological aspects of life. You
will learn about a number of diseases, but they will be taught in relation to what is considered to
be the normal situation. You will also have a taste of clinical work during your PCM course.
This guide is designed to give you a better understanding of the classes and professors
experienced during the first year.
SECOND YEAR
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During this year, courses are designed to teach about the human body gone awry. You will take
classes like pathology and pharmacology in order to better understand disease and methods of
treatment. In addition, many students seem to enjoy the second year more than the first year, as
the information seems more practical (i.e. treating disease states) and the schedule primarily
consists of morning classes, so your afternoons are “free.”
Introduction to Human Illness (IHI): This is by far the largest class of medical school, as you
take it both semesters during the second year. Dr. Holliman is the course director and he
really works hard to make this a good course. Although his syllabus is thorough, you don’t
get a syllabus for some sections so you have to use notegroups and a textbook. When you do
have Dr. Holliman’s syllabus remember that if something is bolded or italicized it will be on a
test.
There are two textbooks for the class: Robbin’s Pathology and Kaufman’s Essentials of
Pathophysiology. The Robbin’s book is expensive but definitely worth it. The Kaufman
book is not as good, but because it was written by current professors it is occasionally useful
for the clinical content. Okie Notes Pathology is Holliman’s syllabus and some people used it
for the sections he didn’t give us in class.
Pharmacology: This is also a full year class and was recently revamped for last year’s class. We
had class for the first two test blocks and then we had team based learning sessions (TBLs)
only. The good side is you don’t have lecture so you have more free time. The bad side is
you have a TBL every Friday. If you have lectures they’re usually worthwhile. Dr. Koss’s
material is an extension of what you learned first year and it’s pretty difficult on the test, so
make sure you understand it. If you go to class he explains it well.
Principles of Clinical Medicine II (PCM II): This class is structured differently than PCM I.
You have lecture first semester and two block exams. Then you have a comprehensive final
in May. The most fun part about the class is the activities. You will have a partner who does
all of the activities with you and you will be assigned a date to do them. You will perform a
pelvic exam on a volunteer, you will be graded on a complete physical exam (by a nursing
student volunteer), and you’ll do an eye, ear, nose, and throat exam on each other. You will
also follow a preceptor one day a week for six weeks. If you have a specialty you’re interested
in you can request someone in that field and you can request a specific doctor. So, you might
talk to your mentor and see if they know a good doctor to follow.
MMI: There’s really no special trick to this class, you just have to learn all the bacteria and
viruses. There are a couple of useful books: Immunobiology by Janeway is great but it is only
comprised of immunology information which will be covered during the first test block.
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Katzung’s Board Review book is all right for the whole semester, but most people just used
the syllabus for this class.
STEP 1 USMLE
After your second year, you are required to sit for and pass the National Board Exam. Most
people do not begin "studying" for this until second semester of second year. Since you have only
one month at most between the close of second year and boards, you cannot cram or relearn all
the material, but you can review most of it with quick reviews (First Aid, etc), and augment what
you don't know with more in depth review books (Kaplan, BRS, etc). The best way to study is to
actually learn the material when it is presented to you during the school year and use the study aids
to help at that time as opposed to cramming before tests. Also, the finals at the end of second
year, in particular IHI and Pharm are very useful in preparing for boards and assessing where you
may be. At OU students must take boards before beginning clinical rotations. If a student fails to
pass boards, they will be notified by the dean's office and removed from clinical rotation until a
passing score (185pts according to the last review; USMLE website 2006) is obtained.
THIRD & FOURTH YEARS:
For your final years in school, you will spend time in a schedule of required clinical rotations
as well as a few selectives that you choose based on your areas of interest. The third year
consists of 8 core clerkships, 2 selectives, and a 2-week Christmas break. During the fourth
year you will be required to do a rural and an ambulatory medicine rotation, and you will
have various selectives throughout the year. You will also have a 2-week Christmas break
and 2, 2-week vacation blocks based on your schedule. The clinical years are when it’s time
to put all of your knowledge to use. Third year is the year of highest yield as you learn from
books as well as from your patients. You will still have some didactic sessions, but primarily
you will learn on wards and in clinics from residents and attendings, not to mention patients.
Two rules for clinical students: 1) Show up on time (this means early), dress well, look
interested, and do what you are supposed to 2) Do not be a “gunner” to other classmatesthis
means making them look bad in order to make yourself look good (i.e. answering
questions posed to them, checking after their patients, presenting their patients, etc). Failure
to follow those rules will make you look bad and tends to result in adverse reactions from
the residents (they remember being students too).
In addition, you will also sit for the USMLE Step II Exam, which consists of a clinical knowledge
and a clinical skills portion. Students do not stress as much for this exam as they do for Step I or
Match. The new clinical skills exam has been implemented starting with the Class of 2005 and
will require students to travel to one of 5 test sites (Atlanta, Philadelphia, Houston, Chicago, LA)
where they will have to perform focused HPIs (History of Present Illness) on 8-10 patients. It is
recommended that you take Step II early in your fourth year so that you will have your scores
back in time for residency interviews.
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Also, you will participate in the Match process to decide your residency. Applications are due in
November of your fourth year with the interview season lasting from December-February. By
mid February, students and residency programs submit their rank orders and the match then
occurs (think rush in college on a bigger scale). If a student fails to match at one of their ranked
schools, they will be notified a couple of days prior to Match Day (when all matches are
announced) by the dean's office and will enter the Scramble which is a list of all unfilled programs
and phone numbers.
***For early matches and more competitive programs (Orthopedics, Dermatology,
Ophthalmology, etc) a student is obviously scrutinized even more. For students considering these
specialties, they should consider research or other high yield summer opportunities between first
and second year, preferably in that specialty.
Tommy: Did you hear I graduated?
Richard: Yeah and just a shade under a decade. All right.
Tommy: A lot of people go to college for seven years.
Richard: Yeah, they're called doctors
-Tommy Boy
Student Organizations
In medical school, grades….no, passing takes first priority. If it takes all you’ve got to get
your grades, then don’t feel compelled to join a bunch of extracurricular groups. However,
for some people, being involved does seem to take away a bit of the stress of medical school
and they make a handful of connections in the meantime. There will be many clubs
recruiting you during orientation and the first week of school. Many are worth joining - just
make sure you don’t have too many irons in the fire. There are plenty of worthwhile
organizations (probably too many to list) that will have free lunches during the first few
weeks! Attend these and get an idea of what you want to do with your free time.
OU Community Health Alliance (OUCHA)
Fact: Currently, 1 in 6 people living in Oklahoma County are without health insurance
coverage. The expense of healthcare prohibits many without insurance from getting the care
that they need to live healthy lives. OUCHA believes we can make a difference. By
providing basic medical and pharmaceutical services and preventative health education to
our neighbors in need we can improve the quality of their health and give them the
opportunity to live more fulfilling lives.
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OU Community Health Alliance is an organization of OU medical students, in cooperation
with students across the health science center campus, who aim to better the healthcare
system of Oklahoma City. Through volunteerism we work to uplift, educate, and empower
citizens. The Alliance exposes students to the challenges of providing health care with
limited resources while developing more compassionate and empathetic healthcare
professionals.
Our primary goals:
• Serve the uninsured and underinsured population of Oklahoma City
• Create an intense educational experience for students at all different levels of training
• Expose students to the needs of the community in which we live
• Foster a life-long passion for community service
Get Started Today
Join your fellow students to improve healthcare in Oklahoma City. Find an experience that
fits your schedule.
Clinic Volunteer: Spend time seeing patients and learning from OU faculty and
community physicians. Help the 11 partner community free clinics provide excellent
healthcare.
Health Educator: Teach Oklahoma City Elementary School kids to stay tobaccofree
with the AAFP’s Tar Wars program and consider healthcare as a career; Work
with Diabetes patients to develop healthy habits; Be a Clinic Health Educator during
clinic times.
Get Involved in your Community: Help organize events, like Bridges to Access to
benefit your community. Share your passion to make our community a healthier
place to work and live. See the course description on Hippocrates Outreach Clinics
link for ideas about how you can get more involved.
Become an Officer or Committee Member: OU Community Health Officers and
Committee Members are dedicated to serving the community and their fellow
students while representing OU College of Medicine. We are a passionate and
ambitious group of students, working closely with leaders from the OUHSC
colleges, to provide exciting and relevant experiences in the community for OUHSC
students. Since founding the organization in 2007, we have hosted the Bridges to
Access conference twice, an annual conference involving over 200 OUHSC students,
faculty, and community leaders in a forum to identify the healthcare needs of the
community and find ways to work together to provide novel solutions to improve
healthcare in Oklahoma. To date, students have volunteered 2476 hours in the 11
community clinics and health education programs. OU Community Health Alliance
was honored with the 2009 OUHSC Outstanding Student Organization Award.
Committees include: Education, Grant-Writing, Technology, Communications.
Email communityhealth@ouhsc.edu to get more information.
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Community Health I and II Elective Course
Participation as a clinic volunteer, health educator, and community leader can earn you
Elective Course credit. You can earn hours throughout the time you are enrolled as a
medical student. If you complete the 80 hours of service, you may enroll in the two-week
Community Health Elective I or II during your fourth year. Students may enroll in both
courses if they have completed the 160 hour requirement. Please see the course description
on the Hippocrates Outreach Clinics link.
Take a Break and Chillax for a While
Labor Day
Fall Break
Thanksgiving Break
Winter Break
Martin Luther King Day
Spring Break
Monday, September 7st
Friday, October 16th
November 25th –29th
Dec. 19 th – Jan. 3th
January 18th
March 13 th -21st
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The Class of 2010 list of
Post Test Block Activities
5. Sleep
4. Stare at the wall
3. Eat
2. Spend time with family and friends
1. Attend the post test-block party!
CHAPTER
2
Exams…
U
nfortunately, as much as we hate them, exams are big part of the next couple of
years. And now you not only have to take tests, you have to endure the dreaded
“Test Block”. Having an exam week is not the only thing that will be a change
from undergrad. For example, now you will be taking classes worth something like 145
clock hours (the amount of time you actually spend sitting in the classroom) as opposed to
3 or 4 credit hour classes that you took in college.
Test Block is basically just that – you will spend 4-6 weeks in each class and then take tests
in every subject during one week following that period. Everyone has their own opinion
on test block, however, the majority would probably agree that once you get used to it, the
system actually works. Test block ensures that you really cannot cram for the tests, as there
is just too much to learn and not enough hours to learn it. So you are much better off
staying as caught up as possible. You’ve probably heard this before, and you’ll probably
hear it again, but the story goes that some 1st year med students piled up all their notes,
syllabi, etc, and the stack of just one student’s stuff came to over four feet high. You will
find that medical students do odd things like that for entertainment.
During the fall semester, test block will proceed as follows: Mon – Biochem; Tues –
Embryo; Wed – Gross; Thurs –Human Behavior; Fri – off. During the spring semester,
however, physiology and neuro would switch spots between Monday and Friday each
block. During the Spring, there will be temptation to try to get some tests moved from the
second test block. However, I would say save your energy because it won’t work. We were
told, and I quote, “the school does NOT change curriculum schedule for tests.” But, if you
have some super type AAA personality in your class that thinks they can do it, go for it. So
far, your schedule of tests blocks looks like this:
Fall:
Spring:
Sept. 28 th – Oct. 2 rd Feb 8 th - 12 th
Nov. 2 rd – 6 th April 5 th - 9 th
Dec. 14 th – 18 th May 10 th – 14 th
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I’ll be honest with you. You WILL lose sleep during test block. You WILL experience
some of the most mentally challenging moments of your life. But you will also realize that
you have no idea how little of your brain you’ve been using up to this point. Test block
shows you 2 things about yourself that you never knew: 1) The sheer amount of reserve
memorization space that is in your brain and 2) The threshold of how your body can
function on no sleep, fast food and mucho coffee. But, trust me when I say that you will
get used to it, and you will come out alive. Only 12 tests blocks to go!
Tips for overcoming Test Block
1. Stay AHEAD!!! This makes life much easier!
2. Surround yourself with CALM people. There is no help in hanging
around people that freak out all the time, trust me.
3. Don’t over-caffeinate.
4. Don’t wait until the day before the practical to go to Anatomy lab.
5. Don’t wait until the last second to do your pre-tests!!!
6. If you find a good YouTube video, send it out to your friends. Everyone
can use a bit of comic relief (try searching “bear trampoline” or “censored
count” which are two of my personal favorites).
7. And of course, my favorite piece of advice… Don’t Panic!!
Making the Grade…
Now that you’ve gotten the point about studying (no cramming!), we can discuss everyone’s
favorite topic, which is making the grades we want to make. As our mentors told us, for
perhaps the first time there will be a distinction made between the grades you to want to make
and the grades you can make. Most people will tell you that actually passing is the vital thing.
This is definitely true. On the one hand, don’t underestimate yourself – with hard work some
people can perform very well. On the other hand, there may be times when no amount of
studying seems to help. No matter what you hear, straight A’s aren’t everything! The following
is a look at how each class factors into your GPA for the year.
“It’s Dr. Evil. I didn’t spend six years in evil medical school to be called ‘Mister’, thank
you very much”.
– Dr. Evil from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
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MS1 Course Weight on Year’s GPA
You can calculate how much each exam is worth toward your GPA if you know its weight in the
course.
Physiology
13%
Neurosciences
14%
Histology
11%
IMPS (P/F)
3%
EBM
2%
PCM I
11%
Gross Anatomy
16% Human
Embryology
4%
Biochemistry
15%
Human Behavior
11%
Now, take a look at how each course in your first year contributes to your graduation GPA
compared to your other three years of medical school:
Embryology
1%
Histology
2%
Biochemistry
3%
PCM1
2%
Human Behavior 1
2%
Gross Anatomy
3%
Neurosciences
3%
EBM
MS4
30%
0%
Physiology
2%
Integrated Medical Problem
Solving
0%
MS2
16%
MS3
38%
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BREAKDOWN OF FINAL GPA
One thing you will notice is that your first and second years combined do not add up to the
weights of either your third of fourth year of medical school. Now before you start to kick back
in to the dream world of slackerdom, know this: Historically, generally speaking, you graduate
in the same quartile in which you finish your second year. So, this is not the time to mess
around.
“What’s a quartile?” you may ask. At the end of every year, the entire class is divided into
fourths by cumulative GPA. The first quartile has the highest grades, and so on down the line.
This matters to you because quartile and class ranking count big when you are applying for
residencies. Simply put: the higher your class rank, the more options you’ll have.
Do not look at the chart above and say, “Gross anatomy is only worth 3% of my total GPA so I
don’t have to worry about it”! It’s never a good idea to shrug off any class, both for the reason
mentioned above and also for the fact that what you are learning during each year of medical
school continues to build on itself as you go along. Plus, you’ll have to know this information
for your board exams as well as your patients’ well-being. So, go ahead and establish a strong
foundation at the beginning – it can only help you out as time passes.
“How is my GPA calculated?” GPA is calculated by letter grades and not by the actual
percentages you score in each class. Percentage grades are only used if the Dean’s office has to
break a tie or determine the exact cut-off for a small number of scholarships, of for the degree
predicate of “Distinction”. If you obtain a perfect 4.0 GPA, you will graduate with “Special
Distinction”. Exactly 1/6 of the class graduates with “Special Distinction” or “Distinction”.
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“What do you mean that’s not correct?!
That was the most ideal submandibularfreakin-fossa
I have ever seen!
-Class of 2011 student after the Anatomy
practical
CHAPTER
3
Exam Review Committee
WHAT IS IT?
The Exam Review Committee (ERC) was set up to help facilitate the exam review process and to
bridge the communication between the students, as a class, and the faculty. This limits the number
of students contacting professors individually, often to discuss the same concerns over and over
again and wasting a lot of time. Furthermore, not everyone is comfortable approaching a professor
with their concerns, and this system allows them to turn in appeals to a fellow student.
WHO IS IT?
Typically, the ERC consists of a chairperson (who is selected during student elections), and a
committee of students representing the class. The members of this committee should be
determined as soon as possible in the school year, if you decide to have a committee at all. You can
have a standing committee or rotate responsibilities among people so that more people are able to
serve on the ERC. It’s up to the ERC chairperson to decide the system that works best.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The way the ERC works is basically up to the members of the committee to decide each year, with
the basic outcome that the chairperson and maybe a committee member meet with the professor to
discuss the appeals. Here’s how the class of 2012 does it: The ERC chair oversees the review of all
exams for every subject and all appeals must be turned in to him or her, usually via email. All
concerns presented to the ERC must be accompanied by an explanation regarding the aspect of the
test called into question, along with the test form and question number. It is important to note
that it is NOT the responsibility of the ERC to develop legitimate arguments to exam questions
presented to the committee. However, it is extremely helpful so remember that when you are
electing your ERC chair. It is the job of the ERC chairperson to set up appropriate meeting times
with each of the course directors to discuss such aspects of the test the committee has deemed
worthy of presenting for review.
A few words of advice… do not abuse this system or the professors willing to participate in it. Much
deliberation should occur before submitting questions to professors for review. Submit only those
concerns that the committee deems have legitimate arguments to them. All of the professors want to
help us do well, but nobody likes to feel like they are being taken advantage of. Also, be careful about
your postings on the discussion boards. Professors read these and you don’t want to offend any of them
by making comments that seem to question their intelligence. Your class will undoubtedly discuss
possibly flawed questions in the discussion boards, but try not to make it obvious that you are writing
down questions on your answer sheets. Technically this is not allowed because the questions could be
passed on to subsequent classes. But during the test if you feel a question is poorly worded or there is no
correct answer- come back to it! Chances are you are not reading it correctly and you are tired from the
40 pages of testing and/or 4 hours of sleep. Once you have returned to the question if you still feel it is in
error, mark it on your answer sheet and jot down a word or two to jog your memory after the test. Then,
once you have left the lecture hall, quickly write down what the heck you were thinking so you can email
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your ERC. Remember, email the ERC quickly as the earlier a problem is brought up the better chance it
has to be resolved.
CLASS BY CLASS ANALYSIS
So here’s the low down on each course and exam review for each…
Embryology – Dr. Rada and Tomasek will be your full-time instructors this year. They are both
excellent at hearing appeals. You will quickly learn that most new instructors, while their exams
often have more problem questions than others, are quite willing to hear appeals and make their
class better.
Anatomy –O’Don often has very challenging questions. This will be his third year as course
director for Anatomy and he is not too forgiving on exams. Normally, the earlier a problem
brought to the course director’s attention, the more likely he is to give points back, especially in lab
because it is easier to review the tagged item. O’Don is very approachable, but is a little tough on
giving back points.
Biochemistry – This will be Dr. Bidichandani’s second year as Biochem course director. He is very
fair with exam review, although he rarely has questions that need to be contested as his questions
are straightforward and fair (albeit a little tough). He is very approachable and a great professor so
this plays to your advantage. You will not have a problem with Dr. Bidichandani as long as the
complaint is reasonable and you have solid proof to back it up.
Histology -- Dr. Weichmann is one of the nicest guys in the world. He is almost ridiculously fair.
For example, he might say in class that information stated in lecture is fair game for test questions
(even if it’s not in the syllabus), but every time we pointed out a question over information not
contained in the syllabus, he gave bonus points.
Human Behavior -- For many of you, this exam will drive you crazy. Without a doubt, it seemed
like there were more appeals in HB than any other course. Dr. Morris served as course director for
our class, and was VERY fair with appeals. We had several questions regraded/bonused on each
exam. We usually could count on getting 3-4 questions back on each test but don’t bank on it.
Neuro and Phys – For these classes, Dr. Blair has students email their appeals to the ERC and the
ERC then sends the trimmed list directly to him and then he decides if changes needed to be
made. You will hear many stories about Dr. Blair, some good and some bad. As far as exam review
is concerned, he will not "give" you anything, but if you have a justified complaint and can back it
up, he’ll listen and maybe give points back.
REVIEWING TESTS
Different departments have different rules regarding exam review, making the job of the ERC more
difficult. ALL departments, however, have a closed book exam review policy… this means no
notes, no books, no paper, and no writing utensils may be taken in to review the exam. Refer to
the syllabus for specific information regarding each class. I strongly recommend reviewing the
exam if the department allows it (although in the past, this has applied to Biochem, Neuro, and
Phys only).
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CHAPTER
“That is incompatible with life.”
Dr. Bidichandani
4
Notegroups
The Notegroup system is one of the great things about med school at OU. It
is this system that ensures that if you aren’t able (or willing) to attend class you
can still get a good idea of what you missed. Notegroups are sure to become a
big part of the way you study from now on, and the majority of students find
them extremely helpful. Whether you use them as a review of the day’s
material or as the source for a night-before-test cram session, notegroups are an excellent way to get
a picture of what the professor really emphasized in class. They’re like CliffsNotes® for medical
school.
The notegroup system will seem complex at first, but once you’ve written one and uploaded it
correctly then you’ll see how simple they really are. Notegroup writing is a big responsibility!
Many students will be looking over what you have written, so make sure what you’ve written is
correct- otherwise, you may have a large block of your class blaming you for missing a test
question. Don’t shrug off the responsibility of presenting the lecture as accurately as possiblenotegroups
also help to emphasize what the professor really spent time on (ie- what’s important
for the test). Go the extra mile, your classmates will thank you. And if you can’t or don’t want
to do the job right – sell it to someone who will!
I’ll go ahead and list the top few things to remember about notegroups:
• Notegroups are due at 10:00am two days after the class. For example, if you take notes for
a class on Tuesday it is due on Thursday morning. Notegroups on Thursdays and Fridays
are both due Monday morning at 10:00am.
• You need to post a copy online at the notegroups directory, which can be reached from
Hippocrates. Don’t forget to name the file correctly! Your contribution to notegroups is
wasted if no one can find your file because you gave it a funny name.
• Always be sure to put the proper date, time and teacher on the heading or you will make
life crazy for a lot of classmates. If you don’t follow notegroup’s rules you will get fined, so
it is easier to just do it right or sell it to someone you know will.
• If something happens where you can’t complete your notegroups or did not complete them
on time (your computer crashes, you lost an arm to an alligator last weekend, you realize
you forgot to do them, etc), email your notegroups chair. It’s always better to contact your
notegroups chair before they contact you.
He listens well who takes notes.
Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
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Anatomical Donor Luncheon &
Service of Appreciation and
Remembrance
CHAPTER
5
A
s you have probably heard, one of the most eagerly anticipated and most memorable
classes of the first year of medical school is Gross Anatomy. Although dissecting the
human body can be somewhat difficult to begin, the OU College of Medicine started a
program in 2001 to emphasize the human aspect of the course and to foster respect at the
sacrifice that the donors and their families have made.
On Friday, the final day of your Orientation, you will have
lunch with the family of your cadaver…not just any family
that had a loved one who was a donor, but the actual
family of the cadaver who will be teaching you.
While the thought of this lunch may give you pause at first,
go in with an open mind and you will come away enriched.
By learning about your donor – their interests, hobbies, likes,
dislikes, and memories from loved ones, you will gain a
greater appreciation for the donor, and have a deeper
understanding of the sacrifice he/she has made.
The Dean’s office will have a discussion during orientation
to prepare you for the luncheon. Using examples from last
year, a facilitator and a student will talk with your mod
about those difficult questions that may come up and
prepare you with answers. They will also discuss the
Willed Body Program itself, and talk about the legal aspects
surrounding it. Finally, they will address your questions
and concerns, and hopefully make you feel at ease and
prepared to gain the most out of the experience.
