MCW Class of 2010, Part 3

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Okay, folks, let's go kick some butt tomorrow! Remember, the worst thing that can happen at this point is that you get invited to small group tutoring and nice, friendly tutors hold your hand the rest of the semester. That ain't so bad.

We'll be fine.

probably. 😉
 
Does anyone else hate the term "passed away?" I hate it.
 
Yeah, enjoy that little bit of scheduling genius.

What gets me is that we had a vote on how the scheduling should be done: block vs. spaced-out testing. Like 75% of our class voted for a straight-up block schedule with no funny business. Did they alter the schedule at all? . . . no.
 
One exam down, three to go.

Gee, that sounded so cheerful in my head.

I am feeling really bad that I didn't prepare better. I really should have remembered what color the flower was on the shoulder of Dr. Dahm's shirt on her Friday lecture. Pooey!
 
color of what flower? 😕

The one on the left shoulder of her shirt, just about where the pec minor attaches. If you knew the color of that flower, the answer to all her exam questions becomes obvious! 😉

Sometimes my jokes are just too obsure. I blame biochem.
 
LP=MD right? just kidding. I managed to only overthink myself into 1 wrong answer this time. W


Why is the Alumni center room so damn dark?
 
LP=MD right? just kidding. I managed to only overthink myself into 1 wrong answer this time. W


Why is the Alumni center room so damn dark?


Normally it's brighter in there because of Dr. Wagner's orange chalk.
 
So, is 3 weeks of medical school enough to be an infomercial "physician"? If not, is it too late to return my loans?
 
LP=MD right? just kidding. I managed to only overthink myself into 1 wrong answer this time. W


Why is the Alumni center room so damn dark?

actually, i think too much LP = probation before it can equal MD, but whatever floats your boat.
 
LP=MD right? just kidding. I managed to only overthink myself into 1 wrong answer this time. W


Why is the Alumni center room so damn dark?
I managed to not know the answers on an uncomfortably large number of them.
 
I managed to not know the answers on an uncomfortably large number of them.

And guessing was not as much fun as I thought it was. Boooooo!

My revised study plan for Block II involves deeper previewing and more intensive post-lecture review the same day of the lecture, leaving everything else pretty much alone. You?
 
Biochem is really the only class that tried to do a fair job with getting people equal time in Kerrigan and the A/C. Anatomy and neuro, I think I was in kerrigan one test each.
 
Biochem is really the only class that tried to do a fair job with getting people equal time in Kerrigan and the A/C. Anatomy and neuro, I think I was in kerrigan one test each.

I have taken exactly four tests in the A/C... two for biochem, one for medical ethics (when everyone is in the A/C), and the pharm final. Hoorah for the middle of the alphabet!! (I really don't think it matters at all, but it was kinda fun to take tests with at least one of my best friends at all times (one is an H, the other a T)... gave me a lunch date. 🙂

Good luck guys, you'll be fine! 🙂 And if not, small group tutoring is good for the soul. I should know. 😱 🙂
 
And guessing was not as much fun as I thought it was. Boooooo!

My revised study plan for Block II involves deeper previewing and more intensive post-lecture review the same day of the lecture, leaving everything else pretty much alone. You?
No idea. Probably more handwritten review sheets though.
 
How prissy do I need to be about details for Devo and anatomy?
 
How prissy do I need to be about details for Devo and anatomy?

Read the summary questions for devo... those have a lot of the answers. Also, all of the questions basically come directly from the notes.

Anatomy's not bad. At least I didn't think it was, especially for block 1. Block 3's even easier.
 
How prissy do I need to be about details for Devo and anatomy?

I thought that Block 1 anatomy wasn't too bad for details. Seemed to me the most important thing to remember for that exam was the innervation of the arm from the brachial plexus (knowing deficiencies when ulnar, radial, etc. nerves are severed).

I always thought Devo was heavier on details, but they were kind of predictable, and seemed to be centered around congenital diseases mentioned and the derivation of every little structure (when you need to guess, always go with neural crest!)
 
HEY SPECIAL FRIENDS IN THE MEDICINE COLLEGE CLASS OF FRESHMAN FRIENDS!!!!!!!

HERE TODAY AFTERNOON IS A SUPER COOL FUN WEBSITE FOR YOU TO TRY BECAUSE YOU HAVE FINISHED YOUR EXAMS!!!!

HOPEFULLY YOU WILL THINK IT AS COOL AND WE.

SUPER HAPPY FUN AWESOME TIME

....cause seriously, I could spend hours messing with it.
 
I'm not sure what to do with myself now. What are you all up to?
 
they've removed 5 questions from our biochem exam...
 
I'm not sure what to do with myself now. What are you all up to?
Might just do the Chancery thang, or I'll show some friends around downtown or the east side.


