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

UNOFFICIAL GUIDE
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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