ONCE YOU ENTERED MEDICAL SCHOOL......

Assalamualaikum and greetings,

It is 4:19 am , Im awake watching Suits season 6.
But this entry is not about the drama.
Its about my drama when i was in year 1 and year 2.
What is actually "designed" for us in USM Medical School.

Basically, USM just redesigned their curriculum to the integrated one.
Previously, all you have to face for 1st year of medical school is all about anatomy, physiology and biochemisty. That was so boring right.

Because, once you go back to Malaysia after completing your first year, they will ask you a lot at home like, "Pak cik sakit kaki kanan ni lah, kenapa ya?"
They put very high expectation to medical students.
I know, sometimes it is too much for us as first year medical student.

but, since USM redesign or re-structure (i don't what is the correct term to use here.)
but i like redesign.

so, since 2014, the first batch already started the new curriculum.
its called as integrated curriculum.

you are not only learning about basics like anatomy, biochemistry and physiology, but in first semester you learn how to treat asthma and how to assess respiratory problems.

We start by having 4 fundamental chapters in medicine,
a. Cell and Tissue
b. Molecular biology & pharmacology
c. First Aid & Medical ethics
d. Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology.

and then, once you know about those fundamental, barulah ready to continue ur life as medical students.

the first system you will learn is "Respiratory system"
And yes, eventually you will learn system by system.

So you will learn from top to bottom. Only in year 1, it is more on the abdomen and chest cavity.

You will know what i mean.

Thats how i love this new curriculum.

But, some of the lecturers here think that it is too much for us as 1st year who just dip our feet in medical career.
Hey there, we are evidence based right. 

The first batch did it. Although they called themselves as a "lab rat" but they did it. 

So, here is the block that you will learn for 2 years.

System by System, Block by block.

So, i covered the surface.

Let me tell you what we are going to learn in one block or system.

Let me take the "Cardiovascular System" as an example. 

Well, apparently people used to say i wanna be cardiologist one day back in secondary school.

Typical SBP students. Haha.
Scratch that!

....

GMT 107, Cardiovascular system (5 weeks)

First, of course the introduction of what is cardiovascular system.

it involves the cardiac (heart) and vascular (blood vessel)

So, we learn about the Anatomy of heart, where it is located, how many chambers and their functions.

What is the blood supply and nerve supply.

Next, we will look into deeper structure. Which mean the structure of the heart and blood vessel tissue. We call that as "Histology"

This is important to know more about how heart muscle works and the abnormalities.

Physiology comes next, in "Physiology" we will learn about how heart works, how it beats and how it will supply the body needs. How exchange of oxygen will take place in each cell in our body.

When we are done knowing about Anatomy, Histology, Physiology, we will learn about "Biochemistry" so what is biochemistry in cardiovascular system?

Cholesterol it is. 

This course will let you know how the choslesterol is formed and how it is beneficial to our body. 

but, when do we say it is not beneficial? or too much cholesterol in our body?

Therefore, "pathology" is the next thing you will learn in this  system. 

Pathology is basically the opposite of physiology. 

Whatever comes wrong in a system we called it pathology.

Take hypertension as example, or raised in blood pressure when it is supposed to be below 130/90 mmHg. In pathology, you will learn how it happens and what is the risk and progression of a particular disease. 

How it will damage our organ or can cause fatal to the system, it will all be explained in pathology.

Next thing you will learn is how to diagnose it. "Medicine" is basically integration of Anatomy, Histology, Biochemistry and Pathology. but it is not complete if there are no "Pharmacology, Immunology and Microbiology"

So, Immunology will teach you about what is defense mechanism of tissue or organ in our body when pathogen or germs attack our body. 

In microbiology, you will how various organs will lead to disease because depletion of our immunology (defense mechanism). 

and each germ has their own agenda or presentation. germ A will cause this disease and Germ B will cause other disease. That's microbiology, dealing with microscopes and strains. 

And then to treat it, you must know the Pharmacology.

What is the best drug to treat a particular disease.

Antibiotics the most common drug everybody knows is one of the many things we learn in pharmacology.

Most of us don't like pharmacology because we have to remember hundreds of drug names and their action to the body.

But there's no choice as you step into medical field, everyone must know that.

So, apparently i think i explain in brief what is the redesigned curriculum for MD USM programme for phase 1 . (Pre-Clinical year)

In conclusion, this new curriculum will produce better products of medical student in each course. 

As we learn almost 60% theoretically in every system.

We expose ourselves with so many things since year 1 from the basic and how to treat it. 

So, bila balik kampung nampak ubat hujungnya ada nama "...lol lol lol" boleh tanya mak cik ni ada darah tinggi atau saki jantung ke?

there are few things i want to share, but maybe in the next entry. 

wassalam.