During the spring semester, the Vice President of your class will take on the task of organizing the
Service of Appreciation and Remembrance, a memorial for the donors. Last year, a moving service
with speakers, musicians, and refreshments was held at in the Allied Health Building to pay
respects and give thanks for all that we have learned. Last year, the class of 2012 presented a
plaque engraved with the names of all the donors at the ceremony as a tribute to those who so
altruistically contribute to our learning.
It has been said that the greatest teacher of anatomy is the body of the donor itself…and you will
quickly find this to be true. Without the selfless giving of so many people, we could not learn to
become doctors.
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CHAPTER
Computers, Hippocrates, and
Blackboard
6
You get an extra $2500 in your first-year financial aid package for the purchase of a
computer ($1250/semester). This of course does not mean you need a $2500 dollar
computer nor do you need one with a 19 inch monitor and a 15” subwoofer embedded in
the body of it, but you will need one that at the very least will be able to run media
programs such as QuickTime, shockwave, windows media player, and internet explorer
along with Microsoft Office. A lot of students choose to simply keep their old laptops even
though they did not meet the arbitrary specifications that the school officially sent out. If
you choose this route make sure it has at least Windows XP and Microsoft Office as well as
being able to run the before mentioned programs.
Macs are the new big thing now and about half of our
class uses them. The users swear by them as having
near the functionality of its PC counterparts and all
the functions needed for medical school. However, I
will say that classmates have experienced a few
annoying, albeit minor, hang-ups through the year.
There was an issue with viewing the online lectures on
double speed which has yet to be resolved. However,
Macs are extremely good for those who are maybe a
little less computer literate as they are generally more
stable, more clutter free, and easier to navigate. All in
all, they really can be used just as well as PC’s so don’t worry.
Tablet PCs can be a great thing. I don’t own one but I know of several of my classmates
that swore by it and continued to use it year round to produce graphs, take notes, and edit
and elaborate figures that the faculty presented to us. The most effective ones I have seen
were Gateway models or Lenovo models. I have seen Fujitsu and Toshiba ones that
worked well also but I only saw one of each. HP’s were generally towards the more
annoying end of tablet PC’s that I have seen. Saying all that, the tablets are a little more
expensive and if you have got your studying technique down and don’t wish to change it
significantly by taking all your notes on your PC the warranties at best buy will cover
normal laptops of all defects for a few years.
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High speed internet access is ESSENTIAL. The campus has many computer labs that you can
use at any time that all have lightning fast internet so I suggest coming to school if your internet
at home cuts out. There are generally two options in the OKC area; Cox high speed Internet
and SBC DSL. Cox has a special agreement with the school offering a discount cable modem
service (http://soonerconnect.net/) but it does require a 1-year contract and with prices
plummeting for high speed it turns out to not be that much better in speed and price than the
non-contract services. If you choose Cox and already have a compatible modem (check their
website) or if you simply don’t wish to lease or rent a modem you can find modems on the
internet that work very well with their service for less than $30. Also make sure you check the
both DSL and cable services online as they often bundle their packages and have special
coupons only available to online customers.
A highlight of the curriculum, the Hippocrates website (hippocrates.ouhsc.edu) serves as an
online resource specifically developed for us, the almighty medical student. The highquality
site hosts a diverse collection of curricular materials designed to complement the
syllabus as well as diagrams and illustrations, listen to heart murmurs, test your knowledge
via numerous question banks, and observe a variety of animations of mechanisms and
pathways. As useful and wonderful as the test banks are keep in mind that they are not
infallible nor do they always cover material that is pertinent to what is now being taught.
HIPPOCRATES (AKA: THE GREATEST THING EVER):
Through the discussion boards you can post jokes, goofy videos, make fun of one another,
and even discuss global warming, religion, and the relative strengths of African and
European Swallows. The class of 2011’s discussion board is generally pretty entertaining
You can even do important things like converse with faculty and other classmates on
confusing course concepts, buy and sell notegroups, and post social announcements.
You will also use Hippocrates to evaluate your courses, sign up for electives in the clinical
years, access clinical calculators, access your official university email account, and even
check/download your course schedule. You email account may also be accessed from the
address “http://webmail.ouhsc.edu” and the course calendar may be downloaded in .csv
format for importing into calendar programs such as Outlook or certain phone or
handheld programs for convenience.
Notegroups can be downloaded here along with MP3s and this is where you upload your
documents.
Question Bank has tons of questions for your classes, but some are more useful than
others. Often your current instructor has not written them, or the answers will be out
dated.
Blackboard is also accessed from here and requires a separate logon using the same
username and password as Hippocrates. Bb is where the official officers’ elections will be
held along with providing the only access to your grades online as well as various course
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content. The grades are access by first clicking on the appropriate course and then
“Course Tools” and then “My Grades”.
Once a semester, a Hippocrates CD-ROM (never seen it) is created which you may borrow,
copy, and have on hand should the system (or your remote access to it) go down. There is
also a Hippocrates backup server (www.hippocrates2.ouhsc.edu) and a computer help desk
on the first floor of the student center (271-2203).
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CHAPTER
Don’t Go to Class…
Home School
7
By Jennifer Hamm, MSIII
“Don’t go to class.” That is what you’ll hear from about half of the 2 nd year’s during orientation
and during the 1 st couple of weeks of school. You have been brain-washed to think, “If I want to
do great in school, I need to go to class.” Oh contraire! There were plenty of us homeschoolers
that did really well last year and had major free time to boot. So, how can you have a life AND
great grades?
Here is a twist on the concept of home-schooling that many found highly effective. It’s
recommended that home-schoolers DO come to campus, but DO NOT go to class (this is my
personal homeschooling style). Why come to school every day if not to go to class? Several
reasons!
You stay in touch with your classmates
You get in a routine of studying everyday
You pick up pointers and warnings from 2 nd year students
You make more friends
You get encouragement from seeing others struggle and succeed, just like you!
There are less distractions that at home
There are benefits to home-schooling at home as well:
Gas costs $4/gallon
You can wear your PJs all day
You don’t have to spend extra money on snacks or meals and you’re more likely to eat
healthier at home than eating the free lunches (i.e. pizza) every day
No one will get irritated at you for playing music too loudly while you study
You won’t get irritated at anyone else for being too loud while you’re trying to study
So, if you decide to be a home-schooler, whether it is as an on-campus home-schooler or offcampus
home-schooler, how are you going to get the information? Read On!!!
YOU MIGHT BE A HOME-SCHOOLER IF:
You find yourself talking to the person next to you more than listening to the professor
You play text twist, Solitaire, Hearts or any other computer game during the lecture
You spend much of the lecture on Facebook/Myspace/Yahoo News
You fall asleep in class
You eat during most of the lecture
You realize it takes longer to get ready for school, drive to campus, find a parking spot,
walk to class, and go home than you actually spend in class
You are naturally a night owl
You find yourself cursing the professor for talking so fast/slow
You find yourself cursing the professor for spending 20 minutes on the same concept
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HOW TO HOME SCHOOL
Hippocrates was widely ranked by our class as the best resource available, and there are ways to
use it most efficiently. For one, lectures do not have to be played at normal speeds. 1.4 to double
time will begin to sound normal (it’s hard to believe, but it’s true!), and it is ok to see professors
for the first time during IMPS. Rewinding at will saves valuable time when it’s necessary to
decipher thick accents. It’s also great to re-listen to lectures as you commute to and from school
and work out at the gym. Keep in mind that our professors put in a lot of effort to be prepared
for their lectures and it can be somewhat hurtful to find only 30 people in the classroom, so try
to encourage them and attend class when you feel they are doing a good job.
My personal method of studying was to wait until the notegroups had been posted for each
lecture, and then I would watch the video recording on Hippocrates while making edits or
additions to the pre-written notes. Others in our class realized that a large majority of what we
“need to know” (i.e. where the professors will draw their exam material from) will be in the
lecture syllabus, so several students preferred to memorize the syllabus as their main method of
study. This is usually pretty effective, but not all syllabi are created equal, and several professors
are likely to include more information than you need to know in the syllabus (for “background”
information). For this reason, I advise either watching the lectures or at the very least reading
the notegroups in order to see what is emphasized and what is fluff. Jordan Cates provides an
excellent breakdown on specifics below.
MAKE IT COUNT
One way to go about this is to treat school like a job, so work and play hard. Get in a rhythm
with studies as soon as possible, and don’t use your school time for Facebook. This way your
evenings can be free, and you can fully unwind and do all the things you enjoy. If you choose to
study at home, make sure your family understands when you aren’t available. The best advice
for success in medical school is to “know thyself”, so don’t freak out if you cannot focus for long
stretches of time. Study in short chunks and take many mini-breaks if you need to, and don’t be
intimidated by classmates who can study for hours at a time without a break.
USE ALL YOUR RESOURCES
AKA- keep in touch with several class-goers. You will need to be clued in on the few things you
miss, and they can try to convince you that a certain lecturer is useful and you should show your
face that day. Plus, there are rare instances of extra credit for quizzes that are announced in
advance. Anatomy lecture and lab requires attendance, so utilize this time on campus to ask
your classmates if there is anything you need to be aware of.
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DON’T STAY HOME!
GO TO CLASS!
By: Kendall Rockler, MSIII
Sit back and listen to the lectures. The majority of the lectures are laid out in the
syllabus, so there is no need to take extensive notes which may have been required in
undergrad. Instead, sit back and process the information they are giving you.
Take important notes and examples directly on the syllabus. Jot down or highlight
parts of the syllabus that contain important concepts and examples that the professors
emphasize. This practice will not only save your writing hand, but will also keep you
from missing the important take home information in the lectures. Remember… the
majority of the important information is present in the syllabus!
Go home and really LEARN the concepts. Finally, go home each night and focus all your
study energy into the concepts that were taught earlier that day. This method allows
you to take on manageable chunks of information each night, so that the incredible
amount of overall information does not become too overwhelming. This step will, in the
long run, allow you to commit large amounts of information to long term memory. The
most important thing about this step is that you MUST stay on top of the information.
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CHAPTER
8
Financial Aid
This is one area that you should already be familiar with, and you
might want to refer to the “Cost of Attendance Budget” that was
mailed to you. You can no longer pick up your loan checks at
the Bursar’s Office. Instead, all checks must be either
deposited directly into your account or mailed . You’ll need
to submit a voided check (for deposit into checking accounts)
or deposit slip (for deposit into savings accounts) for all direct
deposits. Funds will be available approximately ten days
before the start of each semester. The financial aid office will
send your check to the bursar’s office, which will then take out
tuition and fees from your financial award and give you the remainder. Both the Financial
Aid Office and the Bursar are located on the third floor of the Student Union.
Here’s the official estimated breakdown of a First Year Medical Student’s Budget according to the
Financial Aid office:
First Year Resident
Fall
(4.5 Mo.)
Spring
(4.5 Mo.)
Yearly
Totals
Tuition/Fees $9,603.00 $9,603.00 $19,206.00
Books/Supplies $2,180.00 $2,180.00 $4,360.00
Living $10,057.50 $10,057.50 $20,115.00
Computer $1,250.00 $1,250.00 $2,500.00
Loan Fees $300.00 $300.00 $600.00
Total Budget $23,390.50 $23,390.50 $46,781.00
Note: The only difference between the budget for the Resident and Non-Resident is the Tuition.
Non-Residents pay $21,088 for tuition per semester, with a total of $42,176 per year. Egggh!
Admissions & Records (transcripts) 271-2683
Bursar 271-2433
Campus Police (for Emergencies) 271-4911
Computer Help Desk 271-2203
Dean’s Office 271-2265
Financial Aid 271-2118
Hall, Nancy (Associate Dean) 271-1417
OUHSC Parking Office 271-2020
OUHSC Switchboard 271-4000
OUHSC Weather Line 271-6499
Student Counseling Services 271-7336
Student Health (Appointments) 271-4311
Student Health (Information) 271-2577
Student Health Insurance 271-2416
Student Services/Affairs 271-2316
CPR Classes
Audra-Wendt@ouhsc.edu
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CHAPTER
Help When You Need
9
It
Starting medical school is a lot of fun. After working hard for years
in prerequisite courses and surviving the medical school application
process, at some point you’ll be walking across campus and you’ll
think, “Wow! I’m actually in medical school!” At the end of
orientation days on Friday evening you’ll attend the White Coat Ceremony. You may feel
a little strange about all the congratulations you’ll receive when you haven’t yet attended a
single day of class, but relax and enjoy the evening. Medical school admission is extremely
competitive and you have earned a seat that many other people wanted, which is well
worth recognizing – for you and for your family and loved ones. Just remember to be
proud, not arrogant.
During orientation, you’ll be told frequently that starting medical school is something like
drinking water from a fire hose. Everyone will be so nice that it’s easy to conclude that the
difficulty is overstated. Come the first week of classes, however, you will indeed know what
I am talking about. Medical school is almost certain to be quite different from any
experience you’ve had in undergraduate or even graduate school. Everyone studies in
medical school. Opinions vary, but a safe generalization is that each 4-to-6 week “block” (3
blocks each semester) will cover an amount of material that you’re used to doing in an
entire 16-week semester. You’re likely to have to give over many, if not most, of your
afternoons, evenings, and weekends to studying. The change in lifestyle is huge. During
the first semester, you’ll study the Holmes and Rahe “life change” stress scale. A “life
change” score of 150 or above significantly increases your risk of physical illness from
stress. Most new medical students, however, can easily tally 300 points or more due to
stressful life changes. Here are some tips to help you to manage the inevitable stress of the
beginning of medical school:
Stay current. You’ll hear this advice repeatedly for a reason. If you’re moving to attend
school, it’s a good idea to arrive a few days early to settle into your new digs. You don’t
want the stress of living out of boxes when classes begin. Each day after class, you should
review the material covered in class that day and try to review the material to be covered
the next day (in some courses, like Gross Anatomy, you’ll be completely lost in lecture if
you haven’t reviewed the material before coming to class – and you’ll be useless in lab and
feel like a moron… trust me, this is not a fun experience!).
Stay organized. The stories of first-semester paperwork creating a stack several feet high
are true. The problem with a stack, however, is that you can’t find anything. For each
class you’ll have a syllabus, your own notes, possibly note group notes and Power Point
slides. It’s extremely stressful to begin test preparation when you can’t find the materials
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you need. Whatever system of organization you use – file folders, three-ring binders,
whatever – start organizing the first-week and stick with it.
Go to class. “Home-schooling” is a popular option at OUCOM, which works very well for
some students. If you choose to study at home, however, you’ll have to know which classes
just need a thorough reading of the syllabus and which classes require a complete review of
taped lectures and other class materials. You won’t have the instincts needed to homeschool
effectively in your first test block, so attending class in the early weeks is a great idea
– you’ll also be making new friends and finding study partners. You can develop your own
study style with experience later.
Take care of yourself. Once you realize what is expected of you, “take care of yourself”
may sound like impossible advice. In fact, it’s the only way to survive. The medical school
workload is a stress to your mind but it’s also a stress to your body. It’s very easy to neglect
advice that may seem absurdly basic. Eat properly. Get adequate rest at night. Even if it
takes some time away from your study schedule, get some regular physical exercise to
maintain your body and to reduce your stress. Take time away from your studies on a
regular basis – some students have a “no study” rule for one day each week or for a couple
of evenings each week in order to recharge and to spend time with friends and family.
One thing is certain: if you try to study around-the-clock and neglect proper eating,
sleeping, and exercise – you will “crash and burn,” sooner or later.
What to do when everything else fails. You may try to follow every bit of wise advice you
receive and still be faced by an overwhelming amount of stress. You aren’t alone and there is
help available. Don’t be embarrassed to talk about how you feel! Friends and family can be
a great source of support but don’t expect them to fully understand what you’re going
through – they can’t. Fellow students, especially module-mates, can be a huge source of
help. Many of us try to “cover” our stress on campus, but if you’re willing to discuss how
you feel, you’re likely to find that your module-mates are experiencing the same stresses you
are.
Sometimes you need more than supportive friends for support. The OUHSC Counseling
Center is available to help you at no cost.
Individual as well as couples and family counseling is available. All records from
counseling are completely confidential; no one will know that you’ve asked for extra help
unless you choose to release your records. Counseling help will not adversely impact your
future medical career! OUHSC has excellent counselors who have a good idea of the
stresses you’re facing. If you do need some extra help, visit the Counseling Center page at
http://student-affairs.ouhsc.edu/counseling.asp or call (405) 271-7336.
The physical symptoms of stress may also need treatment. If you’re having trouble sleeping
or other symptoms of excess stress – shaking, excess sweating, depression, etc – don’t suffer
in silence because many medical students have difficulty coping with the stress of adjusting
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to school! Students may make appointments at the Family Medicine Center (900 N.E. 10 th
Street, not far from the library) by calling (405) 271-2577. Routine visits are covered by
your student fees. The providers at the Family Medicine Center have a great deal of
experience with students and can help you with medication and/or stress-reduction
strategies. Your provider can work with your counselor to achieve the best results. Again,
your medical records are totally confidential.
Should you find yourself in academic difficulty, the most common and most devastating
mistake is to wait to ask for help, hoping that things will get better. Should you fail to pass
a “mini” exam, you’ll be counseled – not as punishment, but to help you to develop a
strategy for change. When you know you’re in trouble, first ask for an appointment with
your instructor – if anyone knows how to “dig out” of a difficult position, your instructor
knows – and most are extremely friendly and sympathetic. Should you need additional
help or if your instructor refers you, get in contact with the Office of Student Affairs in the
Dean’s Office. Academic counseling and tutoring are available to you, free of charge in
many circumstances. Remember – don’t wait until it’s too late!! You can often recover from
one bad block exam – two bad block exams is a much more difficult situation.
What comes next? Sorry, the pace of medical school never slows. Your ability to manage
school, however, will improve. Your skills to absorb and to retain large quantities of
material will improve with experience. You’ll develop a “sixth sense” of how to cull likely
test questions from material. You’ll develop a study routine that works for you. Block
exam week is never fun but you’ll know how to manage surviving the week after you’ve
experienced a few. School does get better!! By your second semester of first year, you’ll be a
seasoned veteran, ready to tackle a new semester. Best of luck to you!
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Parking
CHAPTER
10
The OUHSC Parking and Transportation Service is a completely separate entity
from the College of Medicine. So, we have to pay the parking fee directly to them
instead of having it included in our fees. Therefore, it is wise to include it in your
budget every year as you take out loans. The fee for a full-time student-parking
permit is $216 per year or $108 per semester. The parking officers use gates,
tokens, and other means to be sure that people are not parking where they
shouldn’t. And believe it or not, they charge students the lowest price on campus.
WHERE DO I FIND THE PARKING OFFICE?
The parking office is located at 1100 N Lindsey just South of Presbyterian Hospital in
the Service Center Building, room 100
WHERE DO I PARK?
During business hours (7:30am – 5pm, yes even in the summer) we park in the O lot.
For any of you who had spent time here before, the K lot used to be open to all…not
anymore. The K lot is now gated, and we couldn’t get in if we tried. The O lot is also
gated, and all students who want to park there will have to pay the fee to get a tag and
plastic card that is used to open the gates. There are also metered spots all along 13 th
and 14 th streets. The meters on 13 th , between Lincoln and Phillips are FREE as long as
you have a tag and a decal. Apparently there is no signage to tell you this, it’s just an
inside secret. The same goes for 14 th street between Lindsay and Phillips, but ONLY
ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE STREET. From what I’ve been told, there are signs
in this location. I’d take a look at map quest just to firm up where you are going. If you
try to park East of Phillips at one of the meters, you must pay the meter. It seems to be
a slightly shorter walk to class, but you will probably be competing with 3 rd and 4 th year
students for the spots. You may think that you have accidentally parked in another state
during the midst of your long walk to the BSEB, but get used to it.
If you get a parking ticket—don’t fret. If you are a first time offender, or just made a
honest mistake, Larry in the parking office will often erase your ticket!
CLUES ABOUT THE GATES
They work quite well, but make sure to get close enough (about a foot away) to scan your
card otherwise you will end up as “that guy” having to get out of their car to scan the
card while the entire line is held up behind you.
AFTER HOURS PARKING
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If there is a gate open after hours, you can park there. You can park at any meter after
8:00 PM, or anytime on weekends or holidays. One of the most convenient and favorite
places to park after hours is the library. There are also a few metered spots in the
Everett Tower parking lot on the West side of the BSEB. If you’re lucky enough to find
one open, it’s about as close as you can get.
Actual Quotes from Real Medical Records
• By the time he was admitted, his rapid heart had
stopped, and he was feeling better.
• Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side
for over a year.
• On the second day the knee was better and on the
third day it had completely disappeared.
• She has had no rigors or shaking chills, but her
husband states she was very hot in bed last night.
• The patient has been depressed ever since she
began seeing me in 1983
• Patient was released to outpatient department
without dressing.
• I have suggested that he loosen his pants before
standing, and then, when he stands with the help of
his wife, they should fall to the floor.
• The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She
also appears to be depressed.
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"OMG! I can totally hear your abs!"
Carrie Spielman to Brandon Pierson, listening
for stomach sounds with a stethoscope.
CHAPTER
11
Where to Find…
...BOOKS?
In the midst of your summer mailings from the school, you should have
received a list of books to buy for this upcoming year. Get out that list
now and carefully place it in your wastebasket. This list is exhausting. It
contains several books that are only brought up for one lecture and cost
close to $50 each. About 50% of the books on this list are NOT NEEDED AT ALL.
Another 25% are only needed if you don’t have previous exposure to this material and need
some background. That leaves about 25% left to buy and a lot to save. Most of the
instructors work hard to create a good syllabus and should eliminate most of your need for
supplemental sources. With that being said you might ask… “Where do I find what books to
get? “ Grab a second year, we have just been through this and we can tell you what to buy.
We can also give you a couple of tips on how to save a few extra dollars by buying previous
editions, which may only differ by the cover picture!
Now that you know what to buy, where do you buy? There are three main sources to buy
your books and each of them has pros and cons. I will highlight each of these and then you
can make the choice over what fits you the best.
•Ratcliffe’s Medical Text Books (southeast corner of 10 th St. and Lincoln):
Pros- Quick and close one stop shopping. You can bring in your list that a trusted second
year has recommended to you and within 10 minutes walk out with all the books you need.
But be careful because the staff will try to sell you other books on the original list that they
will say you “must have” but YOU DON’T.
Cons- Pricey. All of the books Ratcliff’s sell are new and the most current edition. You will
pay for this luxury.
•Amazon.com:
Pros- Huge selection with various editions to chose from. Here is an example. Netters Atlas
of Human Anatomy is a must have for Anatomy. This book is currently in it’s forth edition.
Dr. Netter died after the publication of the second edition…get it? This book has changed
very little in the past two editions and you can save mega bucks by buying a previous edition.
This also works for Langman’s Medical Embryology, Mosby’s Guide of Physical Exam and
Chung’s BRS Anatomy just to name a few.
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Cons- Timing. If you have ever bought anything from Amazon you will know that sometimes
it takes a while to get things to you. If you are reading this two weeks before the first set of
minis then you may either have to choose the faster shipping method, or buy your books
from another source.
•Barnes & Noble Online:
Pros- Rewards. Everything that you can get above you can get it from here. You can also sign
up for their points club and receive gift certificates for future purchases. Also, shipping is free
with larger orders. Also, if you sign up for a barnes and noble card, you get HUGE discounts
on books.
