Advice for a fellow first year?

[Turkey]

Hi, I'm starting the JMP at UNE in 2018 and would love to hear some advice on accommodation (where is the best?) and what is the course like and what to expect in terms of difficulty?
Also do I have to maintain my marks at a certain level to be able to maintain my degree and complete MD? thank you!

 

[biom]

Hi, I'm starting the JMP at UNE in 2018 and would love to hear some advice on accommodation (where is the best?) and what is the course like and what to expect in terms of difficulty?
Also do I have to maintain my marks at a certain level to be able to maintain my degree and complete MD? thank you!

Congrats and best wishes.

There is some helpful info @ http://unemsa.org/s/2018-Fresher-guide.pdf

 

[Turkey]

Ahh, thank you! biom

 

[Generic UNE student]

Hi, I'm starting the JMP at UNE in 2018 and would love to hear some advice on accommodation (where is the best?) and what is the course like and what to expect in terms of difficulty?
Also do I have to maintain my marks at a certain level to be able to maintain my degree and complete MD? thank you!

There should be some information on the colleges in the fresher guide biom linked.
The course is divided into two units each spanning a semester each. It is organised in terms of systems e.g. gastrointestinal, respiratory and you will be taught the anatomy, physiology etc... pertaining to that system each weel. It will be easier if you have done a biochemistry or anatomy course beforehand, but it is definitely manageable even with no prior knowledge.

Regarding academic performance, the JMP does not release numerical marks, instead, the JMP board decides on a pass mark for each assessment based on students' performance and so long as achieve that mark, you will be able to progress in the course.

 

[kat12325]

Does anyone have any wisdom regarding what the PBL involves and some strategies to make the most of it?
Thank you!!

 

[Generic UNE student]

Does anyone have any wisdom regarding what the PBL involves and some strategies to make the most of it?
Thank you!!

Hi Kat! PBL involves a case study related to the content you are learning at the time e.g. renal.

It generally follows a structure which is as follows:
There is a PBL opening case, where the case is presented for students to read come up with differential diagnoses - similar to brainstorming ideas related to the case. For example, for a 60 yr old woman who presents to her GP with shortness of breath, possible causes may be respiratory-related (COPD, asthma), thyroid related (toxicosis) etc... I personally find that resources such as BMJ Best medical practice and uptodate are good for this (access to these are provided through the UoN library).
Students are then given the chance to conduct a roleplay and ask the "patient" (usually your PBL tutor) for more information regarding the case.
Depending on your PBL group, students may be allocated different topics to independently research before the closing case e.g. more information on the pathophysiology of asthma etc...

Following this session there will be a "middle" PBL session which does not involve your PBL tutor. It can be considered as a sort of study session with your PBL group. You may be given tasks to complete as a group which will be related to that week's content.

Finally, there is a PBL closing case, where everything you have learned in that week is brought together, and you use the information you have discovered to narrow down your list of differential diagnoses. Don't worry about getting the diagnosis right every time, this is an exercise in problem solving. You may be asked to present your findings if you have been allocated a research topic. There may also be a number of satellite cases related to the main case study.
For this session, a good understanding of that week's lectures helps. There are also textbooks you can refer to - there will be a list of recommended textbooks floating around in your first week at UNE.

Don't stress too much about it, the PBL tutors will be there to guide you along this process. There will be some weeks where you may feel overwhelmed by the content and that's okay - your tutor and fellow PBL members will be there to support you.

If you have any more questions, feel free to message me ^^

 

[kat12325]

Hi Kat! PBL involves a case study related to the content you are learning at the time e.g. renal.

It generally follows a structure which is as follows:
There is a PBL opening case, where the case is presented for students to read come up with differential diagnoses - similar to brainstorming ideas related to the case. For example, for a 60 yr old woman who presents to her GP with shortness of breath, possible causes may be respiratory-related (COPD, asthma), thyroid related (toxicosis) etc... I personally find that resources such as BMJ Best medical practice and uptodate are good for this (access to these are provided through the UoN library).
Students are then given the chance to conduct a roleplay and ask the "patient" (usually your PBL tutor) for more information regarding the case.
Depending on your PBL group, students may be allocated different topics to independently research before the closing case e.g. more information on the pathophysiology of asthma etc...

Following this session there will be a "middle" PBL session which does not involve your PBL tutor. It can be considered as a sort of study session with your PBL group. You may be given tasks to complete as a group which will be related to that week's content.

Finally, there is a PBL closing case, where everything you have learned in that week is brought together, and you use the information you have discovered to narrow down your list of differential diagnoses. Don't worry about getting the diagnosis right every time, this is an exercise in problem solving. You may be asked to present your findings if you have been allocated a research topic. There may also be a number of satellite cases related to the main case study.
For this session, a good understanding of that week's lectures helps. There are also textbooks you can refer to - there will be a list of recommended textbooks floating around in your first week at UNE.

Don't stress too much about it, the PBL tutors will be there to guide you along this process. There will be some weeks where you may feel overwhelmed by the content and that's okay - your tutor and fellow PBL members will be there to support you.

If you have any more questions, feel free to message me ^^

That's super helpful, thank you so much!!

 

[Medgirl93]

Pbl can be great fun. Its about the thought process not so much the answer