As for biochem, it's getting ridiculous. It's up to six questions that are flawed or have multiple answers, out of only 45! There should NOT be so many errors. This never happened in undergrad - the profs would usually just use stock questions that came with the textbooks. They want to cover a lot of material quickly? I understand that. They want to pull the rug out from under you? Not cool.
 
I don't ever remember 6 questions in one exam though last year 😱 . That's pretty bad. Man, if we had 6 questions dropped in each exam I probably would've moved up an entire grade.

Oh, and I know I went to a big party last year after block 1. Don't remember where. I'm sure the Chancery was thrown in there somewhere too. I don't think I went to sleep until 6am. Good times.
 
Yep. Six questions, confirmed by Sabina. Four are being thrown out, and two had multiple answers. I went up about 4-5%, I think.
 
Um, yeah, guys, we have these awesome exam questions that have been proven over time, so we can't give you old exams any more.

Whoops.
 
The only reason they protect the modern exams is because they want us to see the difference between embryology now and embryology back when they still believed that storks brought babies ie. 1984 (the year my practice tests were actually administered).


Are people out partying tonight to celebrate the end of block 1? I would be but I haven't made any friends yet. I'm stuck in the "didn't-go-to-UWmadison" outgroup.
 
Seems to me they threw out/changed at least 4 questions or so on our first biochem block exam last year too. Then they dropped the hammer on us and proceeded to change maybe 2 questions for the entire rest of the semester. I wouldn't get too used to your grades changing significantly after the next exam.
 
I thought that Block 1 anatomy wasn't too bad for details. Seemed to me the most important thing to remember for that exam was the innervation of the arm from the brachial plexus (knowing deficiencies when ulnar, radial, etc. nerves are severed).

I always thought Devo was heavier on details, but they were kind of predictable, and seemed to be centered around congenital diseases mentioned and the derivation of every little structure (when you need to guess, always go with neural crest!)

Are you good at memorizing crap? Apparently I am not. Devo stuff makes sense to me because all you have to do is follow the layers but apparently I didn't memorize "the big picture" in biochem because I barely passed.
 
Are you good at memorizing crap? Apparently I am not. Devo stuff makes sense to me because all you have to do is follow the layers but apparently I didn't memorize "the big picture" in biochem because I barely passed.

You get better at memorizing the details, trust me. Devo and anatomy, I thought, were amenable to "thinking through" many of the questions if you had an idea of what they were talking about and knew the appropriate terminology well enough. Biochem, that's another story...

I ended up doing very well in biochem, but it was all a matter of rote memorization. If you asked me about a certain molecule or reaction, chances were I could tell you what other reactions were listed on that page and could describe diagrams found with them as well. I literally read the notes so many times that the night before an exam my mind would be racing through many of the pages without me even willing it.

Granted, I'm not sure this is the kind of advice I would give everyone. I had it in my head that honoring biochem would make me some sort of living legend amongst med students, so I set out with that goal in mind. If you're not quite as ambitious/insane as I was, I think that knowing the pathways cold and maybe guessing your way through some of the cofactor/#NADH or ATPs produced type memorization questions would be just fine, and could probably get you a high pass pretty easily. Either way, everyone has to put in a good chunk of time for that beast of a class.

Congrats to all of our favorite M1s for finishing the first block of exams in style. Now go out and live it up tonight, and strongly consider skipping class for the next couple of days. Or, at least, not studying!
 
Yeah, unless you have some huge amazing competitive residency/career in mind, I personally wouldn't seek to destroy biochem. Some people seem to have it in their minds that med school is all about honoring every exam and they only seem to care about the grades...I studied about as much biochem as I could stand and "passed." and I was just happy with that. Don't let it suck your soul away.
 
Yeah, unless you have some huge amazing competitive residency/career in mind, I personally wouldn't seek to destroy biochem. Some people seem to have it in their minds that med school is all about honoring every exam and they only seem to care about the grades...I studied about as much biochem as I could stand and "passed." and I was just happy with that. Don't let it suck your soul away.

I want to do ortho, and I didn't honor biochem. I also gave up studying for the final the evening before (after about 12 hours of studying that day), and my biochem final raised my percentage. I watched a lot of TV, slept, and watched it snow the night before. Sleep is important before exams -- moreso next semester.

Doctor Funk, you are King among med students -- at least for our class. =)
 
Um, yeah, guys, we have these awesome exam questions that have been proven over time, so we can't give you old exams any more.

Whoops.

Besides, just because they were JUST locked up for no one to see doesn't mean they'll be perfect right away...the best fit takes a little time to establish. It's like affinity maturation of effector B cells!!!!!! Oh, hold on a second...i gotta go kill myself.
 
Are people out partying tonight to celebrate the end of block 1? I would be but I haven't made any friends yet. I'm stuck in the "didn't-go-to-UWmadison" outgroup.
there was a pretty substantial crew at the Chancery last night. I was there from 9-12 or so. and I slept through my alarm this morning.
 
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