Cons- Price. Much like Ratcliffe’s you can only buy new current editions, which will cost you
more than with Amazon.
…HOUSING?
There are many options for living in and around OUHSC. I live in
Norman—and well it sucks but is do-able, talk to me if you want commuting
advice. The University Village is a popular option. You are about a 5-
minute walk from the BSEB and that really comes in handy when the
weather gets bad. There are also many other apartments complexes close to
campus: Lincoln at Central Park, Deep Deuce, The Regency, The Legacy
and The Aberdeen just to name a few. I know of second years that live in each of these and
they can give you the lowdown if need be. Outside of that, the options are endless. Whether
it’s a house, an apartment, or a tee-pee, be sure that it is somewhere you feel comfortable
living in and you can see you self relaxing there after a long day of studying.
…FOOD?
There are many options when it comes to noon in the BSEB.
Second year, David Notley brilliantly has highlighted some
popular options.
On Campus
Student Union- Here you will find sushi, deli sandwiches, Chic-Fil-A, daily hot plate specials,
candy bars and ice cream. There is also a coffee shop that serves a full Starbucks menu.
Overall B+
Children’s Hospital Cafeteria (Everett)- This is the closest place to get food. They have pizza,
sandwiches (get the cracked pepper turkey—affectionately known as “crack turkey”), hot food
bar, burgers, a pricey salad bar and more! On certain days they have special items such as the
infamous nacho bar! This is also a cheap place to get breakfast. Overall B+
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Presbyterian Tower Cafeteria- This is the best of the OUHSC cafeterias by many students
opinion. However, it is a hike. Save this lunch destination for the days when you have 1-½
hours for lunch because the walk will take up the majority of your time. Overall A
Veteran’s Hospital Cafeteria- Our class didn’t eat here as much as the previous years, but it is
a good change of place from the norm. They also have a good pizza place. Overall B
Class of 2010 List of
Best Places To Grab
Lunch
5. Union
4. Children’s
3. The Mod
2. Camille’s
1. Pho Hua
(Other suggestions were:
the Outside by the
Fountains, Lido, Deep
Deuce Grill, and Pei
Wei)
OMRF Cafeteria- First off, this is a CASH ONLY enterprise. This cafeteria just underwent a
multimillion-dollar renovation and it shows. They have plasma screen televisions everywhere
and the food is good and cheap. You don’t feel like you are on campus anymore too because
this crowd consists mainly of research faculty and not clinical faculty. Overall A+
Camille’s at the Research Plaza- It’s a drive from campus and its located on 10 th street but the
wraps are pretty freakin good. Overall A
Off Campus (but close enough to eat at during the break)
Quizno’s- Next door to Ratcliffe’s on the southeast corner of 10 th and Lincoln you will
find this good sandwich destination. Pricey but good. Look out for coupons in the
paper. Overall B
Someplace Else Deli - 2310 N Western Ave. This is a good spot for lunch, but it can get
crowded. Real simple, pretty good prices. They serve sandwiches like reubens, pastrami,
roast beef, etc.
Jersey Mike’s - 1630 NW 23rd St. This is a fast food sandwich shop, but not like
Subway. They slice the meat and cheese when you order and dress them with oil/vinegar
and whatever vegetables you like. Keep it simple and just say you want it “Mike’s Way”.
Not healthy, but delicious.
Deep Deuce Grill- Located within Deep Deuce Apartments. This is a hot spot for
posttest block burgers and celebratory beverages. Food is good and décor is even better.
A must for everyone. Overall A
Lido- 2703 Villa Prom St. This is the best Vietnamese food around, by far. The prices
are reasonable, but expect to pay around $10 for your meal. The pork in a clay pot is
one of the best meals in the state. Overall A.
Pho Hua - It’s pronounced “fuh hwah” in case you didn’t know. Pho is a Vietnamese
soup full of vegetables and meat. Also try the vermicelli bowl, its really good. Overall A
Italiano’s – This is just south of 50th on the west side of Lincoln. They have great
lunch specials that allow you to pick combinations of pizza, pasta and salad. The pasta
bar is made to order, and the alfredo sauce is really good. If you are in the mood for
appetizers, try the Italian nachos, they are awesome. Overall A
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Beyond these there are several fast food hotspots that can fill your belly. I will just name
a few lumped together by location.
Bobo’s Chicken - If you aren’t from the area, you gotta try this place. There is no
address because it is just a trailer parked in a parking lot on 23rd Street. Go west of
Lincoln for about a mile or two and look for lights mounted on a trailer connected to a
truck. They usually park it on the south side of the road. They open around 10:30 on
Friday and Saturday nights and serve chicken wings. They are the best, greasiest,
greatest, wings in the world. They smoke them first then fry them, put them in a
Styrofoam container with French fries and fry bread, then drench the whole shebang in
honey. It is cash only, and around 10 dollars will feed you and your date.
If you want a change of scenery, you can head to one of these areas:
Downtown: There is Abuelo’s, Zio’s, and Pearl’s Crabtown to name a few. These are
mostly sit-down chain restaurants. The downside is parking, which is either hard to
come by or far away from where you want to eat.
South Meridian Ave: Head west on I-40 and go south at the Meridian exit. There are
restaurants like On the Border, Panera, Charleston’s, etc.
Northwest Expressway: Go north on I-235 to I-44. Take I-44 west to the Northwest
Expressway exit (it’s a left exit). In that general area you can find a Chili’s, Olive Garden,
Pei Wei, and Moe’s. If you go down farther there are a few more choices.
May Ave: Take the same route to Northwest Expy, but go west for about two miles and
you will see an exit for N. May Ave. Here is the infamous Ted’s Escondido, and some
other restaurants worth trying, like Zorba’s (Greek food) or Cous Cous (Moroccan).
For a really high-class dinner, one of our mod favorites was Café do Brazil located at 440
NW 11th St # 100. It is fairly close to campus and has excellent food. The catch is that
you can expect to pay $25 or so for a meal. You won’t regret it though.
North of the capitol on Lincoln you can find… Subway, Arby’s, Grandy’s, Wendy’s,
Pizza Hut, Taco Rico, Chinese, Church’s Chicken, BBQ, etc.
If you travel west on 23 rd St. you will find… Sonic, Church’s Chicken, Popeye’s
Chicken, Mexican, McDonalds, Carl’s Jr., Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silvers, Subway
etc.
“Without question, the greatest invention in the history
of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was
also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as
well with pizza." -Dave Barry”
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...GYM?
After eating all this good food you may want to think about working it off. There
is one main on campus option and infinite off campus ones. The Center for
Healthy Living is a full-service fitness complex in the southeast corner of 10th
and Lincoln—be sure to bring your student ID when you go. In addition to
weights and machines, this place has an Olympic-size pool, spa, hot tub,
racquetball courts, saunas, free-for-members classes in aerobics, yoga, and zumba,
and personal trainers and massage therapists for hire. This is FREE with student
enrollment! They are open from 5:30am – 8:30 pm Monday thru Friday, 9am – 4pm
on Saturday, and noon – 5pm on Sunday.
…MONEY?
Financial aid checks are issued by the Bursar’s Office, located on 1100 N Lindsey just
South of Presbyterian Hospital in the Service Center Building.
Remember that your checks will either be deposited directly or mailed
home. There are ATMs in the lobby of the Student Center and just
outside the Children’s Hospital Cafeteria. At the beginning of the
school year carry a checkbook wherever you go because you will be
writing checks for everything!
…MY COURSE DIRECTOR?
The Dean and many of your course directors’ offices are located in the Biomedical
Science Building (BMSB) 3 rd floor, which is at the other end of the catwalk near mod
216.
Dean’s Office
3 rd Floor BMSB
Dr. O’Donoghue - Anatomy Rm. 510A BMSB
Dr. Rada - Embryology
Rm. 266 BRC
Dr. Weichmann - Histology Rm. 553 BMSB
Dr. Blair – Neuro & Physiology Rm. 638 BMSB
Dr. Bidichandani – Biochemistry Rm. 957 BMSB
Dr. Morris – HB
Rm. 3536 WP
Dr. Sparks – PCM
Rm. 2615 FMC
As a general rule, faculty members in these courses have offices on the same floor as
their course directors. The course director and faculty for PCM are found in the Family
Medicine Building, on the south side of 10th St. midway between Phillips and Stonewall
Ave. The course director and faculty for Human Behavior are found in the G. Rainey
Williams Pavilion, the shorter building just west of BMSB
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Campus Map
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A few words
about…
Student Health and
Insurance
CHAPTER
12
Health care services are provided to
you weekdays, 8:00-11:30AM and
1:00-5:00PM, at the Green, Rose,
and Blue Clinics of the Family
Medicine Center (FMC), located at
900 NE 10th St. (midway between
Phillips and Stonewall Ave. on the
south side of the street). The FMC
(271-4311) provides acute and
chronic care for injuries and
illnesses, as well as routine
preventative care such as
immunizations (this is where you get
your required vaccinations) and
physician-ordered laboratory and X-
RAY. You may arrange advance
appointments for routine needs or
an acute illness by calling Judy at
271-2577.
All students are required to have health insurance. You may purchase the
OUHSC student policy Macori (www.macori.com) or show proof of coverage
from any other carrier. If you have any questions about the OUHSC insurance
policies—or if you did not receive an enrollment packet this summer—call 271-
2316. This year it is due around September 10 th .
The Macori policy does have a 12-month pre-existing condition limitation that can
cause problems for some students – see the Macori coverage booklet for details (note,
however, that routine care through the Family Medicine Center is unaffected by any
pre-ex limitation, except for lab and X-ray). Two Macori plans are offered, “high” and
“low” options. Basically, the “high” option provides coverage for prescription drugs
while the “low” option does not (please carefully read the coverage booklet on-line for
details). If you wish to explore other insurance options, some insurance companies
offer individual student coverage, and the American Medical Student Association also
offers a group policy. The Macori policy is often the most affordable policy, however,
since the Macori policy requires you to obtain routine care through the Family
Medicine Center, which is already covered by your mandatory student health fee.
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Social Life
CHAPTER
13
MODULE LIFE
You’ve finally reached medical school. So, now it’s time for real professional interactions with
colleagues sharing the same desires and needs as you, all endeavoring to become future
physicians. …You would think this is what the social climate would be here. However, as you
get into the routine you suddenly realize that the day-to-day schedule of med school is
somewhat similar to high school. You go to classes that each end in 10 minute breaks, eerily
like a passing period. You also have lockers, which now hold scrubs and dissecting tools
instead of a Literature book. There are even three Student Council Representatives–
following me? There are 9 mods and every module functions as a sort of “homeroom” for a
group of 20 students or less. You and your mod-mates will each have a desk where you can
store books and personal belongings as well as pictures or whatever else you like to have
around. The modules all have a microwave, sink and a fridge along with various items such as
coffeepots contributed by individuals for community use. The module is also a classroom
where you will meet for PCM and other small-group activities. Most importantly, these people
with whom you share desk space become more than just classmates, they become your “mod”
– your friends, your study buddies, your dissecting partners, and when you need it most, your
shoulder to lean on. You will cram for tests together, stumble thru your first patient interview
together and you will make up competitive games using only a tennis ball and a shelf or the
rolling chairs and strong men. Ultimately, your mod-mates are essential to your entire
medical school experience. Make a point to get to know them all – each has something
worthwhile to share with you and they’ll soon become a permanent fixture in your medical
school education!
SOCIAL CALENDARS & INTRAMURALS
The social life during your first year of medical school will be whatever you make it to
be. For those who desire an active social calendar, many opportunities will be available
throughout the year. Post-test block parties will be a time for your class to get together
in order to enjoy a weekend with nothing to do and to act like miscreants. This
weekend often works as a panacea after a long week of testing. Many test block parties
are a joint first and second year effort. Last year’s parties included a Toga party,
Halloween party, White trash bash, and several themeless affairs.
Also, we enjoyed an end-of-the-year party entitled Revelry. The spring semester will
include Aesculapian, or the College of Medicine Awards Banquet. It is here where you
will honor one member of your class and one instructor with outstanding achievement
awards (called the Podarlirian and Aesculapian, respectively). This is another
opportunity to put on your suit or dress and impress that guy or girl you’ve had your eye
on all year. You will elect social chairs (ours known as the “social highchair”) by the first
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week of school that will be in charge of running all social activities for your
class throughout the year.
Intramurals are also a large part of the social life at OUHSC. You will elect an IM chair
who will be in charge of coordinating the intramural activities for your class. The
basketball and flag football tournaments serve as perfect grounds to ignite rivalries
between the different colleges on campus as well as the different classes within the
medical school.
BAR TOURS
No matter what your social calendar may include, there is one tradition, which you
can count on every Thursday night… Bar Tour. The location changes every week but
the schedule is guaranteed to include some of the classiest and some of the shadiest
places in the city. In addition to the local patrons, the crowd is primarily MS1s and
MS2s however there are occasionally MS3s or MS4s in attendance. No matter who
you are or what type of establishment you prefer, everyone needs some time away
from school. Especially when the books are piling up and the stress level is ring, the
best thing you can do for your body and your sanity is take a break and have some
fun with friends. Maybe you enjoy the taste of an adult beverage or maybe you just
need to leave your books and re-discover your social life. No matter what the
circumstance, Bar Tour is a great study break. How you choose to spend your time at
Bar Tour is entirely up to you. You can hang out, you can play pool (or whatever
game is available), you can stop by for just one before heading home or back to
studying, or you can drink until the bar closes. The best thing about Bar Tour is
this… it gives everyone a chance to get to know one another as people, as friends,
away from school and it never fails to be a great time… unless you’re being “that
guy” and talking about medical school non stop during bar tour. This is highly
frowned upon.
WINSTON CHURCHILL SAID THE DARNDEST
THINGS...
" ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT I HAVE TAKEN MORE OUT OF ALCOHOL
THAN ALCOHOL HAS TAKEN OUT OF ME. " -WC
" SIR, IF YOU WERE MY HUSBAND, I WOULD POISON YOUR
DRINK."-LADY ASTOR TO WINSTON
" MADAM, IF YOU WERE MY WIFE, I WOULD DRINK IT." -WC
“SIR! YOU’RE DRUNK!” –LADY AT A PARTY
“YES MADAM, I AM, BUT IN THE MORNING I’LL BE SOBER, AND
YOU WILL STILL BE UGLY.” -WC
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Class Officers &
Student
Government
CHAPTER
14
THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO GET INVOLVED WITH LEADERSHIP ON
CAMPUS - HERE’S A QUICK EXPLANATION OF HOW THINGS WORK AS SPOKEN
BY OUR OFFICERS.
MEDICAL STUDENT COUNCIL
This is a group of individuals elected from the College of Medicine who attend Medical
Student Council meetings. (See “Medical Student Council Representative” under Class
Offices.)
OUHSC STUDENT SENATE
OUHSC Student Senate is made up of elected senators from each of the seven colleges
on campus: Allied Health, Dentistry, Nursing, Medicine, Pharmacy, Public Health, and
Graduate. (See “OUHSC Student Government Senators” under Class Offices.)
THE MODS
Mod representative – interacts with Room 100 and Dean’s Office as well as the class
officers.
CLASS OFFICERS
Each medical school class elects officers. Listed below are the offices and a
description of their traditional duties and responsibilities.
President - Attend Dean’s Student Advisory Group meetings (1/month)
and Basic Sciences Curriculum Committee (1/month); chair class
officer meetings; help coordinate class projects; assist the Dean’s Office
with interviews; foster effective communication between the administration
and the class; plan Family Day in the fall; public relations.
Vice President - Attend Dean’s Student Advisory Group meetings (1/month); attend
and make reports at class officer meetings; help with interviews; organize Anatomical
Donor Memorial Service (MSI); organize orientation for MSI’s to be given by MSII's;
Mentor/Mentee sign-up; and Kaplan review course for USMLE (MS II).
Secretary – Essentially, keep records of everything. Secretary is responsible for taking
minutes at the meetings, setting the meeting times and places, catering food for the
meetings, organizing the Aesculapean Award banquet, and making a few speeches here
and there to foster effective communication between the officers and class
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Treasurer - Attend and make reports at class officer meetings; set up
and monitor class bank account; work with the Class President and the
Dean’s Office to make sure all money is spent appropriately and
reimbursements are distributed.
Social Chair – “The social chair is responsible for making everyone
happy all of the time. If you're successful in this endeavor then expect lavish praise and
generous sexual favors from your peers. Fail, however, and you really should just quit
school because no one likes a failure.” –Daniel Parker, former Social Chair class of 2011
Intramural Chair – Simply put: Basically help my class dominate
other classes. On a more serious note, IM chair makes sure that
there are funds for our endeavors and that people get to
participate in what they want. Creativity is a plus, because it
helps make seemingly impossible things happen (eg. Ballroom
dance class)
Historian – Attend and make reports at class officer meetings; make a photographic
record of all events in which the class participates; maintain scrapbook (physical or
digital) and monthly bulletin board.
Webmaster – The webmasters job is to design and maintain a
website for their class. They will also be involved in dealing
with web-related projects that would help the class or class officers.
Philanthropy Chair – As the title of the position implies, the Philanthropy Chair is in
charge of planning community service events for the class. This position allows for
much flexibility; you can dream up any kind of philanthropy project and schedule it
anytime. The events can range from extremely easy (Popcorn Day at Dunbar
Elementary) to fairly involved (Social-Philanthropy fundraising shindig/barbeques). It’s
all up to you about what direction you want to take this position
Medical Student Council Representative -- Attend class officer and Medical Student
Council meetings; join committees to help with philanthropies, Aesculapian, etc.; foster
effective communication between the Medical Student Council and the class. While
each class is allowed one representative, traditionally the class elects 3 reps, ensuring that
a representative is present at each meeting.
OUHSC Student Government Senators– “A Student Senator's job entails attending Class Officer and
Student Senate meetings. As far as what you are absolutely required to do, that's it. If you are a slacker or
lollygagger, this position is a dream. However, if you are an overachiever, you can use this position to have
input on both class specific matters and campus wide issues. So ultimately, the position is what you make of
it. You also get free meals at both meetings and get to park closer to class.” –Jared Matthews, Student
Senator, Class of 2011
“ People who know you will love to tell you that they understand what it’s
like to be in medical school. But when everything is said and done, there are
really only two people who understand what its like to be in medical school,
those two people are doctors and medical students. Others would like to think
they understand, but they don’t”.
-Dean Schmidt
40

DESIGN CUSTOMIZATION
The Short List:
CHAPTER
15
For completeness sake, below is a list of the major textbooks that were recommended to us. Some of
these classes suggest several books over the same material such as Neurosciences. I suggest
purchasing only the starred books or reading each course review to see what that person found most
helpful. These loans may not have to be paid back in a year, but they will some time in the future.
GROSS ANATOMY
•*Clinically Oriented Anatomy (5th ed.) by K. Moore, A. Dalley and A. Agur
•*Gross Anatomy: Board Review Series (4th Ed. But any will do) by K. Chung
•*Atlas of Human Anatomy (3rd ed, but any will do) by F. Netter and J. Hansen
•Color Atlas of Anatomy (5th ed) by J. Rohen, C. Yokochi and E. LutjenDrecoll
BIOCHEMISTRY
•*Lippincott’s Illus. Reviews: Biochemistry (3rd ed) by P. Champe, R. Harvey and D.-Ferrier
EMBRYOLOGY
•Langman’s Medical Embryology (8th Ed) by T. Sadler and J. Langman
HUMAN BEHAVIOR
•Introductory Textbook of Psychiatry (4th Ed) by N. Andersen and D. Black
PRINCIPLES OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
•Mosby’s Guide to Physical Examination (5th Ed) by H. Seidel, J. Ball, J. Dains and G. Benedict
----Share this one with a friend, you don’t need it…
EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE
•Evidence Based Medicine (3rd Ed) by S. Straus, W. Richardson, P. Glasziou and-R. Haynes
HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY
•Physiology (2nd Ed) by L. Constanzo &/or
•*Physiology: Board Review Series (3rd Ed) by L. Constanzo
NEUROSCIENCES
•Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain (3rd Ed) by M. Bear, B. Connors and M.-Paradiso
•Fundamental Neuroscience (2nd Ed.) by D. Haines
•Neuroanatomy (3rd Ed.) by J. Fix
•Clinical Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously Simple (3rd Ed.) by S. Goldberg
•Neuroanatomy: An Atlas of Structures, Sections and Systems (7th Ed) by D.-Haines
HISTOLOGY
• Histology: A Text and Atlas (4th Ed) by M. Ross
“I’m not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information”.
- Calvin and Hobbes

UNOFFICIAL GUIDE
CHAPTER
Course Review Section
16
The following section is perhaps the most important part of the Unofficial Guide. We
have done our best to describe in detail the business of each course, i.e. how it is run
by the course director, what to expect on the exam, and study suggestions for each test.
Once again, these are only opinions.
In each course review, you will read the inside scoop on that course from people
who’ve been there, as well as tips on how to succeed. Our hope is that by giving you
an idea of what to expect, some of the anxiety of coming to medical school can be
decreased, and ultimately, enable you to do your best overall.
Are you ready to see what lies ahead? Read on…
Disclaimer: This book is the product of the Class of 2012 and in no way
reflects the views of the Administration. It should be considered as a volume
of advice from students who have had their own set of experiences and wish
to share them with up-coming 1 st year students. No more, no less.
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Gross
Anatomy
a.k.a.: “Gross” or just “Anatomy”
Hours: 130
When it hits: Fall
Course Director: Dr. Daniel O’Donoghue - Anatomy
SECTION
A
Rm. 510A BMSB
Anatomy is one of those courses that you will either love or hate. Your
vocabulary is about to expand in ways you never dreamed. This course, while
very challenging, is also quite manageable. Upon completion of this
class and for the rest of your careers you will be
referring to the body and all its complexity and
structure by name. This course, along with Biochemistry,
will demand the majority of your time and study efforts during the fall semester.
Gross Anatomy should not be taken lightly and as you will soon see, cramming is
simply not an option here. Even if you have taken anatomy before, you do not
know near enough about the subject in order to blow the course off. You might
have heard people talk about learning anatomy the “medical” way. To put it
bluntly, learning it the “medical” way means learning everything verbatim, and
then being able to apply what you know to practical and sometimes life
threatening situations. This course consists of lecture, lab, PBL’s (Problem Based
Learning), and ARS (Audience Response System). DON’T wait until the week
before or day before the exam or practical to start studying… I cannot emphasize
this enough! THIS WILL KILL YOU!
LECTURE
Anatomy lectures are something that, if prepared well for, can save MUCHO
amounts of time come test block. Being prepared when you come to class can
really make the difference between an A and a B. Trust me, if there was one
thing I could do over again, it would be to simply look over the material before
class each day. O’Don’s slides are obscenely busy and not being ready for them
can cause you to have a seizure with the sheer number of arrows and lines on
each slide. If you don’t know what shade of green “chartreuse” is, you will by the
end of anatomy because he runs out of normal colors to make his arrows. This
course is taught regionally which means you will be learning regions of a body at
a time with all the associated vessels, muscles, and nerves. As an example of the
detail required of you, let’s look at the trapezius muscle. Not only do you need
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to know its location, but you must also know which artery supplies it, which
nerve innervates it, where it originates, where it inserts, and finally its action.
More than anything, I want you all to understand the level of detail for which
you will be held responsible. Use Dr. Chung’s board review book. It is freakin
awesome. That is all. Oh and DON’T mention Chung’s book to O’Don…he
doesn’t like it. Just avoid the word Chung around O’Don and you’ll be fine.
For a definition of ‘Taint’, please ask O’Don for a visual demonstration
HOW TO STUDY:
Different people have different study methods. My suggestion is to find a study
method that works for you and stick with it throughout the year. I would sit
down, get comfortable, and read Chung’s book with a Netter’s atlas. I would find
the structures in the atlas and write the atlas page number next to the
structure/section in Chung’s, that way I wouldn’t have to waste any time trying
to find the structure again in the atlas. This was the advice from last year’s guide
and it really does work. I would also know O’Don’s busy slides…they are full of
test information. O’Don will say that the Moore book is the “official” book, but I
assure you, if you know the Chung book, you are good to go. Use whichever
method is best for you. Once test blocks come around, you will understand that
you must study efficiently and thoroughly. I’m not sure how it will work this
year, but studying the practice questions in the Chung book can pretty much get
you 4-5 free questions on the exam because they manage to show up on the
anatomy written tests.
FOR THE EXAM:
Make sure you review all the clinical correlations at the end of each section in
Chung’s, as well as all presented in class. They happen to end up on all of the
exams. Sometimes, refreshing with the bold face terms in Chung’s also helps
review right before the exam. Make sure you attempt and understand all the
questions at the end of each chapter of Chung’s. In addition, there are question
banks on Hippocrates (on-line) that are excellent for review before the test. Do
Chung’s book questions and these before each test.
WHAT IS ARS? Anatomy started using an Audience Response System
to encourage attendance. Because of the ARS last year, class attendance ended
up being mandatory if you wanted to have some buffer points added to your
grade. At the end of each class, you have a 2-question quiz that you will answer
using a remote that has four letter choices. In Anatomy, Dr. O’ Don usually
pointed us in the right direction, but you had to pay attention in class. However,
DON’T worry about these questions. They are easy if you slightly paid attention
in class. You will get an idea of what kind of questions are usually asked after
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the first couple of lectures. Some professors are nice enough that they might
hint at these questions during their lecture, so pay close attention to that! For
our class, these points were calculated into our grade and constituted a nice
buffer for any mishaps that may have occurred on tests. But I’m not sure what
the ARS policy will be for you all. Be sure to attend all anatomy lectures in
order to get these points! If you get all of your ARS points, theoretically you can
get all B’s on your tests and still get an A in the class. Don’t be a fool, go to
school.
TEXTS
MOORE: This book is actually the official textbook of the course. While many
people do not even bother to buy Moore’s, others swear by it. This year I would
recommend it. If you are the sort of person who needs more text to read instead
of the bare details printed in Chung’s, then Moore is the book for you. This
book also has beautifully illustrated anatomical pictures, complete explanations,
excellent summary tables, and many clinical application sections. Moore’s has
the best brachial plexus table ever. Period.
CHUNG: As I’ve already mentioned, this is your primary source for study. Dr.
Chung himself will tell you that his book should be your “Bible.” Moreover,
since he is an anatomy god and you will use it for boards, I would take his advice.
So, if you don’t get anything else from reading this: Go and buy Chung’s book
ASAP.
ATLASES: Anatomy is out of necessity a visual course, and thus diagrams and
cadavers are of paramount importance if you expect to do well. The most
popular atlas of anatomy is Netter’s. Others have used Rohen’s Atlas, which
contains pictures of magnificently dissected bodies for lab. While Rohen’s has
been an asset in the past, it is becoming increasingly unnecessary with all the
discussion videos now available on Hippocrates. Therefore, having only Netter’s
is sufficient for the course.
-“Oh yeah, number 34 was the prostate”
-“ That’s impossible, the body was a female…”
-“What? Wait, son of a…!!!”
LAB
While the written examinations in Gross Anatomy will test you over anatomical
theory, the dissection, or “practical” examinations, will test you over your ability
to identify the structures that you dissect during lab. While many students (if
not all) agree that the practical exam is easier than the written exam, you will not
do well on either unless you thoroughly study each portion of Gross Anatomy.
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Knowing all the information from the written portion will not prepare you well
enough for the practical exam (I know this for a FACT). Likewise, knowing all
the information from the dissection/practical portion will not prepare you at all
for the written portion. You must study both thoroughly.
You will need a lab coat for dissection. If you have a lab coat from
undergrad, this will be fine. You just need one to keep you somewhat clean
during dissection. You will also want to wear clothes and shoes that you won’t
mind throwing away after the semester is completed. You need to wear long
pants and your shoes must be close-toed. Scrubs are pretty much required.
Please take your clothes home and wash them once in awhile. Each group will
need a dissection kit (you get one free during an AMA event during orientation)
and gloves… lots and lots of gloves. Finally, each group will want to have a
Netter’s Atlas and lab dissector from Hippocrates down in lab. There will be
many atlases from previous years down in the lab, but it is not a certainty that
there will be one free or in usable condition for your group. Your group can
probably pair up with the other group that shares the same cadaver and all nine
of you can buy one and keep it in a locker that each group can access. The group
can assign a group member to print out the dissector and bring it down to lab.
Having this handy is essential in consolidating your time, seeing that the
majority of the test will be over the bolded terms. Each of you will be able to
have a locker in the lab. It’s best to keep your dissection kit, gloves, your lab coat
and your group’s atlas in the lockers. Also, be sure to lock the lockers.
You need to go over the structures you will be dissection before lab. If
you don’t do this, you won’t get much out of the dissection. To prepare for lab,
you can do one of two things, or better yet, do both. One way is to go over
Chung’s book with an atlas. You can also use the Moore textbook (it has
pictures and might be easier than Chung’s the first time through). The best way
is to go online at Hippocrates and watch the dissection videos, and go over the
interactive lab guide. Each dissection has been performed by faculty and
videotaped for you to watch online. Your anatomy lecture will cover whatever
you are dissecting that day. So generally, if you prepare for the lecture portion,
you will probably be prepared for the dissection portion.
You must also print off the dissection manual before class. This is also available
on Hippocrates and it gives you systematic instructions for dissection. However,
you still need to prepare for dissection.
Get involved during dissection. If you don’t, you will have more
difficulty learning the material. Don’t be afraid to ask the TA’s or the anatomy
professors for help. However, they will want you to genuinely try to find the
structure before asking. Don’t ask for help simply because you are being lazy.
You must complete your dissection each day. The other group depends on it,
and you don’t want to burn bridges. If you simply can’t find a structure, call
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Chung over and I’d be willing to bet he can dissect it out with his dull dissection
probe in under 60 seconds. Use this advice. I know I did.
Now, for the practical examination. You will need to spend time outside
of class in order to prepare for the practical. You will need to go down to the lab
(preferably with other students) and go over the structures together. You should
make a list of all the structures you need to know and take this with you down to
the lab. You can find the structures in the dissection manual, and hopefully
someone in your class will make a list and post in on the discussion boards
online. You are working on only one cadaver, but you will be tested on all
cadavers in the lab (about 25 cadavers). Each cadaver will have about two
structures pinned for about 50 structures per practical exam. You do not need
to go over every cadaver. Most of you will not have the time. The professors will
pin each structure clearly. Most structures will be straight forward, but there will
always be difficult ones. You can study these after lab or on your own time.
Lastly, take advantage of the review sessions. Generally, Dr. Chung’s and Dr.
O’Donoghue’s are the best. Your mod or group can schedule a review session
before the test block. It is definitely a good idea to do this, but you must be
proactive in scheduling it. In addition, Dr. O’Donoghue will emphasize certain
structures more than others will. Pay attention, because he emphasizes many of
the structures that you will be tested. ALSO!!! IF O’DON SAYS THAT YOU
DON’T NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING, LEARN IT ANYWAY!!! IT
WILL SHOW UP!!!!
It may take you a while to find out how to study for anatomy, but
whatever you do, DO NOT GET BEHIND! As you know, you must know the
book verbatim for the written exam. Go over the questions in his book prior to
test block. Both texts book are very dense. Unless you’re Rainman, just reading
Chung’s book won’t help you. You’ll want to go over it with a Netter’s or Rohen’s
atlas in hand.
“If I were philosopher King of the Universe, on the first day of my
administration I would outlaw Q-Tips and cigarettes”.
-Dr. O’Donoghue
PBLS (PROBLEM BASED LEARNING
SESSIONS):
These occur three or four times a semester and integrate what you are learning
in Gross and Embryo. These sessions take place in your mods and consist of
watching a simulated patient interview. You are provided with physical exam
findings, lab results, and the results of any diagnostic studies. You will be
assigned a facilitator who will monitor your discussion and direct your
brainstorming. PBLs are broken up into two sessions. The first consists of the
video of the interview and preliminary group discussion in which “learning
objectives” are recorded and assigned to each student for further study. During
the second session, which usually takes place about a week later, each student
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will report with a brief synopsis of his or her findings. All the information will
then be compiled and considered resulting in a mutually agreed upon diagnosis.
Finally, as a group you will write and submit your differential diagnoses list along
with the trail of thought that brought you to this conclusion. Do not worry
about PBLs. If you show up and contribute, you will be more than fine.
Although ours tended to come at inopportune times, they were a change of pace
and something different from the normal routine. PBLs are not super popular
with home schoolers, as attendance is mandatory. Also, be respectful of your
peers. Don’t bully your way around PBL’s and force your opinion on the group.
Just because you saw a Discovery Channel special on necrotizing fasciitis, it
doesn’t mean your 8 year old simulated patient has it too. Believe me, you are
not Dr. Gregory House (yet). Your ability to work as a cohesive unit is as
important as you getting the right diagnosis. Cooperate, share your opinion
politely, and listen to others’ opinions similarly.
CLINICAL CORRELATIONS:
There will be about eight clinical correlations throughout the semester. In some
courses clinical correlation questions will show up on exams, but this has been
infrequent in Anatomy. For the most part these sessions prove to be quite
interesting, and at least serve as a nice break from the monotony of lecture. The
only thing about clinical correlations is that you have to wear your white coat
and look presentable. Most of these events involve patients coming in and
talking about their disease or star physicians in their field. They expect to see
future doctors and the last thing they need to see is a bunch of scrappy bums
who looked like they just rolled out of bed and into class (which is usually what
happens normally). Who knows, they might even give you a little direction in
what sort of doctor you might want to be.
Let’s ask the Class of 2011...
Where do you prefer to study?
5. Bookstore/ Coffee Shop
4. Home
3. Student Union
2. Module
1. Library
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Biochemistry
and Medical
Molecular
Genetics
SECTION
B
a.k.a.: “Biochem”
Hours: 128
When it hits: Fall
Course Director: Dr. Sanjay Bidichandani, BMSB 957, 271-2227
“Is it intuitive? It should be
I guess. I guess I was just
born stupid”.
- Kris Collins MSII,
11:41 P.M Sunday
night before TB3
The course title itself is daunting, and sometimes the course seems that way, too.
Without a doubt, between Anatomy and Biochem, the fall semester is very full.
The course director, Dr. Sanjay Bidichandani, is one of the best lecturers you
will have this year. His lectures are high yield and worth attending.
Biochemistry will probably be the least practical of the courses you take in
medical school. Those of you who were Biology or Biochem majors will deal
with it better than your classmates. In the past, most students have found the
second semester’s classes to be more difficult, but many of the folks from the
class of 2008 found biochemistry to be very difficult if not more difficult than
Neuro and Phys because it is almost entirely memorization and has little practical
significance.
EXAMS
Well, you’re probably dying to know about the structure of the course, how to
study, etc. We will do our best to give you all the advice you could ever want.
Moreover, if you don’t find it here, don’t hesitate to ask any of the second years
if you have any questions.
First, the test blocks are not equal in terms of difficulty. The first test block is
manageable, but still challenging just because it is your first test block
experience. The second test block, on the other hand, will leave you wondering
what happened to the days of spending a week on chromosomes and gout: you
go through information about three times as fast during second test block and
the information is much more detailed. The third test block is probably about as
difficult as the first one, but you will be more comfortable with medical school,
and will be better equipped to study for it.
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Develop a built in
bullshit detector.
-Hemingway
In addition to the three regular exams, there is one mini exam. The “mini” is
worth a substantial number of points; enough to really help or really hurt your
grade. It is essential that you don’t blow off this test, seeing that the material will
only get substantially harder and will be tested over again during the first test
block. The first mini, before the first exam, is a good representation of what to
expect on the first test block. However, some of our class felt the mini was
considerably easier than the first exam. Also, the mini occurs in the middle of
the test block. When the actual test block rolls around, half of the information
will only need to be “reviewed.”
Another key point to remember about the grading of Biochem is that a large
percentage of your final grade is determined in the first five weeks. It seemed
strange to our class that 40% or your grade would be determined before you
were even starting to get used to medical school. Therefore, our advice is to
study way harder than seems necessary for the first mini and first test block.
HOW TO DO WELL (OR POOR)
Want to Make An ‘A’ – Memorize, memorize, and memorize the syllabus. When you
are done memorizing the syllabus, you should memorize it some more. However, if you
are able to understand the concepts presented, you will often be able to make educated
guesses on questions you may not know on the exam. Study the syllabus well, only a
small number of questions on tests will come from clinical correlations and Leon’s
lectures that only include diagrams and flow charts. You do not need to go to class to
make an A, or even an extremely high A for that matter. You will want to go to Leon’s
class or listen to his lectures on Mp3. The clinical correlation questions can be tough;
they will usually be from a diagnostic point of view and written by the physician
presenting the material, E.g., there are multiple types of mucopolysacchridoses; can you
tell which your patient has from the list of symptoms. The questions are the ones most
likely to be bonused as they are usually new questions that have never been seen on
previous exams.
Want to Make A ‘B’ It is possible to make a B in two ways. The first way is to do the
above but without completely memorizing the syllabus. It is also possible to make a ‘B’
simply by cramming the weekend before the tests. This is a very stressful way to get by
and is a bad habit to start for the rest of your career. The second is to come in to school
with a firm understanding of cell biology, biochemistry, and genetics and breeze through
the syllabus.
Want to Make A ‘C’ If it is 3 days before the test and you have studied,
congratulations you just made a C at best. Biochemistry is one the few courses where it
is possible to skip all the classes, stay up the night before and still pass (mainly due to the
syllabus ). This method is also probably not the smartest approach to medical school.
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Want to Fail To fail Biochemistry you have to do nothing. Remember that Medical
School is not undergraduate and you cannot get by with your natural brilliance, by just
learning a few facts, or by asking you classmates what is on the test an hour before it
starts.
STUDY SUGGESTIONS
Rule #1: Use the syllabus! It has most, if not all, the things you need to know.
Going to class alone will not earn you an A or B. Even though attendance on
the first day will be somewhere near 100% you will find that only a select 20% of
the class will be up for the 8:00 lectures at the end of the semester. Thanks to
the Class of 2011, you can watch Biochem lectures in the comfort of your own
house instead of fighting rush hour traffic (you’re welcome). That being said,
more than 20% will get an A primarily because they can recite the syllabus. A
few instructors (i.e. Leon) will draw extra diagrams and charts on the board.
These are important, so the notegroups writers need to be sure to include them.
The notegroups are the second most important resource for study; an occasional
sample patient or case study will be presented in class that may make things a
little clearer.
As for a book – several are recommended, but none are widely used. Most people
used an undergrad text for a few key points that need clarification. However,
others who bought a book said they only used it a couple times for some
background information and that it wasn’t worth the money they forked over.
Another small addition they can make to your learning is the extra flow charts
that can reduce an instructors (particularly Dr. Hanas) material into one to two
pages. Concept flowcharts are available in Lippincott’s Biochemistry. Some
students ahead of our class recommended Okie Notes (especially for Dr. Hanas),
but very few people in our class actually used it. (Okie Notes may have gone out
of print, but some mentors may still have it.) Some people in class also used BRS
Biochem (BRS, or Board Review Series, the same company that publishes
Chung’s book.) BRS is the most useful second test block. The best advice we
have about a book: don’t rush out and buy one the first day, but if you see
yourself needing extra info, don’t hesitate to buy one later. Something you’ll
hear repeatedly – everyone studies differently.
Reviews: There are a handful of biochemistry reviews that have been made over
the past couple years that you should put effort into finding. These reviews can
significantly decrease your workload. Most of these reviews cover the critical
points that the instructor deemed important enough to describe. In addition,
they will cut some unwanted details from the syllabus. Most likely you will be
able to get these materials from your mentor or they will be posted on the
curriculum discussion board of Hippocrates.
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“You want to think about Carnitine as I do, in a loving way”.
-Dr. Ann Olson
INSTRUCTORS
Finally, we wanted to give you a heads-up about the instructors. Some are
fantastic, some are terrible, and some have speech impediments, which makes
lectures torture. So here they are, more or less in order of appearance:
Leon Unger: He is the first teacher that you will have for biochem
“Biochemistry is better
and he makes the transition into the class fairly painless. Leon is a
than sex. At least no one
very enthusiastic teacher who really cares about how much his
laughs at me while I’m
students learn. His lectures are very easy to follow, but don’t think
doing Biochemistry”.
that the rest of Biochem will run so slow. Dr. Unger doesn’t use
-Dr. Leon Unger
powerpoint slides, but instead writes everything on the overhead.
Even though class is fairly slow, it is worth going so that you can
write down Leon’s notes. The material he presents is wacky – gout,
purines, porphyrins, and possibly Viagra – but Leon makes it work.
Outside of class, Leon is usually available but be sure you set aside ample time to
talk to him. His exam questions are fair and straightforward. He also loves to ask
question with the answer being “E”- all of the above. Make sure that you know
his material well, because some people thought that his questions were going to
be easier than they actually were. However, if you know his syllabus and the
notes from class you will be fine. Leon is also entertaining and tends to break up
classes with jokes, or stories about very random things. If you get tired or
hearing him lecture ask about his doll HGPRT. Empathetic and thoughtful, he
always tweaks the class to help you be adjusted to med school life. You will call
him Leon, not Dr. Unger, which may seem awkward, until you meet him and see
the ridiculous Afro. Leon probably goes through more Viagra than Bill Clinton
at an intern interview. Leon will lecture in both the first and third test blocks;
for those of you who will figure out that class may not be right up your alley; you
can really fly through his lectures because of his extremely slow style of teaching.
Dr. Bidichandani: Bidichandani is one of our class’s favorite instructors,
although many of us didn’t realize how good he was until after the fact. He
covers most of the molecular genetics material. For those of you who have never
taken a genetics course (and for those who feel like they experience genetic
amnesia), don’t fret— Dr. B will spend time bringing everyone “up to speed” on
the concepts you need to know to do well in his section of the course. His
shrunken PowerPoint syllabus may seem daunting, but everything you need to
know is there. He considers his test questions to be learning tools, and he is
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known to present information that you have not seen before. However, if you
can figure out what concept he is testing, you can be certain that you have the
correct answer. Some MS3’s also feel that Dr. Bidichandani’s questions are the
most similar to what you will see on the USMLE. Pay attention to his review
sessions - he does a thorough run-down of the material. It is worth going to Dr.
Bidichandani’s class as he lectures extremely fast and tells some fascinating
stories. He's is an awesome lecturer, but don't expect to play his lectures at
double speed. He is speaks clearly but quite rapidly. He will also make it very
clear what he wants you to know; this should reduce the syllabus by an amount
making his material easy to review and cover. Many of our classmates took notes
by simply circling the slides that he covered on the syllabus and crossing out
those that he skipped. His syllabus will be the first of many where you will find
an assortment of details that will not show up on the test. He welcomes
questions from the class and is just a friendly guy.
Dr. Broyles: Sickle cell anemia and regulation of genetic expression are his
topics. His lectures are not the best, so make sure you know his syllabus and you
read the notegroups. Be particularly prepared to answer questions about the
treatment of sickle cell anemia, the types of hemoglobin (especially fetal
hemoglobin), and a couple rather difficult questions on hematopoeitic stem
cells. Dr. Broyles thinks he is very special since he is a genetic mosaic, but you’ll
be smart enough to tell him that so is every woman.
Dr. Hanas: Our mentors told us to know his syllabus. What really needs to be
said is memorize his syllabus! He will ask you the most obscure details from his
syllabus. If you look at something and say, "Oh, there definately won't be a
question over this - it is much to obscure and inapplicable," it will
proooooobably be one of his test questions. The material is deceptively simple,
but he tests over details, details, and details. For the final, his exam questions
didn’t seem so tough, but maybe that was because we learned our lesson the first
time. Dr. Hanas has a tough act to follow, but you will begin to appreciate the set
up of the syllabus if you learn it well. He practically puts his syllabus in definition
format. By closely studying the syllabus, you will find that many of the pages will
run together making the information easier to learn. Unless you are very
compulsive about going to class, skip his lectures, they will not help you with the
material (check notegroups carefully, however, as Dr. Hanas has been known to
ask exam questions based on his side-comments in lecture that are not in the
syllabus). Dr. Hanas lectures with his eyes closed, no one knows why.
Dr. DeAngelis: Proteins, enzymes, and blood coagulation, oh my! The material
is dense, but you are not, and you’ll do just fine. A big point for the exam is that
he asks questions in case-study format, where you’ll be given a patient and their
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laboratory test results – know how to distinguish the clotting disorders by these
results! Make sure you understand the graphs. He really is a good teacher, keeps
your attention, and is really up front about what he wants you to know for the
test (almost everything) while including a lot of good visuals which help you out.
He is a self-made millionaire from his work on anti-clotting agents, but is very
approachable so feel free to ask him about anything!
Dr. Weigel: Dr. Weigel is the chair of the biochemistry department and has a
large portion of the second test block. If you had biochemistry in undergrad you
probably already know (and loathe) at least the basics of his material – glycolysis,
the Krebs Cycle, and the citric acid cycle. If you haven’t had it yet, fret not, it’s
actually doable, despite what the syllabus may look like. Dr. Weigel is a fairly
good lecturer. His syllabus contains a TON of information, but he will stress
what he thinks is important, like specific enzymes and intermediates. The
information he presents in his lectures also won’t follow the order it is presented
in the syllabus exactly, so if you’re a syllabus-follower like me he will seem to skip
forward and backward, but the information is almost all there. Dr. Weigel will
also intersperse his powerpoints with random cartoons. If you like Farside and its
kin, you’ll probably like Dr. Weigel. Despite the overwhelming nature of
carbohydrate metabolism, Dr. Weigel’s test questions are straightforward, and he
tends to stick to the points he stressed as important. That said, I would
recommend at least being familiar with what is in the syllabus, even if he didn’t
spend a ton of time on it.
Dr. Weigel returns in the third test block for glycoconjugates. Again, there will
be an overload of information in the syllabus, but he will jump around and cover
the things that are most important to him. The most important (and interesting)
part of this section are the glycogen storage diseases. Know these well. Remember
which enzyme is the problem in which disease and the defective metabolic
product, and the consequences. His test questions will again be straightforward
and he will most likely stick to the material he stressed in his lectures.
Dr. Olson: Dr. Olson lacks a little bit in lecture style. Her lectures are difficult
because she can’t get out a complete sentence without interrupting herself. But,
the biggest complaint we all had was that when she tells you that she doesn’t
want details – every step in fatty acid metabolism, every little enzyme – she’s not
exactly telling the truth. You will also find that her material does not run
together well. For what it’s worth, the class above us told us that her questions
would be impossible so we all studied her section really well. After taking the
test though, none of us thought her section was really that bad. She will have a
couple test questions, which will make you wonder if the material was covered at
all. Only advice I can give you is have a great Exam Review Chair. In other
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words, know her section well and you should be able to do fine. Definitely use
notegroups for her lectures, as the syllabus is bare and she goes way beyond what
is written. Be able to follow fats and carbohydrates all the way though digestion.
Exam questions are in case-study format. Know about all of those Apo proteins!
Beware.
Dr. Rodgers: Rodgers is a decent lecturer, but her lectures don’t necessarily add
or detract from her already complete syllabus. Although her lectures are very
clear, you can probably also understand everything from reading notegroups and
studying the pathways that she will point-blank tell you to memorize. Studying it
thoroughly should put you well on your way. The difficult part of her section is
memorizing several groups for the amino acids. If you know which AAs can be
synthesized, which ones need to be consumed, which ones are hydrophilic,
hydrophobic, and the pathways they are involved in, then her section should be
tolerable. Her material should be the easiest of the second test block. That said
make sure to still memorize the syllabus.
Sometimes, I just
crave a big handful of
nuts!!
-Dr. Allen Knehans
Dr. Fuller: You will like his section. Molecular endocrinology made simple. For
starters, Dr. Fuller is a very interesting man. He officially retired from teaching a
few years ago to start his own biotech company (which is making some sort of
artificial tanning drug and cosmetics) but comes back every year for a week or so
to teach us for free. More importantly, he is an excellent teacher. Most students
thoroughly enjoyed his lectures. He really knows his stuff but manages to present
the material in an interesting and understandable format. During his exam
review, he will give you a sheet that says “Know this table,” “Ignore this,” and
“THAT may be kind of important. Don’t fret if you feel like you are forgetting
his material as it will all be hammered in again during physiology second
semester… but with far less style than Dr. Fuller provides.
Dr. Knehans: Dr. Knehans is one cool and funny dude. When he’s not
teaching he’s a practicing dietician and when he’s not working he’s running
marathons. His lectures are nice and relaxed. The information presented seems
pretty basic when compared to the rest of the material you’ve been fed in
Biochem. His lectures are also a lot of fun. He had our class rolling a few times
and even went off on tangents when he saw we were in the mood for his funny
stories. In other words, go if you want to have a good time and learn some
interesting stuff too. This class had a module exercise where we designed a diet
plan and was overseen by dietician students and some professors. Some people
took it seriously and got something out of it and others joked around—since it
wasn’t going to be tested over—and didn’t really learn much; how much you
learn is up to you on this one. Some people felt his test questions were hard and
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others thought they were easy. If you’re worried about it, try to find a fellow
student who took his course in undergrad and still has one of his many practice
tests. It’s also possible to find them floating around from upper classmen. These
practice tests are very good approximations of his test questions.
CLINICAL CORRELATIONS
Some people thought they were a pain (getting up, actually coming to campus,
the white coat, etc.), but they give you a real opportunity to see patients and
learn from them. In almost every case, the guest patients knew more about their
disease than we did. They will remind you of why you wanted to be a doctor, and
why you’re learning all. Also, in case you are wondering, yes, it may be
considered bad form to hit on the guest patients…
The Night Before the Exam
Suggestions from the Class of 2010
*Do not get drunk
*Get drunk
*Avoid eating lots of cheap,
spicy Mexican food
*Watch other students panic
*Don’t forget about Daylight
Savings Time
*Stay away from left out food
*Keep away from annoying students-
They are stressed,
which makes them dangerous
*Shower, every day
*Do not take notes into the shower
*Panic
*Do not panic!
*Do not plan to open your
syllabus for the first time
*Abstain from cleaning your room
*Do not use ‘hope’ as your only
strategy
*Set the extra alarm clock
*Do not pull an all nighter
*Do not go to the football game
*Don’t give up
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Embryology
a.k.a.: “Embryo”
Hours: 32
When it hits: Fall
Course Director: Dr. Jody Rada, BRC 266
SECTION
C
J.D: My Life is over.
Dr. Cox: Oh come on,
you gotta focus on
the positives. For
instance the medical
miracle that is one
woman actually
impregnating another
woman. [smacks hands
together] Sha-daisy!
Turk: Coincidentally, I
have a cousin named
Shadaisy.
-Scrubs
This is one of the best-organized courses of the fall semester. Both Dr. Rada and
Dr. Tomasek enjoy teaching, and it shows. Most lectures include detailed
explanations of the diagrams provided in the syllabus or in the handouts. In
addition, the class only meets once a week, which means that they cover a lot of
material in each lecture, especially during the first test block. Therefore, coming
to class is important (read: go to class). However, you will be taking this class
with dental and allied health students, which can make the lecture hall crowded.
To accommodate this, the lectures are simulcast to the mods. It is sometimes
nice to sit in the mods and watch the lectures but the PowerPoint slides are
sometimes hard to see and it is much harder to ask questions.
It's easy to let this class become third priority behind Biochem and Gross.
Nevertheless, it is important to stay caught up - especially in the last two test
blocks. Many people stop focusing on Embryo by the third test block and end
up getting their butts kicked on the third exam. Though the time spent studying
Embryo may pale in comparison to the hours spent pouring over Biochem and
Gross, any time spent on Embryo is time well spent. Most people suggest getting
a good understanding of the material early. Since the class builds on itself, you have
to grasp the beginning stuff to be able to get the material presented later in the semester.
PROBLEM BASED LEARNING (PBLS)
During the course of the semester, there will be three combined Embryo/Gross
problem based learning (PBL) sessions. In case you aren't familiar with PBLs, I'll
give you the general overview. For our class, PBLs were sessions led within our
mod by a facilitator (faculty members) with about half your mod. We were given
the bare bones of a clinical case on our first meeting and were asked to do a little
research to find out more about the case. Then, we met in the mod again with
the facilitator and with our group to discuss our findings. This may not be the
exact format you have, but it is likely that at least a similar format will be utilized.
Some people like them because they prepare you well for the tests. Some people
think they are simply a distraction from the studying. You have to decide that for
yourself, although not liking them doesn't get you out of doing them.
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EXAMS
Last year we had an hour-and-a-half for each
65-question test. This number of questions
compared to class hours means that a lot of
detail ends up on the test (i.e. lots of
memorizing). If you go to lecture and spend
time learning the syllabus you’ll do well –
“R.E.M. Behavior
disorder… Another good
reason to shack up early
for a tryout before
marriage”.
-Dr. Blair
Drs. Tomasek and Rada are very fair on the tests and the majority of his
questions are straight out of the syllabus.
EXAM 1: Embryogenesis, Musculoskeletal, Nervous, Respiratory, and
Cardiovascular
At first, you need to get a grip on the timeline. If you can do this, then the later
systems approach will make more sense. The diagrams can become the meat of
the course, especially at the beginning. (And they will show up on every test, so
don’t forget to look over them in the later blocks). Coming to class means you
have all the details of these diagrams and that when asked to fill in these
diagrams on the test, you'll be able to do so. For this test block, your basic
understanding of the material will come from the lectures themselves. Try to go
over everything a week or so before the test and get a decent understanding.
Then, the night before the test you should go over the syllabus, note groups,
diagrams, and whatever presentations are online. Know the diagrams! In
addition, during the week before test block 1 Dr. Tomasek does a quick run
through review that is amazing. He will cover the majority of the ideas for the
test. GO TO TOMASEK’S REVIEW and make sure someone is there to record
it so you can put it on your iPod and listen to it the morning of your test while
you are casually getting dressed and making a gourmet breakfast.
EXAM 2: GI, Urogenital, Reproductive, Limbs
This test blocks correlates with Gross well, which helps you understand the
material much better since you get a double dose. This section is taught with the
hope that you will make this correlation; so use this benefit to your advantage.
Don't forget the trilaminar plate diagram. Remember how I said the material
builds? That diagram will haunt you all semester. KNOW IT WELL! Dr. Rada
does a good review too so it is probably worth attending.
EXAM 3: Branchial apparatus, Head/neck, Brain, Cranial nerves, Oral cavity,
Aortic arches, and Congenital malformations
Again, know the diagrams. The ones that have been repeated repeatedly are
likely to show up on the final. The comprehensive section of the final is not
worth stressing over. A great way to review for this test is to go to the review the
week before test block. The entire semester in a matter of hours (so be ready for
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a whirlwind tour of embryo), and mentioned will be those small details that are
deemed important (i.e. those small details likely to show up on the final).
TEXTS AND MATERIALS:
Do you need a book? Probably not, the syllabus is so detailed that it pretty much
fills this role. Depending on the kind of learner you are, you may want to learn
mostly in lecture, mostly by reading the suggested text, or by a combination of
methods.
THE TEXT: Moore and Persaud’s The Developing Human – this book is great if
you’re a book reader. . If you don’t go to class, this book will be very helpful in
understanding the concepts. In addition, it has a great CDROM with
animations, some of which are used in class. It is a good tool but you can get
along without it.
THE SYLLABUS: This is your text. The syllabus is very complete, just make
sure to go to class to fill in the extra details and see what is emphasized. Dr.
Rada’s syllabus will need some supplementation and Dr. O’Donoghue’s can get a
little confusing (once again KNOW O’DON’S slides). My advice would be to
read it before you go to class so your not lost (A ton of material is presented very
quickly, so it’s good to be at least familiar with it). If you study the syllabus well,
you will do well on the tests.
THE LECTURE: Both of our instructors were good lecturers, but there are so
many details that you can quickly get lost – especially during the folding stages of
development. Whatever the case, go to lecture or watch it in the mods. Embryo
is visual. Dr. Tomasek helps you visualize how things move and fold. (The things
that man can do with a few towels are astounding!)
GENERAL STUDY TIPS:
This is a class about visualizing how things are developing and about memorizing
details. Memorize and memorize again. The better you memorize, the better
you're likely to perform on tests. Make flash cards, review sheets, or do the
sample questions on Hippocrates. Do whatever it takes to make the information
stick in your head on test day.
Three keys to doing well in embryo: Know the syllabus, go to class (pay attention
when you do) and make sure you know the diagrams!
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Principles of
Clinical
Medicine
SECTION
D
a.k.a: PCM
Hours: 90
When it Hits: All year
Course Director: Dr. Rhonda A. Sparks, FMC 2615, 271-7827
"Something needs to be
done about these
lawyers." -- an
Principles of Clinical Medicine is an introduction to the medical profession. It
will be one of the few chances to get a taste of what you are truly working for by
actually going around with a doctor and seeing patients. It is a breath of fresh air
and will remind you why your body is gradually taking the form of your desk
chair. The focus of the 1 st year of PCM is to make you more comfortable in
engaging with the patient while learning the basics of interviewing and
taking a history. Most will tell you that being able to develop a successful
doctor/patient relationship is the most important part of being a doctor,
(unless you go into something like Forensic Pathology where it will be more
of a silent relationship.)
GENERAL INFORMATION:
“To study the phenomena of disease without books is to sail an uncharted sea,
while to study books without patients is not to go to sea at all”—Sir William
Osler. Well, thanks to PCM, you first-years can prepare to set sail on a rather
well charted sea. PCM will introduce you to the human side of medicine and
end up being a nice break from reading Chung’s book for the fifth time. The
class meets in the modules once a week, with half of the mod meeting on
Tuesday afternoon and the other half meeting Thursday afternoon (this is good
– it means you get at least one afternoon off per week). Led by a real-life
physician (not just someone who plays one on TV), you will practice your
interviewing skills on simulated patients and will receive constructive (well…most
of the time) feedback from your fellow mod-mates. Respect the fact that
intensive learning is happening in the mods these afternoons; be sure to stay out
of them when it is not your assigned afternoon (go do something fun instead).
During the year, you will go on three, four to five-week rotations in
which you will shadow practicing physicians (instead of meeting in the mods).
During orientation, you’ll get to write down a few medical specialties that
interest you. Most students will shadow physicians in the specialties they request
along with at least one primary care rotation (Family Medicine, Internal
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Medicine, or Pediatrics) and possibly an off-the-wall specialty. You also have the
option of doing a weekend rotation where you spend one night at the hospital
instead of going to a regular four-week rotation. At all these rotations, you’ll
observe the interviewing skills of the physicians and thereby assimilate and
demonstrate your knowledge by interviewing a patient.
Some of the rotations/physicians you have will be awesome, while others may be
not so awesome. This is a fact that will follow you throughout medical school, so
become accustomed to it. You can learn just as much from a ‘bad’ rotation as
you can from a ‘good’ rotation - it is up to you to make all your rotations a
learning experience. A significant portion of your grade (40%) comes from
writing a paper detailing a patient interview from each of the four rotations. The
syllabus gives a thorough list of all of the items that must be included in the
paper. Follow that guide. Not all of the PCM group leaders are easy grader, so
figure out the grading style of your leader early on and write your papers
accordingly. Bear in mind that this is the only first-year course that requires you
to get a 92% (not 90%) to get an A.
In addition to the rotations, you will have mod exercises in which you’ll
learn how to interview children, adults, and the elderly in the best and most
appropriate way. These will be ugly at first. It doesn’t matter if you are outgoing
or shy; these interviews in front of your peers are awkward and some of you will
dread them.
You will have one exam during the fall semester. There are some tricky
questions, but you should study the syllabus as your primary source of
information. It is the last test of finals, but be sure you spend some time
studying (especially the night before) and don’t give up…you might end up
needing those points in the spring.
SOME CHANGES: This past year, the Class of 2012 used the new
facility for PCM located in Garrison tower of the old Children’s Hospital. We
have access to a hall of patient simulated rooms. On the final you are tested on
both the history and physical portion of the patient exam. You can schedule a
time to practice with a standardized patient before your scheduled PCM final if
you feel the need. No worries, though, this will be a better prep for our future as
doctors. The PCM physical exam will correlate with Anatomy, which should
facilitate the learning process.
TEXT AND MATERIALS:
The syllabus is online so you can either print it out or just refer to it when you need it. A
few exam questions will be drawn from the required readings from the required textbook
(Mosby’s Guide to the Physical Exam).
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Human
Behavior
For the First Year
a.k.a: HB
Hours: 79
Duration: All year
Course Director: Dr. Clayton Morris
SECTION
E
“Don’t answer a patient’s
anger with anger; they will just
explode, like crazy lasers!”
-Dr. E. Michael Smith
In the Human Behavior course, you will explore the psychological aspects
about life. You learn how people function socially, emotionally, spiritually, and
physically. HB has a history of causing diverse reactions among the student
body. You will either get it, or you won’t. The test questions can be ambiguous,
and they fall under much scrutiny. This usually occurs due to the lack of
correlation between what was mentioned in class and what really showed up on
the test. Nonetheless, there has been quite a bit of effort made to remedy this
situation. WARNING: you will find that there is a huge temptation to blow off
this class to focus on bigger classes. I recommend keeping up with it so you
don’t have to pull an all-nighter before the test. However, if staying up all night
is your style, to each his own. An easy way to keep up with it is to simply go to
class. These classes will be the most entertaining classes you’ll sit through all
year. Dr. Morris, Dr. Tucker, and Dr. Anderson were some crowd favorites. So,
if you don’t go to any classes – go to these. Keep in mind, at the end of the year
this course is worth almost as much as Gross Anatomy. I would suggest studying
HB notegroups when you’re bored through the semester. People that did well
told me they would be watching Sportscenter with HB notegroups handy to
glance at them during commercials throughout the semester.
LECTURE
The toughest part about HB is that each professor is very different. Some
lecturers are great; some barely pass decent. In addition, many professors have
‘incomplete’ syllabi. I’m not kidding, some professors had one page outlines
with no more than 50 words. Some will follow the syllabus, a fair amount won’t
release their slides, and occasionally some will tell you what to focus on for the
test. Overall, there is one pearl of wisdom you must know in order to be
successful in this course…. HB material is not a collection of facts to simply
memorize, but rather a set of broad concepts you are expected to apply to a
myriad of situations. Hearing the lecturers’ opinions and anecdotes helps
greatly in this process. Note groups can be helpful if they are done thoroughly,
but sometimes you’ll find there not as great as you thought. My advice, go to
class, take notes on the syllabus, and study the material a little bit a night the
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week before test block. If you follow this formula, you shouldn’t have any
problem scoring an A on the tests.
Dr. Cox: Alright, who
can tell me anything
about Mr. Pierce?
Keith: He uses oil
heaters at his house in
New Hampshire
Dr. Cox: That answer
was either very
sarcastic or very
stupid, either way I'm
whacking you with my
clipboard [holds
clipboard up] brace
yourself.
-Scrubs
EXAMS
Here’s some good news, you’ll only have four tests in HB for the ENTIRE year:
two during the fall and two during the spring semester. More importantly, you
won’t have to worry about an HB test in either of the third test blocks. But
there’s a catch, the second test in both semesters is COMPREHENSIVE. Don’t
worry; it’s not as scary as it sounds. The second test will mainly focus on the
material. Plus, if you had a fairly solid idea of what went on in the first test, you
shouldn’t have any trouble. Your final grade is a result of a weighted average of
the scores in all four tests. Some extra credit will be thrown in here and there
from different professors. This will come from bonus quizzes in class and/or
doing a simple extra assignment. Most people agree that the first and fourth
tests were the most difficult. The first test is due to the quantity of information
and for the fact, you have no idea what to expect from an HB test yet. The
fourth test was troublesome due to the ambiguity of the questions. Dr. Smith
knows about these problems and has done his best to fix them.
EXAM REVIEW
These are the verbatim rules of exam review straight from the Department of
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences:
1. All exams are closed. It is a violation of the College of Medicine honor
code for students to have in their possession copies of questions from this exam
or previously given closed examinations or to transmit test questions over email.
2. Following any given exam, the Exam Key will be posted on Hippocrates
Discussion Board for your review.
3. Regarding questions that may arise following an exam, it is this
department’s policy to answer exam-related questions on an individual basis only
rather than through an exam review committee. Therefore, your exam review
chairperson should make an appointment with the Course Director to discuss
any exam-related issues, or you may choose to contact the author of a specific
question directly.
4. To make an appointment regarding an exam issue, you may contact
Lori Nicholson to review the exam before your appointment with the
Course Director. In the interim, the question writers will review any
questions scoring poorly by the
Item Analysis, and those
changes (if any) will be
“Someone needs to abuse her.
Wait, I think they already did”.
-Dr. E. Michael Smith
Discussing Primary Emotions
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5. You will have three (3) days following an exam to contact Lori,
Zelma, Dr. Smith, or Dr. Boyer with reference to any exam issues,
after that time the grades will be posted and no changes will be made.
TEXTS AND SYLLABUS
There is one required text for HB written by Goldman. I can honestly say that
maybe 10 to 15 people owned this book in my class. I didn’t have it, and I was
okay. In addition, nobody in my class suffered from not buying the book.
However, if you must know about this book, here you go. This text can be good
for clarification and it has some useful charts. If you must buy a book for HB,
this is the one to get. As far as I know, every question came from lecture, syllabi,
or handouts from a lecturer. So pretty much this book will help you solidify the
information you received from class/syllabi/note groups.
Another note about Note groups, they can be great if you missed class. They
generally will give a great outline of what the lecture is about so you know what
slides or pages from the syllabi to focus on. Don’t put all you eggs into the Note
group’s basket. It’s almost a guarantee that someone in your class will write a
bad note group. Then you’ll miss a key point and possibly miss a few points on
an exam. Use them as an aide, but not a complete crutch.
Breakdown of Professors
This goes in the order that we received our lectures last year. Your schedule
should line up almost the same.
FALL SEMESTER
Dr. Michael Smith – Intro, Doctor-Patient Relationship, & Communication
Skills: This section of HB starts easy. The material isn’t difficult; just learn the
bolded terms in the syllabus and anything else he emphasizes in class. Dr. Smith
will give an entertaining introduction to the course. He then talks about the
importance of the doctor patient relationship, different methods of
communication, and things not to do when with a patient. We only got to
experience Dr. Smith the first part of the semester. However if he is back for
your year, rumor has it the better part of Dr. Smith comes in the spring when he
gives a lecture on recognizing human emotions. This lecture is great – don’t miss
it. And the facial expressions always show up on the test.
Dr. Morris: Dr. Morris was our associate course director last year, so we had a lot
of contact with him. He is probably the youngest lecturer we had, and is
approachable and easy going. Since HB has a new course director, I am not sure
what Morris will or will not be teaching. For us, he only taught one lecture
(communication skills) in the first test block, but had a large portion of the
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second block with the sexuality lectures and panel. In the spring, Morris did
recognizing human emotions, the therapeutic sequence, and alcoholism, which is
a large portion of the first test. Know the therapeutic sequence well and spend
some time going through the emotion images on Hippocrates, because they will
be the images used on the test. This can be a decent number of easy points if you
take the time to look over it. Morris’s lecture style still is pretty dry – he tends to
stand at the front, face the screen, and talk fairly monotonously. He does
occasionally spice it up if he gets off on a tangent about his views on marijuana
legalization. Even if he is dry, Morris is a nice guy and easy to talk to. He was the
one that worked with our exam review chair and gave us points back on all the
tests. That said, we do not know if he will be involved in running the course at
all next year.
Dr. Scott – Behavioral Medicine: Pay attention to his lectures because that is
where the bulk of his test questions come from. If you don’t make it to class, I
would say study the note groups first, then go to the syllabus. Dr. Scott is glad to
proofread note groups in order to find mistakes. He’ll make sure that the
pertinent material is there. His test questions are fair, but not easy. Nothing is
too difficult to understand in his material. If you understand all the concepts
presented in his slides, you’ll be fine.
Dr. Morgan – Adult Development; Late Middle Age & Aging; Death, Dying
& Palliative Care: This is as straight forward as HB will get – enjoy it! Learn the
developmental tasks and psychosocial crises for each age. Know that the development of a
point of view about death occurs during later adulthood (old age), NOT very old age. She
will tell you what you need to know so…. GO TO CLASS. Moreover, if that’s
not enough incentive, she gives a quiz at the end of class that can give you some
BONUS POINTS. She’s a fun gal who likes to show long movie clips from
popular movies (This is refreshing as most of you will be entertainment deprived
at this point). As for Death and Dying, the material is a bit on the dry side, but
you need to know it nonetheless. Make sure you know that the most common fear of
a dying patient is the fear of the unknown. Also, know the needs of a dying patient, as
well as the definition of palliative care.
Dr. Sherman – Marriage & Family: Dr. Sherman is an
“ Dr. Carter, If you don’t interesting lecturer who likes to have an interactive class. Her
know what it’s called, you sure material will be useful in your medical practice. Make sure and
as hell shouldn’t be using it”. understand the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Structure
-Some Doc on ER and the Family Life Cycle. Make sure to learn what you can and
can’t say to someone whom you suspect is being abused. Know the
cycle of violence and enmeshment! Her syllabus has many statistics, but she will tell
you which ones to know – you can trust her. The only statistic we had to know
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was that 1 in 4 families would have at least one physically violent episode in the
past year.
Dr. Thrash (or a stand in) – Stress & Coping: He wasn’t here for our year, but
these lectures fell right before exams for us last year. Many people skipped them
because they were stressed and wanted to study for other things. You can get by
with just his slides and note groups if you don’t want to attend the lecture. Know
that law students are more stressed than medical students. Female medical students are
more stressed than males. Know recommendations on how to guess on a test question
when you aren’t sure of the answer. This material is clean cut, so just know the
slides.
Dr. Trautman – Spirituality in Medicine: Some people had mixed feelings
about this section of HB. Some liked it; some didn’t. For this portion of HB,
Dr. Trautman will lecture first. His lectures are not very interesting, but I would
really recommend attending. His syllabus is not useful since he only tests over
what he says in lecture. There will be a panel of various religious leaders from
the community. Dr. Trautman will ask each of them how their respective
religion views certain matters in healthcare. Topics ranged from abortion, to
organ transplant, and to end of life issues. After the presentation, you will go
into the mods where you will be assigned a religious group to research about a
certain subject that is critical in healthcare. For the test, be sure and know
Trautman's lecture. He asks hard, detail-oriented questions about his material,
that he most likely only briefly mentioned in
class. In addition, he put some material on
‘reserve’ last year. We were supposed to be
tested on it, but some people couldn’t get access
to it. In the end, he only tested on the lecture
and the syllabus. Just ask Dr. Trautman to
clarify whether you need to know that material
or not if it is posted.
“My foot is killing me!”- Pt.
“So where’s it hurting
exactly?” – Devin Arie
“MY DAMN FOOT!!!!” –Pt.
Monnot – Defense Mechanisms: This material should seem familiar if you’ve
taken a basic psychology course. Her syllabus will have many details in it, but
focus on the material that she emphasizes in class. Her questions seemed
straightforward. Watch out for her in late spring for Nuero – her lecture was
interesting to say the least.
SPRING SEMESTER
Dr. Adams – Intelligence:
“ She’s my assistant… yeah… she’s hot.”
-Dr. E. Michael Smith
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Dr. Adams is a good lecturer and probably one of the nicest men you could ever
meet. His material is straightforward and relevant to your medical practice—poor
syllabus though. Make sure and know the intelligence distribution, what the average IQ
is, and the IQ ranges for the different levels of mental retardation. Be certain to know
that to be diagnosed as mentally retarded, a person must have low intellectual function
before the age of 18. Trauma does not result in retardation! After 18, they have some sort
of brain dysfunction. Know the definition of intelligence.
Dr. Ruwe – Neural Substrates of Emotion: This stuff will give you nightmares,
because he’ll be talking about parts of the brain that you don’t even know you
have. The material was dry and I had to really try to stay awake and focused.
You will learn all these brain parts in Neuro and then it will make a lot more
sense. Do your best to learn all of the different models of emotions as well as all of the
theories of emotion. Know which neurotransmitters are related to which emotion. If you
don’t want to sit through lecture, you can go over his power point and you’ll get
everything you’ll need to know. His test questions were mostly in matching
format and were hard, but possible, if you know the theories and the models.
Dr. Anderson – Alcoholism and the Oklahoma Health Professionals Recovery
Program Panel Discussion: Lanny Anderson was one of our favorites last year.
He gave some interesting stories about his life during his alcoholism. Dr.
Anderson’s questions were, for the most part, straightforward. Although his
syllabus has many details, he sticks to the big picture. You should know the
definition of alcoholism, know that compulsivity in addiction is due to altered brain
chemistry, and know about the twelve-step program (specifically the first 2 or 3 steps).
Basically, you’ll be able to pick out what Dr. Anderson thinks is important just
from going to class.
You should not miss this presentation. There is a panel of health
professionals that come to talk to you about their own experiences as recovering
addicts. Their stories are interesting and educational, and hey, you can’t beat
that! The test questions from this material were extremely straightforward. They
literally came word-for-word out of the handouts, and there weren’t many
handouts. Concentrate on the pamphlet and how to document and refer disruptive
physicians.
Dr. Sorocco – Alcohol Use in Older Adults: This is the one time I will say
DON’T GO TO CLASS. Granted, Dr. Sorocco is very interested in her work,
and her syllabus is very complete. Nonetheless, her presentation style is very dry
and very boring. She literally read her power point to us word for word. I left
after the first hour of the lecture. You can study her power points and be set for
the test. Also, know the differences between early and late onset drinkers, the
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vulnerability of the elderly to alcohol, the definition of “a drink”, the trends and
percentages of different populations, and the risk factors for drinking in the elderly.
Dr. Rudeen – Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: HOLY CRAP these questions can
sneak up on you if you aren’t prepared. She is very passionate about her work.
She really emphasizes the points she wants you to take home from her lecture.
Know exactly what she says in class and you won’t miss a single question on her part of
the exam. Know that physicians are the only ones that can diagnose FAS, the factors
associated with FAS, the physical markers of FAS children, and the secondary problems
that FAS kids have.
Dr. Duncan – Diversion of Controlled Substances, Meth and Narcotics: Dr.
Duncan is a very good lecturer with unbelievable stories (go to class just for
these), but there were also some problems with some of his test questions. I
think the hardest thing about his lectures is picking out what’s important from
masses of information. His syllabus has tons of information, but he doesn’t
follow it in class. On the last day, he tells you what to focus on for the test, but
that isn’t the whole story. Know the characteristics of drug seeking behavior, what
physicians can do to increase or decrease it, understand the euphoria/ dysphoria graph,
stages of meth highs, the damage caused by different drugs and to what parts of the brain,
the dopamine pathway and its relation to drug addiction, the general structures of drugs as
related to the ring structure given in class, the difference between narcotics and stimulants
and example drugs. He has the most questions on exam II, some are easy, and
some are not. Know this section like the back of your hand!
Dr. Trautman – Marijuana, Inhalants, and Hallucinogens: Dr. Trautman may
be remembered from the religion in medicine lectures of the fall. He gives an
outline for the syllabus; going to class is necessary even though the lecture is
rather dense. He talks about marijuana for almost the whole time and mentions
the others quickly at the end, but that doesn’t mean they’re not on the test.
Know all effects of marijuana. He will dispel the rumor that marijuana is not addictive
and give you symptoms of withdraw to know. Also, know the trends in males and females
and ages with regard to marijuana usage and effects. Know examples of inhalants and
hallucinogens he mentions in class and their effects and trends of use. Know how to ‘talk
down’ a person using stimulants and hallucinogens. Know that hallucinogens have crosstolerance.
Dr. Tassey – Smoking Cessation and Changing Behavior for Health
Improvement and Promotion: Dr. Tassey’s questions are indicative of what was
discussed in class. Know the methods to quit smoking, which work best, which are more
common, and especially the trends in tobacco use across age, race, and gender.
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As for the Changing Behavior Section, this didn’t go well for our class.
The slides were never posted and so most people had to go off the note groups
because they didn’t go to class. Know the different models, the stages in the “readiness
to change” discussion, know what is useful to get patients to quit in each stage, and the
factors that increase or decrease the chances of quitting successfully.
Class of 2010 List of
WHAT NOT TO DO FOR A TEST
5. Swivel incessantly in your chair
4. Cuss at God
3. Pull an all nighter
2. Compare answers right
after the test (no one like this
person!)
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Integrated
Medical
Problem
Solving
SECTION
F
a.k.a.: IMPS
Hours: 24
When It Hits: All Year
Course Director: Dr. Candler
As you can maybe gather from the name, IMPS is the place where all of what you
are currently learning in your classes are integrated into cases and situations that
a doctor might face. Specialists are brought in and discuss with you how you
would best deal with certain scenarios. Three pieces of advice: 1) don’t just skim
over the information, you will need to know the information for the IRAT, 2) think
before you speak or you will end up mumbling some incoherent garbage, and 3)
Don’t be late or you will miss all your IRAT questions.
COURSE LAYOUT
This course will consist of a yearlong series of Team-Based Learning (TBL)
sessions. Several weeks before each IMPS session, all students will be made aware
of the content/topics they must read before the session. Typically, these topics
are selected from lectures in their existing courses. Students should read the preassigned
materials and come prepared to take a quiz. The actual TBL session lasts
two hours and consists of the following phases:
“Recent research has shown that empirical evidence for globalization
of corporate innovation is very limited and as a corollary the market
for technologies is shrinking. As a world leader, it's important for
America to provide systematic research grants for our scientists. I
believe strongly there will always be a need for us to have a well
articulated innovation policy with emphasis on human resource
development. Thank you… ugh… what just happened I blacked out…”
-Will Ferrell, Old School
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PHASE 1 –
Before class, students study pre-identified material from previous lectures. At the
beginning of the class learners take a short individual readiness assurance test
(IRAT) to test their readiness to apply what they have learned. Students may
neither give nor receive aid during the IRAT. Then, the learners re-take this
same exam (the “group” readiness assurance test or GRAT) and turn in their
consensus answers for scoring. Groups are allowed to submit a second answer
worth half credit if the first choice is incorrect. After this, the faculty facilitator
may take verbal appeals from the class.
PHASE 2 –
During the second hour, the groups complete in-class assignments that promote
collaboration, use of Phase 1 knowledge, and identification of learning
deficiencies. At designated times, all groups simultaneously share their groups’
answers with the entire class for easy comparison and immediate feedback. This
stimulates an energetic total-class discussion with groups defending their answers
and the teacher helping to consolidate learning.
Note: Students are required to attend both phases in order to receive credit.
After the class completes the GRAT, the facilitator will review the answers to the
quiz questions. Appeals to IMPS quiz questions will be considered through one
of two mechanisms:
1.) The question author agrees that the question is flawed.
2.) Poor question performance (as indicated in the item analysis).
The entire class will receive credit for successfully appealed questions.
Class of 2008 List Of
Most Difficult Classes
5. Embryology
4. Anatomy
3. Biochem
2. Neuro
1. Phys
Student grades will be based on the combined
scores of the individual (30% weight) and
group quizzes (70% weight). There will be no
interval or final examinations (i.e., test block
exams). The final letter grade for the year will
be determined by the percentage of total
points received divided by total possible points
and expressed as pass/fail with 70% as the
lowest passing score.
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Medical
Physiology
a.k.a.: “Phys”
Hours: 109
When It Hits: Spring
Course Director: Dr. Robert Blair, BMSB 653B, 271-2226 ext 226
SECTION
G
OVERVIEW
Good news and bad news. The bad news is Phys is widely thought of as the most
challenging course in the first year, but the good news is that many also find it
the most interesting. I loved it because, as opposed to memorizing all the little
muscles in the foot (and forgetting it a week later), all the material you learn in
this course is actually important in the practice of medicine.
It’s difficult because instead of just rote memorization of structures, you have to
memorize concepts and then be able to put them together on the test in ways
that may not have been specifically demonstrated in class. A deep understanding
of the material along with critical reasoning skills is required to do well in this
course.
One point I would emphasize throughout the entire course is this: DR. BLAIR
IS YOUR FRIEND! Although he doesn’t really teach any of the individual
sections, he is ALWAYS approachable for questions if you just can’t understand
the material taught by its original teacher. Also, I would recommend addressing
him in person, as opposed to corresponding through email. He is the course
director for two classes in the spring semester and tends to get bogged down with
an incredible amount of email, so he may not respond immediately or at all.
EXAMS
There is ONE KEY TO SUCCESS ON THESE TESTS: PRACTICE
PROBLEMS! These exams are tough. Even if you memorized the entire
syllabus, most of us are not smart enough (or at least I’m not) to walk into the
test without ever having applied the knowledge we’ve attained while studying.
The problems provided on Hippocrates and Blackboard are very similar to ones
that will be asked on the exam. These are not only an ‘indicator’ as to how far
along you are in studying, but they help you integrate all the information in your
head and make it much more accessible during the exam. I probably worked
through every practice problem at least three times, and it paid off. These are
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what led me to the deepest possible understanding of the material, and the more
you understand it now, the easier it will be to learn again for the final
exam/boards/residency etc… Also, this course will become very important for
the material presented in the second year, so learning it WELL the first time will
save you a lot of time in the long run.
There are a total of three exams. Many people felt the first exam was the hardest,
not so much because the material was the hardest, but because a large portion is
taught by Dr. Dormer, who can make things seem very complicated. He has a
tendency to ask questions in ways that create a lot of confusion. The second
exam probably had the most information, but was also equipped with some of
the best teachers. The third exam is comprehensive but other than that is
straightforward. It is heavily weighted with new material, with only about 20%
coming from the previous material. However, don’t put off studying the old
material, the questions are composed of very generalized, yet interrelated
concepts.
TEXTS
For me, most textbooks are pointless because each teacher’s syllabus has what
they want you to know. However, there are those that learn by simply reading
over things, and I knew some that relied completely on Costanzo’s Physiology. I
will admit I did open this book once or twice to look up a topic I didn’t
understand, but you can always borrow someone else’s book for 5 minutes if you
need to do this. BRS Physiology (also by Costanzo) offers a good review once
you already know the information and it has many easy practice questions if you
want to make sure you understand the very basic concepts. You pretty much
need this book to study for the comprehensive portion of the final.
SECTION REVIEWS
The course is organized around the various organ systems. Here is a summary of
each major conceptual section.
BLOCK I
CELLULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY:
This portion is taught by Dr. Garrett and is relatively straightforward and a lot of
it you might remember from college (action potentials etc…). KNOW
OSMOSIS! This part keeps coming back in other sections. KNOW
MEMBRANE POTENTIALS! Many people found these hard. ALSO, KNOW
THE DRUGS. Dr. Garrett loves drug questions. There are many fancy equations
that the engineers will love, but you don’t have to know them or even do any
extravagant calculations. Just know the basics and the concepts.
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Also, know the different types of transporters, the sequence of an action
potential from initiation to muscle contraction, and the difference between
skeletal and smooth muscle. His section on channelopathies is interesting and
he will definitely have a few questions from this lecture as well.
Dr. Garrett may not be super-exciting but he is a good teacher who explains
things well and is more than willing to help on an individual level.
CARDIAC:
Dr. McHale teaches this section and does a very nice job with it. The most
important thing to learn in this section is the cardiac cycle. Know it backwards
and forwards, in detail. He likes to ask questions such as what specifically
happens immediately before or after a certain valve opens or closes. Understand
how the pressures and volumes change and how the different stages relate to the
ECG and heart sounds. Other important concepts are ion flux during
contraction, which ion channel is opening/closing and when, conduction, the
Fick equation, ventricular function curves, CNS effects on heart rate and
contractility, and what happens in various disease states. Dr. McHale said very
little about congestive heart failure in class and the syllabus but a couple of
questions showed up on the exam so don’t let that catch you by surprise. Be sure
to know about the characteristics of cardiac muscle. He doesn’t say much about
it, but you will see it on an exam eventually. According to previous classes Dr.
McHale was especially fond of length/force and velocity/afterload graphs. Our
class did not see much of them. These are kind of confusing, seemingly irrelevant
concepts. However, it’s a good possibility they might show up on the exam. Make
sure you understand calcium’s effect on contractility and Frank Starling’s Law of
the Heart!
VASCULAR:
Dr. Dormer told our class not to email him with questions. He will hold ONE
review before the exam, I suggest you write down your questions as you study
and go to this for help. If all else fails, ask Dr. Blair, he may not be expert, but
he’s easily accessible.
He is not the best of lecturers and his syllabus isn’t any better. On top of that he
doesn’t use powerpoints and his syllabus is extremely long. Unfortunately, this
section is probably one of the most difficult from a conceptual standpoint and
his exam questions are very difficult. If you can tolerate sitting through the
lectures, I would recommend that you do so because there were a few questions
on the exam that came straight from the lecture rather than the syllabus. Most
of the material stems from fluid mechanics/physics, and the rest is detail. It is
essential to understand the basic concepts of compliance, tension, pressure, and
resistance. Only then, can you understand how they work together to affect
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systems, which will be the basis of most of the exam questions. Other details
that are good to know are the Starling equation, vascular function curves, and
the baroreceptor reflex. Near the end of the section both Dr. McHale and Dr.
Dormer will integrate the material on the heart and the peripheral vasculature.
This is very helpful and key to understanding the overall picture. Once again,
Dr. Dormer’s test questions are VERY hard and ambiguous. MAKE SURE when
doing calculations that you correctly convert the units!!! You will find that the most
complaints after the first block exam will come from his section. Since he has the
most questions on the first test, it would serve you well to spend the majority of
your time thoroughly understanding the concepts of this section. You’ve been
warned…
BLOCK II
RENAL:
This might be the most overwhelming section of the entire year! Thankfully, Dr.
Benyajati is AWESOME! Sometimes she lectures as if she has some sort of
hyperactivity disorder, but she’s just getting caught up in her passion. She’s also
well aware of this tendency and will be very understanding if you ask her to slow
down in the middle of class. She gives you more practice problems than you
think you have time for… MAKE time for them!
For this section, more than any other, I think it is particularly helpful to make a
table. Use the table to keep track of what is going on the proximal tubule, loop
of Henle, and distal nephron. Know what gets reabsorbed and secreted in each
section and how it is regulated. It is also particularly important that you do
practice questions to make sure you understand the various body compartments
and what happens when one of them is altered, as well as GFR and associated
Starling forces, clearance, transport, renal plasma flow, and acid-base balance. If
you work through the practice questions online and the questions she hands out
and understand them well, you will do fine on the exam. All of her exam
questions are very fair and well written. Her syllabus is somewhat lengthy, so a
day or so before the test you may benefit from reading the BRS book to get a
quick review.
RESPIRATORY:
Dr. Farber might seem dull, but his explanations for this conceptually difficult
section are very clear and I personally think he’s a great lecturer. He uses simple
props like balloons, slinkies and turkey basters to help you visualize the material,
which helps a lot. His syllabus is a little insufficient for a complete
understanding, but his PowerPoint slides are excellent and I would recommend
studying from these.
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DO NOT underestimate this section! Like the vascular section, it is difficult to
conceptualize. Try to find some concrete analogies to grasp onto. Understand
the concepts of partial pressure, O 2 and CO 2 dissociation curves and how they
differ, dead space, alveolar ventilation, differences in gas exchange between the
apex and base of lung, causes of hypoxemia, mechanics of
inspiration/expiration, and neural/chemical control of breathing. There will be
TBLs and one PBL for this section, which should help clarify pulmonary
function tests and the differences between obstructive and restrictive lung disease
— concepts which will show up on the exam. Pay attention to his diagrams
carefully. Know what happens to people during obstructive apnea. Most students
reported that this was the hardest material of the second exam block. I highly
recommend doing the practice questions on the Hippocrates question bank. If
you do (and thoroughly understand) these questions you will do fine on his test
questions. Pulmonary mechanics will be the most difficult section for the
majority of the class to conceptualize. Once again the practice questions on
Hippocrates will best help you understand these concepts…DO THEM! I found
a text book helpful to supplement this section.
CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSE TO EXERCISE:
Dr. Dormer returns for this section. Don’t worry, he only has two lectures and
the questions this time are pretty straightforward.
Remember, this test will be a time crunch. There is a lot of material, so read each
question carefully, but quickly!
BLOCK III
GENERAL ENDOCRINE:
Dr. Baker teaches this section of the course. If you are someone that likes to go
to 95% of lectures, I’d recommend these as the 5% that you skip and listen to on
double speed at home. It’s interesting material, it’s just not really something that
needs to be explained, but rather memorized. Just study from her Power Points
and the book (which is her syllabus). Many students felt she asked several
questions that she presented only in class, and were very easy to answer had you
been there.
REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINE:
Dr. Guo is a good teacher and his material is also not that difficult. He is short
of practice problems, but offers a few at the end of each lecture/PowerPoint and
these are money. The main ideas of ovulation, the stages leading up to such,
what hormones spike and when, fertilization, pregnancy/delivery, how sperm
mature and develop, etc. will be more than enough.
Make sure you know the time frames.
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“It’s uterUS Marge,
not uterYOU.”
- Homer Simpson

-Anonymous
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GI:
Dr. Greenwood-Van Meerveld teaches this section of the course. She is very
friendly, approachable, and loves to teach. Her syllabus is pretty well-written and
her lectures are worth going to just to hear her accent. GI is one area in phys
where straight up memorization is the way to go. The difficult thing is figuring
out what to memorize. Once again, I would suggest making a table similar to the
one for the endocrine system, replacing the general hormones with GI hormones
and enzymes. You might want to make another table depicting how various
nutrients are digested, transported, and absorbed in different parts of the GI
tract. It is also important to understand the various reflexes involved in
digestion. Dr. Greenwood loves the neural innervation of the gut, so know these
aspects thoroughly.
Also, know exactly what causes movement throughout the entire GI system
whether it be neural, endocrine, both, etc. Also make sure you understand the
different hormones, where they are secreted from, their targets, their stimulus for
release, and their potentiating affects on other hormones. Dr. Greenwood’s
test questions were considered by some to be ambiguous and to others they were
fine. She asked several questions that were not in her power points or syllabus,
and only vaguely mentioned in class. If you know and understand the material you
will be fine. Remember, for this sections small details count!
Let’s Ask the Class of 2012
What’s the most annoying thing you’ve encountered during
an Exam?
.People flipping their pages
like crazy
.People who finish every
exam in like 20 minutes
.An elbow jabbing me in the
forearm every minute,
followed by, “Oh! I’m so
sorry”.
.Nose whistling
.Questions with multiple
correct answers or no correct
answers
.Heavy breather, like sitting
next to Darth Vader
.Proctors talking
.B.O.- you’re not going to
miss anything crucial in the
five minutes it takes to
shower
.Crowders
.Late People
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Looking at a student in medical school is like looking at a
tree in the wintertime. “

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“OK, (gets on hands
and knees) I want
you all to look up
my butt (awkward
silence). No
seriously! Look up
my butt! Now cut a
cross section through
the spinal cord and
tell me which is left
and which is right.”
-Dr. Blair
Neurosciences
a.k.a. “Neuro”
Hours: 145
When It Hits: Spring
Course Director: Dr. Robert Blair
SECTION
H
Neuro has both lab and lecture components that encompass basic sciences and
clinical aspects. These include neurophysiology (how things work normally),
neuroembryology and histology (how things are formed and their structures),
neuropathology (how things change under abnormal conditions) and
neuropharmacology (how drugs work).
GENERAL INFORMATION:
According to the great philosopher, Dan O’Donoghue: “It doesn’t make any
sense in the beginning, but at the end - exactly 2 minutes before the final exam -
suddenly it’ll hit you and you’ll say “OH, I get it!” (A word of HOPE: It is
definitely possible to do fine in Neuro even if the above-described marvel does
not fully occur.)
Without a doubt, neuroscience will be one of the most challenging classes of the
spring semester, along with physiology (BOO!). While at some times you may
find yourself asking why it is necessary to know all the connections of the brain
and spinal cord (when really everything is connected to everything else according
to Dr. Blair), BUT there will also be the times where you will have to just sit back
and bask in the awe and amazement that accompanies the sheer power,
complexity and capacity of the human nervous system (OK, maybe that’s just me
= nerd). For some, you will find Neuro to be the most interesting and enjoyable
course of the first year – while others will develop hives at the mere mention of
its name. Although this class is hard, it is definitely doable…not to mention
providing great ice breakers, such as the exact pathways for controlling urination
or erection to see if you can get a rise out of people at parties (pun intended).
ORGANIZATION AND FORMAT:
The class consists of both LECTURE and LAB. Lecture is usually MWF or every
day (depending on the test block) from 10:00 to 12:00 or 1:00 to 3:00. Neuro
lab is NOTHING like anatomy lab (i.e. you only meet once to twice per test
block and attendance is not necessarily required, although it’s strongly
recommended and may become required in the near future).
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NEURO LAB:
The original author’s advice: “GO TO LAB! While the lab session as a whole is
informal, I feel it is very helpful to be able to match an actual structure with the
function described in lecture…not to mention, it might be nice to see the actual
specimens that will be used on the practical. Many may find the best resource
for Neuro lab is the Hippocrates INTERACTIVE LAB GUIDE, as it shows any
and every structure that could possibly show up on the exam (see below). I
would suggest looking over the guide before going down to lab and then asking
Dr. Blair or O’Don to show you anything you are confused on or cannot find,
especially deeper structures. It would also be helpful to ask if there are any other
dissections that might be presented during the practical, as this gave our class
fits!” My advice: don’t go to lab unless the practical exams in gross anatomy
kicked your butt (keep in mind, I am home-schooler). Dr. Blair began doing a
gross lab review for our class, in which he pointed out nearly (if not all) the gross
structures we would be expected to know for the downstairs portion of the exam.
I recommend watching Dr. Blair’s review once on normal speed and then twice
more at double speed, naming all the structures before he does. If you are
confused about the orientation of a structure, check on the lab guide. The best
way to perform well on practical exams is to associate each structure with its
surroundings. For the upstairs portion of the exam (the slides), I recommend
putting in maybe two hours the night before memorizing the slides on the
interactive lab guide and using part of your break in between the written exam
and the practical to review these images. Memorize the circles, the colors, and
the shape of the outline. Dr. Blair will use the same slides as those in the lab
guide.
TBLS AND IMPS:
Our class was somewhat of a guinea pig class. Our year was the first to
incorporate Team Based Learning (TBLs) into the curriculum. We had two
hours of Neuro (and two hours of physiology) TBL every week. TBL may be very
helpful when preparing for exams as it allows you to see what is emphasized,
along with providing example questions to demonstrate the type of questions
you will get on the exam. It is designed to keep you caught up on your studies
and to initiate critical thinking about neuro and phys. The material comes from
anything discussed prior to the TBL with a focus on new material from the past
week. We were allowed to use our notes, the syllabus, and the web to answer the
questions, so while being caught up is incredibly helpful, it isn’t essential. There
were two general formats for TBL: 1) you are presented with a clinical case from
which you try to answer various related questions; and 2) stand alone questions
that are not related to a larger case. The TBL consisted of usually nine to eleven
questions which we discussed in assigned small groups composed of several
people from you mod. We submitted our answers using an electronic
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submission system, and then we discussed/debated the questions and answers as
a class. Beware: some people get really into this and will debate on particulars
long after you lost interest. This is a good time to try and study something else,
such as the interactive lab guide. Dr. Blair has a really complex grading system
established for TBL that I still do not particularly understand, but the TBL is
overall worth 5.2% of your overall grade and the majority of it is based on
attendance; so don’t miss these points!!! Dr. Blair integrated peer review as part
of the grading system, in which you evaluate your team members and the
amount they contributed to the sessions. Most of us gave everyone a 100%, but
if there was someone in your group who was really unhelpful, now is your chance
to let Dr. Blair know it.
The IMPS exercises have required readings, which will be posted on Hippocrates.
I suggest you scan through these a couple times before the quizzes, and these
should not be a problem (you have to get a 70% to receive the points!). These
points are applied solely to your IMPS course grade, but it integrates information
from neurosciences, physiology, and histology in an effort to guide you into
seeing the larger picture.
EXAMS:
There are three exams and the FINAL is COMPREHENSIVE in both lab and
lecture. However, don’t let this fact scare you, as the comprehensive material
only comprises 20% of the final and Dr. Blair posts a thorough review for your
enjoyment. There are three online pre-tests due about a week before each exam
(worth 2.9%). You will have about 35 minutes to answer roughly 20 questions.
You will have two opportunities to take the pre-test; the questions will remain
the same and your highest grade will be recorded. You can work in groups on
these, along with utilizing the notes/syllabus/lab guide. These are easy points so
take advantage of Dr. Blair’s generosity. There are three practicals (grouped with
the three written tests) worth 5.2% each. Grades are based on a summed point
scale, with an 89.5% getting you an A, etc…
NEURO LAB EXAM
The lab exam for Neuro is slightly different from anatomy. It consists of two
parts: a gross practical and a slide practical. For the gross portion, you return to the
anatomy lab and identify structures on fresh specimens (just like in anatomy). For
the slide portion, up you go to the west lecture hall to identify structures from
PowerPoint slides. These slides come directly from the interactive lab guide and
should be gimmes if you devote a little time to the guide.
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How do I study for the lab exam?
• STUDY THE HIPPOCRATES INTERACTIVE LAB GUIDE
• All structures that will be tested on both parts of the lab
exam are listed in the guide (your list of terms).
• GO TO THE REVIEW
• Dr. Blair will offer a review session when the exam looms
near. GO! The man knows anything and everything
about the brain’s structures and is more than willing to
help you in any way possible. If a review is not scheduled,
just ask.
NEURO WRITTEN EXAM
The written exam for Neuro usually consists of around 90 multiple-choice
questions each written by the respective faculty member who presented the material.
Usually, there are around three questions per hour of lecture time, and two per hour
of clinical correlation. If it was mentioned IN CLASS, or IN THE SYLLABUS, it is
fair game.
How do I study for the written exam?
• GO TO LECTURE. Most of the neuroscience faculty are great
lecturers and often provide helpful ways to remember material or
interesting anecdotes that relate to difficult material. Take your
syllabus to class and just write done any extra tidbits they may offer or
anything that you found helpful, and I guarantee this will help when
you come back around to studying the material. I also recommend
that you give every professor a shot. If they aren’t your cup of tea, no
harm done. If you are a home-schooler, watch the lectures online.
This takes much less time than actually getting to class and you can
speed up if you understand it or rewind if you don’t get it.
• DO THE PRACTICE TESTS. These practice tests arrive a
couple weeks before test block hits and are EXTREMELY helpful.
These tests are not only a reliable representation of test material
but are also a good indicator of where you stand as far as
studying. I would suggest taking these as real exams after you feel
comfortable with the material…don’t use any books, notes,
syllabi, etc. and just see how you do. This will help let you know
where your strengths are and the material you need to brush up
on. If you have any questions about whether the content of a
question is applicable or if the answer is correct don’t hesitate to
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ask Dr. Blair (and don’t listen to the people that call you a
gunner!).
• DO THE STUDENT EXAM. The student exams are just
another resource that puts the material in multiple-choice format.
• DO THE Q-BANK QUESTIONS. Do them until you get them
all correct twice in a row. They may not be repeated on the exam,
but what better way to boost your score than with gimmies.
Beware: sometimes, the cited answers are incorrect so if you are
unsure about the accuracy of a question’s answer, ask someone
else. Also, they may cover material not discussed in class so just
ignore the questions that are over something you’ve never heard
before.
• STUDY THE SYLLABUS AND NOTEGROUPS. Know the
bolded items in the syllabus like the back of your hand. The
syllabus is well written for the most part and should be your
primary study source.
• RE-LISTEN TO LECTURES ONLINE. Sometimes, listening to
something again shortly after you’ve heard it for the first time will
help to solidify it in your brain. If you find yourself to be a
homebody, at least listen to the lectures to help identify concepts
that may have been stressed.
• KEEP UP. I know this is easier said than done, but try to
maintain a schedule where you can dedicate a time block solely to
Neuro. This doesn’t have to be every day but try to keep on top
of the material on a weekly basis. How this will work for you
differs with every person: making note cards, reading and rereading
the syllabus, listening to lectures repeatedly, writing out
notes…. just find what works for you and try to stick to it. Then
when test block rolls around; make a couple final swipes through
all of the material and GET SOME REST!
• STUDY REVIEW SHEETS. Someone in your class will probably
make a review sheet (if not, someone in prior classes have made them
and if you ask the second years kindly to post them on the discussion
board, I’m sure they will). When you think you know everything, read
the review a few times to make sure you’re right.
RESOURCES:
HIPPOCRATES:
Hippocrates is golden for this course. You will find links to numerous resources
online that we all advise you to take advantage. In addition, the interactive lab
guide contains many of the EXACT IMAGES that Dr. Blair will use when
making up the lecture hall portion of the practical. This interactive guide is
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essential for success in the lab portion of this course…I cannot stress this enough!
The original author advises steering clear of the question bank questions except
for Dr. Foreman’s. These are a little bit shaky and may cover topics not really
discussed or just have totally incorrect answers, but I don’t think it hurts to do
them unless it just confuses you too much. In addition, definitely don’t forget
the practice tests and questions posted on Blackboard, as these are truly
invaluable. Also, take advantage of your note groups and MP3 recordings; these
are just an additional tool that is far too often underused.
BOOKS: I personally was not a book man and did just fine (learn to love your
syllabus), but here are the thoughts of other students on the numerous titles out
there.
This class is a conglomeration of many different areas relating to the nervous
system so one source will not cut it. You will find that with the right
complement of books you can find a text to treat ALMOST every section of the
course (except Ross – he is in a world of his own). Here is a summary of the
major books:
• Bear et al, Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain. Written in incredible
simplicity, yet detailed and comprehensive, this book will break it down,
get jiggy with it, and then tell you what you already forgot. It’s expensive.
Some used it only occasionally, since the syllabus is so comprehensive in
this course. If you want the above and beyond, or a second reliable and
easy to read reference, YOU + Exploring the Brain = Two thumbs up.
• Haines, Fundamentals of Neuroscience – this is a good all around textbook
and is the one recommended by the class before us. It particularly treats
the sections on medulla, pons, and midbrain well. If confused, it should
be your first resort.
• Young & Young, Basic Clinical Neuroanatomy – this is a good book for the
clinical parts of the course as it covers agnosias, aphasias and deficits well.
It has a great section on lesion localization cases.
• Fix, BRS: Neuroanatomy – this book is a good review before tests and it
has good chapters on the auditory and visual systems as well as the spinal
cord and neurohistology.
• Kiernan, Barr’s The Human Nervous System – not widely used but some
students found this helpful for clarification in areas.
ATLAS: This next part is very important…
• Haines, An Atlas of Structures, Sections, and Systems –Dr. Blair recommends
it and it is great. Make it your best friend.
• The Brain Atlas – this atlas is fine for some people but it lacks the diagram
quality of the Haines atlas
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• Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously Simple –It helps for review and has a good
lesion section. If all of you were gunner students, you might read it over
Christmas break for a head start… However, this book will only really get
you through the first test block – you have to know that it will introduce
you to Neuroscience, but may be superficial compared to what you will
need to know for the tests.
THE NEUROSCIENCE FACULTY—A TRUE
LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP:
THIS SECTION IS REVIEWED BY TWO PEOPLE, EACH WITH
HELPFUL INFORMATION
DR. O’DONOGHUE – KISS HIM, HE’S IRISH
• What he teaches: Dr. O’Donoghue begins every test block with a smile
that may slowly turn to a frown with a “Huh?” added in there too. He
mainly deals with the Neuroanatomy aspect of the course but also delves
into some Neuroembryology and histology, spinal cord structures, and
the dreaded cerebellum.
• Teaching style:
o Dr. O’Don is a great guy but also loves bludgeoning you with new
information. He will increase your vocabulary more than you
ever thought possible, which may seem overwhelming at first.
With Dr. O’Don especially, it might be a good idea to review his
lectures beforehand so you can be prepared for the flood of
information and strange names that come at you during his
lectures. I suggest attending class for his lectures, because he
often seems to point out things that he “likes”, which quite often
show up on exams. While these lectures may seem ridiculous at
first, the subsequent lectures will progressively clear up most
confusion on the topics, so hang in there. I found that I never
understood O’Don’s neuro lecture the first time around, but
after the remainder of material for the test block had been
covered, O’Don’s material was a golden overview of quite a few
topics. So don’t be scared if you don’t get it the first time; be
scared if it still means nothing to you after you’ve studied for the
rest of the test block. Also, if you are having any difficulty with a
concept, ask Dr. O’Don, who is one of the most friendly and
down-to-earth faculty members.
o Dr. O’Donoghue is a really nice guy, but his lectures can be a bit
overwhelming. He moves at a pretty quick pace and he presents a
lot of new and challenging material in a short amount of time.
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Another drawback is that, unlike other lecturers, Dr.
O’Donoghue won’t always restrict himself to the syllabus. He’ll
discuss a lot of material that’s nowhere to be found in the
syllabus, but it’s still fair game for the exams. I’d definitely
recommend previewing his material the night before he lectures.
He usually emails his slides to the entire class at least a day in
advance. Of course, by the time you have him in Neuro, you’ll
have already been to his Gross Anatomy lectures so you’ll know
what to expect.
• Test questions: After hearing horror stories about his test questions from
those before us, most would generally agree that his questions were not
too bad.
o First Block – Know Rexed’s laminae (regardless what he says),
know where a cervical spinal cord lesion will affect the upper
limb, know the difference between upper and lower motor
neuron signs, and know how flexors and extensors are oriented in
the spinal cord.
• Know the Glial Elements (Astrocytes, Oligodendrocytes,
etc) and their function, know the compartments of the
brain and their embryological origin (Forebrain ->
Prosencephalon -> Cerebral Hemispheres), know the path
of flow of CSF (Lateral Ventricle Interventricular
Foramen Third Ventricle Cerebral Aqueduct
Fourth Ventricle Median Aperature), and know how
a lesion in the cervical spinal cord will affect the upper
limb.
• NOTE: Be sure to review O’Don’s slides from the
Neuroembryology section of your Embryology course!
There were two test questions from first semester that
weren’t discussed at all in his Neuro lectures and much of
the class missed them. Dr. Blair ended up giving those
questions back, but be prepared anyway.
o Second Block – Know that the dorsomedial nucleus is the most
important thalamic nucleus based on connections and know the
main inputs to the thalamus (ex. Basal ganglia VAN and
VLaN…you will understand this)
• Know the parcellation of the thalamus (ventral anterior
and ventral lateral nuclei control motor functions, medial
geniculate nucleus is associated with auditory functions,
etc), know the projections from the thalamus to the cortex
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as well as the main inputs to the thalamus, know that the
excitatory elements of the cerebellum are granule mossy,
and climbing fibers.
o Third Block – Know the difference between complex and simple
spikes, know that the cerebellum changes place to time, and
know that the only excitatory elements of the cerebellum are the
granule, mossy and climbing fibers; know what layers contain
pyramidal cells or granular cells and what a connection here
implies for the function of that layer.
• Know the different types of associational fibers (superior
longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, uncinate, arcuate, and
the cingulum), know the significant Brodmann’s areas,
and know the different layers of cortex, whether they’re
granular or agranular, and whether they’re sensory or
motor.
• To go or not to go? If you are not normally a home-schooler, go ahead
and go…try to write down the things he says that aren’t in the syllabus,
which can be a daunting task in and of itself. If not, try to absorb as
much as possible and “enjoy” his Irish jokes.
o I recommend attending Dr. O’Donoghue’s lectures for two reasons: 1.
He’s a pretty entertaining lecturer who will definitely keep your
attention.
o 2. He drops hints about what might be on upcoming exams. Usually,
he’s true to his word
DR. ROBERT W. BLAIR – THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND
• What he teaches: Dr. Blair is the Neuro Renaissance man, meaning he
dabbles in a little bit of everything throughout the entire semester. In
the first test block Dr. Blair teaches about the autonomic nervous system,
brainstem anatomy and blood supply, cranial nerves and lesion
localization (his favorite!)
• Teaching style: Dr. Blair is in my opinion the best lecturer of the first
year. He not only knows his stuff but also presents the material with
enthusiasm and keeps things entertaining all at the same time…wow.
During his lectures, Dr. Blair often hints towards material that WILL BE
on the test and reiterates topics that he finds important. In addition, Dr.
Blair is one of the most helpful professors and gets back to you promptly
with any questions that may crop up during your marathon study
sessions. To sum it up, Dr. Blair is the epitome of Neuro and will do
everything in his power to help you do well in this class.
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• Test questions: Dr. Blair has a majority of the questions for every test
block. Thankfully, his questions are some of the most straightforward of
any professor during the first year (read: you can understand what he is
asking not that they are easy!). He will let you know that you are only
responsible for the material that has been bolded in the syllabus, and
he speaks the truth! Also, realize that Dr. Blair thinks that lesion
questions are wonderful and a good way to integrate information
throughout the course of the semester, so be prepared to see this type of
question on every exam!
o First Block – Know the receptor and neurotransmitters for the
varying ganglia of the autonomic nervous system, know the
adrenergic agonists/antagonists and their effect on a person at
rest/exercising, and remember point and shoot.
o Second Block – Know the internal anatomy of the brainstem like
the back of your hand (he loves lesion question that integrate this
information), know the effects of cranial nerves being damaged as
well as their nuclei, look at the hyper brain link on Hippocrates
for help with applicable pathways and reflexes, and know the
main blood supply syndromes.
o Third Block – Dr. Blair covers a ton of material during this
block. Your best bet would be to know the bolded material and
anything that he reiterates in class that is related to this
information (I know it’s a lot, but he has to weed people out
somehow…totally kidding).
• To go or not to go? While some people prefer not to attend Dr. Blair’s
lectures because his syllabus is so superbly written, the original author
was a firm believer that you should definitely attend on a regular basis.
Dr. Blair has won every award possible for teaching and deservedly so (i.e.
he is a ridiculously great teacher). In addition, Dr. Blair shows videos
and tells stories that seem to help the concepts stick in your head.
Overall, Dr. Blair is the most approachable faculty member and is
ALWAYS happy to answer questions. His lectures are organized and
succinct, and he’s great about walking you through concepts. In the end,
you gain so much more by going.
DR. FOREMAN – KNOWN FOR HIS IMPECCABLE WARDROBE
AND JEWELRY COLLECTION
• What he teaches: Dr. Foreman is all about pain and the sensory systems
for the first test block. Here, he covers a lot of material in a short
amount of time, so he must fly through the syllabus briskly. He then
makes a return for the second test block to talk about the hypothalamus.
This material is much easier to grasp, so if you made it through his first
block material you should have no problem here (unfortunately this
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brings back memories of Dr. Olson); however his explanations of the
feeding/satiety system are much more straightforward.
• Teaching style: You can tell Dr. Foreman knows his stuff; however,
sometimes he doesn’t do the greatest job getting this across to us
students. He does explain everything you need to know, but sometimes
the details may remain a little bit fuzzy.
o Dr. Foreman covers the material very quickly, but he explains all
the topics in sufficient depth. In short, his lectures are concise
and to the point. He doesn’t add a lot of extra information to the
syllabus, so everything you need to know for the exams is in there.
Furthermore, he points out concepts that he thinks are especially
important. These concepts reappeared on the exams.
• Test questions: Dr. Foreman’s test questions can be hard. His section is
one of the few ones for Neuro where the question bank on Hippocrates can come
in handy.
o First Block – Know about referred pain, know about receptive
fields, know about closing the gate on pain, know about lateral
inhibition, and know the difference between slowly and rapidly
adapting receptors.
• Know the differences between slowly and rapidly adapting
receptors as well as the different receptors that fall into
each category, know lateral inhibition, know the gate
theory of pain, know paradoxical cold, and know referred
pain (there’s a great diagram in Dr. Foreman’s syllabus
that shows where referred pain might present)
o Second Block – Know which part of the hypothalamus is the
feeding center and which is the satiety center, know which
peptides affect each of these areas, and know how the different
parts of the preoptic area are affected when the blood
temperature is above and below the set point.
• Know the four mechanisms of heat loss, know that the
posterior hypothalamus is tonically active and is
responsible for shivering and vasoconstriction, know that
when the blood temperature increases above the set point,
the anterior hypothalamus inhibits the posterior
hypothalamus, know the mechanisms of fever initiation,
know that ventromedian nucleus is responsible for satiety
(lesion creates hyperphagia) and that the lateral
hypothalamus controls feeding (lesion produces anorexia),
and know the hypothalamic control of thirst
• To go or not to go? The original author would suggest going to class to
help clarify information in his many diagrams of the syllabus. He tries to
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explain each one in as much detail as he can in the time allotted, whereas
there is often little or no explanation in the syllabus (i.e. pain gating). In
addition, Dr. Foreman is easily approachable and will entertain any
questions you may have in or outside of the classroom setting. If you
don’t like class, I would at least try to listen to the MP3 or read the note
groups (if done well) to help clear up any confusion. As I was a strict
home-schooler, I just watched his lectures online at home. He usually
does a three-minute summary of what he talked about during each hour
of lecture, which is very helpful in narrowing down what is important
from the lecture.
DR. GARRETT – THE PHARMACOLOGICAL PHILOSOPHER
• What he teaches: Dr. Garrett is back with a vengeance and tells us all about
drugs that are used to treat pathological disorders of the nervous system. At the
first of each section, he lets you know the major nuclei and areas that contain
concentrations of neurons that release a specific neurotransmitter (don’t worry
about the connections for this part of the course!). He will then describe the
metabolism with that NT, diseases associated with loss of that NT, and drugs
used to either work as agonists/antagonists or that alter the metabolism of that
NT.
• Teaching Style: Dr. Garrett presents a lot of interesting material, most of
which will be applicable for our future clinical years. He is an entertaining
lecturer and admits to loving drugs, so you know he enjoys the material. If he
doesn’t tell you, ask how Paul McCartney really died! Although he has a lot of
information in the syllabus, he expects you to know the bolded terms, which
help ease the burden.
• Test Questions: His questions were very straightforward and never ambiguous.
He will tell you that you should know the synthesis/elimination pathways for
each of the NT’s, their major concentration sites (i.e. Norepinephrine from the
locus coeruleus), the major diseases associated with each NT (i.e. ACh and
Alzheimer’s), and the bolded drug names and their method of action.
• To go or not to go? As for all the other classes, you have to find what works for
you. If you like to go to class, Dr. Garrett is hilarious and really tries to keep
your attention, but you can just as easily get through this portion of the course
by sticking to the above suggestions and cozying up with your syllabus for a few
hours and looking at note groups for clarification. The choice is yours, my
friend.
DR. ASH – THE EYE GUY
• What he teaches: Dr. Ash is all about the eye! He has a very subdued
personality and talks quietly, so if you have a tendency to fall asleep in
class, watch out for this guy. A lot of the material he covers, we already
talked about back in anatomy or Biochem to a degree (remember those
classes!), but he provides some new information and a good refresher.
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• Teaching style: He mostly sticks to the syllabus and doesn’t seem to
elaborate much further. The only part of the syllabus that he explains in
extra detail is the area about the phototransduction cascade (WILL BE
ON THE TEST), as the figure in the syllabus can be quite confusing.
Come to think of it, Dr. Blair agreed with us that even after his
explanation it still seemed a little fishy…but just ask if it doesn’t clear up
for you!
• Test questions: Know the differences between exo- and esotropia, know
the phototransduction cascade (especially how the Na+ levels are affected
in light and dark), know the main reasons that cause glaucoma, and
know about the retinal pigmented epithelium. I should add my personal
opinion that his questions seemed to come from areas that were not
emphasized in lecture, and so I had a lot of trouble with his section on
the exam.
• To go or not to go? You can go if you are interested in the eye, or you
consider yourself a gunner. However, make sure that you at least listen
to the explanation of how the phototransduction cascade works, or
perhaps just read the note groups
“I suppose you could say that
everyone has an El Guapo. For
some, shyness may be an El
Guapo. For others, lack of
education may be an El Guapo.
But for us, El Guapo is a large
ugly man who wants to kill us!”
-Lucky Day (Steve Martin)
The Three Amigos (1986)
DR. ELLIOTT ROSS – WHY COULDN’T YOU BE MORE LIKE
HERMAN JONES??
• What he teaches: Dr. Ross has a short section on the vestibular ocular
reflex for the second test block and comes roaring back in for the third
test block to present some of the most clinically relevant and flat out
riveting information of the semester (not read: He is the best lecturer).
He teaches all about aphasias, aprosodias, agnosias, neglect/abulia, as
well as giving his two cents on pain (not nociception) and emotion.
• Teaching style: Dr. Ross will go through a ton of slides and adds quite a
bit of information not found in his syllabus during lecture. In addition,
you had better have your listening hats on, because he doesn’t like
slowing down to answer questions during lecture (however, outside of
class he would get back to you promptly and seemed to be quite helpful).
Dr. Ross shows some amazing videos to help us understand how
agnosias, aprosodias and aphasias present clinically. Once again, if you
are a visual learner, these videos are money at helping you to keep the
differences between the different types of lesions. While Dr. Ross is not
the greatest lecturer at times (he sometimes seems to get off topic to “toot
his own horn”), in theory, he presents everything you need to know for
the exams within his lecture. I should add that I studied exclusively from
the lectures (which I watched twice) for his lectures in TB6, but I did not
perform very well. So I recommend reading over the syllabus as well.
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“Like drinking from a fire
hydrant”.
-Dr. O’Donoghue
on medical school pace
• Test questions: Dr. Ross’ test questions can definitely be difficult, but
this is just due to the complex nature of the material he presents. His
questions often may seem to have a couple different “right” answers, so
make sure you read the answers closely and decipher the minute details.
Dr. Ross has a majority of the questions on the final exam, but don’t fret
because many of his questions are very general and do not fit the mold
described above. I could make suggestions for material to know all day
long, but here is a condensed list: know the types of circuits, know all
the symptoms of different aphasias and aprosodias (as well as lesion
locations), know the roles of the hippocampus and the amygdala in
memory formation, know what causes pain asymbolia, know about
amnesias and agnosias, know how the right and left hemispheres differ
(and that Dr. Ross is a right hemisphere guy who thinks the left brain is
essentially stupid), know the differences between ballistic and sensoryfeedback
movements, know that pain is a cognitive process, know about
dopamine and the MFB in neglect.
• To go or not to go? According to Dr. Ross, “if you don’t come to my
lectures, you won’t understand this material.” In other words GO (or at
least watch the lectures online)! His syllabus is rough to wade through,
and his videos and explanations often help to clear up any gray areas that
may exist. In addition, his test questions come from his lecture
material, and he often leaves out large chunks of the syllabus (i.e.
don’t need to know it). The only drawback of his lectures is that
he jumps all over the place in his syllabus, so be prepared for a
wild ride!
DR. WISDOM - I THINK SHE’S SEEN TOO MUCH NEGLECT
• What she teaches: Dr. Wisdom teaches us about how the nervous
system reacts to harm and recovery of function, including unwanted or
new functions that can occur after injury.
• Teaching style: Dr. Wisdom shows many interesting videos and slides
that deal with different types of nervous system injuries and how recovery
of function can occur with time. On the other hand, she often strays
from the syllabus or breezes through the material never providing a clear
explanation of what some of the terms mean or how they can affect
recovery. Also, if you have a question try to email her early, as it seems to
take her quite a while to get back to students about concerns.
• Test questions: Dr. Wisdom asks some TOUGH questions. She seems
to have some ambiguous questions or others where multiple right
answers are given that she never explained which was more detrimental
or helpful for recovery. Know that Ca2+ is the main reason for
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glutamate excitotoxicity, know that a larger lesion is the most detrimental
to recovery, know that CNS injuries are less likely to recover than PNS,
and know how Schwann cells react to demyelination.
• To go or not to go? Dr. Wisdom barely stuck to the syllabus and she did
show some neat videos. Therefore, I would suggest going (or watching
the videos online) and praying that she actually tells you about things
that will be on the test!
Dr. Jones
• What he teaches: Dr. Jones comes in during the third block to present
integration of cortical function and seizures. By the time Dr. Jones lectures,
Dr. Blair will have already presented the functions of the different areas of
cortex, but Dr. Jones will put lesions in these areas into a clinical context.
• Teaching style: Dr. Jones is one of the most entertaining lecturers we had.
He shows videos of patients who have suffered lesions in various areas of
cortex. He also calls on people in class to answer his questions. Don’t worry
if you don’t know an answer. He won’t embarrass you or make you feel
stupid. He’ll ask related questions that will lead you to the right answer. Dr.
Jones also tells great stories and gives really good mnemonics to make
studying for the exams a little easier. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a
syllabus and his slides are pretty bare. Whoever is doing notegroups for his
lectures will have to do a really good job. I’d also recommend watching his
lectures at least once outside of class to make sure you understand
everything he discussed.
• Test Questions: Know how seizure or lesions of BA 8 will affect the eyes,
know the main problem with lesions of the three behavioral circuits of the
frontal lobe (i.e. dorsolateral = dysexecutive), and know the deficits and
signs associated with frontal lobe problems
• To go or not to go:
I would definitely recommend attending Dr. Jones’ lectures for the reasons
I listed above. The important thing is that he doesn’t have a syllabus, so it’s
a good idea to attend and take your own notes. Our class was fortunate
because there were really good notegroups for Dr. Jones’ lectures, but that’s
not always a guarantee. Go, enjoy his videos and stories, and try to absorb
everything he says!
Dr. Gordon
What he teaches:
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• Dr. Gordon is a brilliant neurologist who comes in near the end of the year
to talk about strokes and give a clinical correlation on lesions that reviews
everything you’ve learned about lesions in Neuro. It’s a terrific review for
the final!
Teaching Style:
• Dr. Gordon is one of the best lecturers you’ll have all year. He goes through
a ton of material quickly (common theme, isn’t it?), but he explains it all
very clearly and leaves you very well prepared for the final. There is one
major drawback, however. Dr. Gordon randomly calls on people in class
and asks them questions about the material he’s just presented. If you were
inattentive and got the answer wrong, he’d embarrass you in front of the
entire lecture hall. A couple of my classmates were subjected to Dr.
Gordon’s ridicule. Don’t worry, he’s the only first year professor who does
this.
Test Questions:
• For the stroke questions, know the differences between ischemic and
hemorrhagic strokes as well as how you’d treat them, know the deficits
caused by strokes in the cortex, and remember to save the penumbra!
• NOTE: Dr. Gordon’s questions are all really long vignettes. Each question
takes up a quarter of a page. I recommend reading the entire question first
and then skimming it for the salient details. Time isn’t an issue on Neuro
exams, but don’t get bogged down on Dr. Gordon’s questions.
To go or not to go:
• Go if you feel comfortable with the material and don’t mind being called
on. Review the material the night before lecture and see if you’re up to the
challenge. If you’re really worried about being called on or looking bad, just
stay at home, watch the video, and laugh at your classmates as Dr. Gordon
goes after them!
CLINICAL CORRELATIONS
• You will have several clinical correlations throughout the year. These are
not that big of a deal and only account for a few questions on each exam.
The only thing that can be frustrating about the correlations is that the
professors present a lot of information in a short period, and then they
can only choose two questions per lecture hour, leading you to think,
“What’s the use?” If you can stick it out through these lectures though,
these few questions on each exam can add up in the end and be easy
points to help boost your grade.
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• Dr. Prodan presents material on Myasthenia Gravis and is a good lecturer
in my opinion (not to mention he has a sweet accent because he is from
Transylvania!).
o Know that Myasthenia is a disease of fluctuating weakness, know
it is a post-synaptic disorder, know it responds best to ACh
esterase inhibitors, know the main age groups afflicted, and know
the differences and causes of small and large fiber neuropathies.
• Last year’s class didn’t have the spinal cord correlation with Dr. Shelton
because he had an emergency during our lecture period, and as far as I
recall, we didn’t have him either, but he may pop up for you guys. From
former students though, we’ve heard that he is a good lecturer but a very
fast talker!
• Dr. Herman Jones is a stud…there is no other way to explain it. The guy
puts things into terms that are easy to understand and remember and
shows some of the best videos of the semester, not to mention he is
hilarious. He mainly talks about frontal lobe lesions and seizures, and
the many physical and neurological signs that follow.
o Know how seizure or lesions of BA 8 will affect the eyes, know
the main problem with lesions of the three behavioral circuits of
the frontal lobe (i.e. dorsolateral = dysexecutive), and know the
deficits and signs associated with frontal lobe problems (he gives
very good mnemonics to use!)
• Dr. Gordon is the Chairmen of the Neurology Department, so this man
knows his neuro who taught us specifically about strokes. He is an
incredibly enthusiastic lecturer, and although he has the tendency to
condescend and “shhhhh!” the class, Dr. Gordon is a very bright man
and you can learn a lot from him. He is also very approachable one-onone,
and it is obvious teaching is a passion for him, even if he seems to
believe that first year medical students are all a bit dim. Much of his
information has already taught by Dr. Blair, but the final exam will be
over-loaded with lesion questions (strokes being the most likely cause of a
lesion), so his lectures are a great review for the final.
• Dr. Blair sometimes writes the questions for these lecturers so if he is
there and starts scribbling frantically during a certain section – quit the
daydreaming and LISTEN!
• To go or not to go? I would suggest going, as these guys are all very
experienced clinicians in their respective fields and all do a great job
relaying their information to students. If you don’t feel like you have the
time, the note groups and syllabus are ample, but these are seriously
some of the more interesting lectures of the year.
A LITTLE BIT OF CONSOLATION
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As horrifying and overwhelming as it may sound, it is really not bad (yeah, Dr.
Blair bribed me to say that). No, really, it is very possible to do well! Nobody
can pass through this class without thinking at some point that this is some of
the most interesting material of the first year, and you may even catch yourself
with one of those things with the corners of your mouth turn up…oh yeah, a
smile! As long as you try to stay on top of the material throughout the course of
the semester (if you find yourself taking increasingly longer breaks after each test
block…STOP IT!), make friends with your syllabus and the interactive lab guide,
go to class (if you must), and find what works for you as a study aid and stick to
it, you will be fine. Try to grasp the concepts rather than the binge and purge
method of studying, because the concepts will be applied throughout the
semester. In theory, much of this information will also be used during second
year. If you still just don’t get it, shove your pride to the side and ask someone
else for help, whether it be a fellow classmate, one of us second years (remember,
we just went through this, and we are still alive!), or the professors. We are all in
this together, and I guarantee people are more than willing to help you get
through any rough times that may come up. My final words of advice would be
to remember that you still have a life outside of school, and no matter how much
you think you need to study, it is important to get your mind off of studying
every now and again.
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Histology
a.k.a.: Histo
Hours: 95
When It Hits: Spring
Course Director: Dr. Allan Wiechmann, BMSB 537, 271-2377
SECTION
I
Some professors refer to histology as, “the class that brings it all together.” In essence, it is a
combination of what you could call Microanatomy and Cell Biology. The course is designed to
tie together information learned throughout the year in Anatomy, Biochemistry, Embryology,
Neuroscience, and Physiology. Histology, unlike some of your other classes during the spring
semester, is simply a matter of memorization. That may sound easy, but don’t forget the
amount of material and type of things you will be responsible for knowing. Without some
careful study, it really does all start to run together. This class may become secondary to Phys
and Neuro, but don’t wait to study until the last minute. You won’t have time. Furthermore,
if Dr. Wiechmann offers a review it is in your best interest to attend (IT IS NOT VIDEO
TAPED). Dr. Wiechmann highlights what he feels are important slides you should be able to
recognize and he coordinates the lab part of the test so you are likely to see these slides on the
exam. This is an easy way to not miss a single point in the lab practical portion!! Take the
time to really learn the things that are being taught – they will show up in other classes during
the first year, as well as during subsequent years of your schooling.
EXAMS
TEST BLOCK ONE:
This first section of the course is fairly cut and dry. Be sure to learn and recognize the different
classifications of connective tissues and epithelium. These will be seen throughout the semester
as you go along and will help later on when you begin to study the different organ systems. The
syllabus is very good for this section and should be adequate, but be sure to know it well. The
written exam questions are detailed though not extremely tricky. For Wiechmann’s lectures,
know the details in the syllabus, even the small print. Furthermore, if you want to test what you
know you can try the practice questions on Hippocrates for Histology.
TEST BLOCK TWO AND THREE:
This past year test blocks two and three coincided well with the material we were learning in
physiology. This made it easier to understand and learn the material. Furthermore, it made
studying nice because one would emphasize points you may have missed in the other class.
Although the classes complement each other you must study for both classes, studying for one
will not get you by in the other, especially when it comes to the slides for histology.
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TEST BLOCK TWO:
The emphasis within this test block will be on the kidney, cartilage, bone, respiratory system,
peripheral blood, hematopoesis, and integument. A word of advice, know the steps of
HEMATOPOESIS and the BLOOD SLIDES. Furthermore, Dr. Hanigan who will teach the
integument and another section in test block three will not post her slides so you should pay
attention in class and she will provide good slide examples.
TEST BLOCK THREE:
Test block three will consist of mainly lectures covering the endocrine, GI, and reproductive systems.
These will be the exact same things you will be studying in Physiology, and in fact, Dr. Greenwood who
teaches the GI phys will teach GI histology so you get a great overlap. REMEMBER: Different types of
questions will be asked in the two classes so you must study for each test, but during finals you greatly
appreciate the consistency of topics. Some good advice is to always know the defining characteristics of
a tissue (Hassal’s corpuscles define the thalamus, etc.) For the GI section, make sure you know the
differences in the four histological layers among the organs: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa,
and serosa. Know the Iowa Website slides for organ identification and reinforce this with the Histology
Time CD. If you don’t’ know the organ, you can’t get the detailed questions. The slide portion of
this block can be more difficult than the others because of the amount of organs you have to identify –
try to keep up with the slide portion of this exam as you go along. Furthermore, make sure you answer
the questions according to how the material was presented in histology and not phys. (There were a
few differences!) For example, the two classes differ in their description of the different stages of
ovarian follicles. Know the different stages of sperm and follicle development. They like to ask
questions on these topics. This exam was a marked step up in difficulty for us from the previous two
tests and spoiled quite a few people’s A’s in the course!
LAB EXAMS:
Overall, Dr. Wiechmann is very fair in his selection of lab slides that will be presented during the lab
exams. Focus your studying on the Histology Time CD and Iowa Website. There are practice quizzes
online as well. Be sure and understand the big picture when studying the slides, and be able to identify
a well-presented organ, structure, tissue, or cell. If you can do that, you will do very well. Some of the
slides (especially during exam 3) will be simply "name this organ" of which most of the slides will come
from the Iowa website. Dr. Wiechmann gives plenty of time to view one slide before proceeding to the
next, and he is very good at showing specific structural characteristics to help the students correctly
identify the slide. Also, remember to go to his review for the slides if he offers one!
HOW TO STUDY FOR EXAMS:
Do not just cram it all in the night before! This will be a
“First the doctor told me
the good news; that I was
going to have a disease
named after me”.
- Steve Martin
temptation because more than likely, histo will come a bit easier
to you than neuro or phys. However, try to study before the week
of test block. If you keep up with the material and look at the
slides at least once the week they are presented, you won’t feel as
overwhelmed the week or night before. Some early studying and
keeping up with the material will prove very beneficial by the time
histo test time arrives.
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For the slide portion, repetition is key. Your class will also be enjoying slides on-line, which can be
a blessing and a curse. The good news is that you don’t have to spend hours sitting over a microscope;
the bad news is that on-line sources have a tendency to slow down the night before with everyone
accessing them at the same time! Do not wait until the night before to start studying the on-line
slides! You will regret it if you do.
My best advice for studying slides is to try and do it in groups of two or three, this way you can help
each other notice differences among the slides, which comes in handy during GI, and peripheral blood
slides, as well as others.
HISTOLOGY SLIDES
The “virtual laboratory” will be comprised of three Internet resources: 1) “The Virtual Histology
Laboratory” site at the University of Iowa, 2) the Hippocrates Interactive Atlas, and 3) the Histology
Time CD-ROM. There is no requirement that students use the four hours per week for the lab
sessions, it is protected time for students to study the images if they wish. The lab exams are worth as
much as the written exam and will be given in the lecture hall using computer images. Dr. W.
informed our class exactly how many slides would come from each source for the exams, with slightly
more coming from the Iowa site in each test block. Since the written and lab exam are worth the same
amount of points its important to know the computer images well. You may find that you can make up
for difficulty with written exams by doing well on the lab exams, or vice versa.
TEXT AND MATERIALS
Most students found that the information given in the syllabus and note groups were sufficient and that
buying a textbook for the course was unnecessary.
ADVICE FROM DR. WIECHMANN, COURSE DIRECTOR:
“My suggestion for succeeding in this course is to study the computer images as soon after the lecture as
possible; this will reinforce what you have seen in lecture. In addition, I think that students will
probably learn most (80-90%) of the lecture material when they are attending lectures. Many visual and
conceptual aspects of histology are presented in the lectures that just cannot be learned from reading
lecture notes. Finally, do not fall behind in your study of the laboratory material. Cramming for this
the night before the exam is not as easy as it was for embryo, especially if you never attended class.
Also, many students, especially those that are having some academic difficulty, may benefit from
working on the lab material in small group: this may help to clarify misconceptions and minimize
misidentification of structures.”
Dr. Hibbert: Now, a little death anxiety is normal. You can
expect to go through five stages. The first is denial.
Homer: No way! Because I’m not dying
Dr. Hibbert: The second is anger.
Homer: Why you little…!
Dr. Hibbert: After that comes fear.
Homer: What’s after fear? What’s after fear?
Dr. Hibbert: Bargaining.
Homer: Doc, you gotta get me outta this! I’ll make it worth your
while!
Dr. Hibbert: And finally acceptance.
Homer: Well we all gotta go sometime.
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Dr. Hibbert: Mr. Simpson, your progress astounds me!
-The Simpsons

UNOFFICIAL GUIDE
Evidence
Based
Medicine
(EBM)
SECTION
J
Hours: 16
When: Spring
Course Director: Dr. Rhett Jackson
OVERVIEW:
EBM is a class that provides a break from Neuro and Phys during the spring semester while making
relatively simple concepts more difficult than necessary. The class is focused on reviewing primary
journal articles from medical journals and using a small bit of statistics to determine whether the study
is valid or “crap.” Articles discussing different aspects of a specific disease (the same for the whole
semester) are posted on the library website to be read throughout the semester. The “math” involved
scares a fair number of the class, but there is no reason to fret. Despite a lot of hand waiving by the
professors, there are only a few formulas and theories that need to be memorized and then all you will
have to do is plug in the numbers. The course has a very high overall grade and largely amounts to
mandatory attendance at group sessions and a quick cram before the exam.
FORMAT:
The class has components where attendance is required and those that are not (and mandatory
attendance days are clearly noted in the online syllabus). For the home schoolers among you, if there is
no quiz you don’t need to go. All lecture PowerPoints will be posted online.
EVALUATION
A. Attendance 5% of final grade
B. 5-item quiz for each article (6 quizzes) 5% of final grade
C. Small group critical appraisal submissions (6) 60% of final grade
D. Final exam (multiple choice) 30% of final grade
Quizzes, Attendance, and Small Group Critical Appraisals are all based on a specific article assigned for
that day. The articles are usually 4-8 pages. There are three main types of articles: Diagnosis, Therapy,
and Harm. The previous lecture will cover the material that the professor wants you to focus on for the
particular article to be quizzed.
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Quizzes are relatively straightforward. Make sure you pay attention to where the
survey was conducted (i.e. a university in Switzerland), who funded the survey (i.e.
the NIH or Merck), and to the most important numerical statistics (i.e. Specificity,
Likelihood Ratio, Number Needed to Harm).
Small Group Appraisals make up a bulk of the grade for the class. You will be in
your IMPS groups of four people. For each type of article, a “Cheat Sheet” that is
posted online amounts to the form with all the questions you will have to fill out for
the Group Appraisal. You will usually have 45 minutes to an hour to work in your
groups and fill out the questionnaire that has questions focused on the specific
article you were just quizzed on. Make sure you cite the page number where you got
the answer. In addition, none of the professors are very clear about what they want
in the proverbial blank, so make sure you not only state what the answer is but also
why you thought it. Grading focuses on the reasoning you used rather than a
specific “correct” answer. If you’re confused, go down and ask the professor and
they’ll tell you the gist. A simple “Yes.” or just writing a numerical value is rarely if
ever good enough for full credit. The nice part is that the professors are generally
lenient with the grading but make sure at least one person in your group is
productive the night before and can all but go in and copy the cheat sheet over to
the Small Group Appraisal Form.
EXAM:
The exam is 50 questions and comes during the second test block, which is the roughest
week of the year. You’ll be glad for the break and this day can be either a night relatively
off or one where you study more for Phys. Some of the questions can be ambiguous but
as long as you go through the specific PowerPoints for each type of article, you will do
just fine. More than 80% of the class got an A or a B on the exam.
PROFESSORS:
Dr. Rhett Jackson: Dr. Jackson discussed articles on therapy. He focuses on the
calculations that determine whether a particular treatment is beneficial or detrimental to
a particular patient. There are three different calculations that you need to know that
are called different things based on whether it’s benefiting or harming the patient, but
the number crunching is all the same (ARR, RRR, and NNT). He focuses on outcomes
and method than strictly the numbers; in other words, make sure your answers are very
thorough for the Group Appraisals because he tends to grade the hardest.
Dr. Mary Zoë Baker: Dr. Baker presents information on articles about harm. She uses
the same calculations that Dr. Jackson will have already covered, but she also emphasizes
which types of trial carry more weight; know the difference between randomized control
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trials, cohort studies, etc. As you’ll see in Phys her lectures can be painful where she
reads the PowerPoints as fast as humanly possible while speaking clearly only rarely.
Dr. Allee: Interesting fellow who spontaneously appeared throughout EBM. He doesn’t
answer questions so I really wouldn’t both asking.
TEXTBOOK: You don’t need it.
One finger in the throat and one in the rectum makes
for a good diagnostician”.
-Sir William Osler
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The Unofficial Guide is made possible by…
Rachel Clapper, Secretary and Editor
Authors
(These sections were updated to contain the most recent and relevant material. Original Authors are in
parentheses)
Exam Review Committee
Daniel Harwell
Note groups
Fadi Balla (Mitch Hargis)
Computers and Hippocrates
Fadi Balla (Adam Hanna)
Books
Katy Bonds
Food
David Notley
Student Health and Insurance
Patrick Norris
Where to Find…
Rachel Clapper
Module Life, Social Calendar
Fadi Balla (Kaylan Lawson)
& Bar tour
The Short List
Cory Pfeifer & Teddi Lee
Various odd and ends
Rachel Clapper
King of the World
Joe Thurman
Professor Evals: Joe Thurman, Christina Forest, Cody Thomas, Jim Ghaznavi, Kelly Mercer,
Jacob Haynes, Stephen Twyman, Jonathan Seavey, James Hartline, Michael Latshaw, Ashiq
Zaman
A special thanks to…
The Class of 2011 for compiling such a complete guide for us to use
Kick Ass
-Leon Unger
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