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Otago HSFY chat - archive
- Thread starter jeavey
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Hey, and to add to that ... how many lectures, labs, tutorials etc. are there each week?
I've got good news for you... NO 8 am lectures!
The timetable changes every week, but all classes are between 9am and 6pm, and are generally predictable (e.g. there are 4 tutorial times that won't change all year, except for when the tutorial isn't on that week). Everything is timetabled in 2-hour blocks (either 9-11, 11-1, 2-4, or 4-6).
Hence, lectures run for 2 hours at a time (generally 2 x 1 hour lectures, occasionally a 2 hour lecture). There's meant to be a maximum of 10 hours of lectures per week. Generally they do stick to this, and lots of the time 8 hours per week is more normal. Once last year I only had 3 hours of lectures in the week (although 1 was a 2 hour "evidence-based medicine" lecture... yuck).
Labs are also 2 hours long - 2-3 per week is typical.
Tutorials are... you guessed it... 2 hours long. Generally there are 4 regular tutorials per week (= 8 hours)
Most weeks have a total class time of 20-24 hours.
The timetable changes every week, but all classes are between 9am and 6pm, and are generally predictable (e.g. there are 4 tutorial times that won't change all year, except for when the tutorial isn't on that week). Everything is timetabled in 2-hour blocks (either 9-11, 11-1, 2-4, or 4-6).
Hence, lectures run for 2 hours at a time (generally 2 x 1 hour lectures, occasionally a 2 hour lecture). There's meant to be a maximum of 10 hours of lectures per week. Generally they do stick to this, and lots of the time 8 hours per week is more normal. Once last year I only had 3 hours of lectures in the week (although 1 was a 2 hour "evidence-based medicine" lecture... yuck).
Labs are also 2 hours long - 2-3 per week is typical.
Tutorials are... you guessed it... 2 hours long. Generally there are 4 regular tutorials per week (= 8 hours)
Most weeks have a total class time of 20-24 hours.
Thanks so much greenglacier
That sounds pretty reasonable 
For the labs and tutorials are there assessmenty type things at the end like there are in health sci?
Nope, just have to turn up (or else they can deny you terms for the whole year
)The only assessments that count for your end of year grade are the end of year exams. All other assessments (and there aren't many) are formative - for the purposes of giving feedback only. Hence there's no real point in using labs/tutorials to give out free marks (which is essentially what happened in HSFY).
Nope, just have to turn up (or else they can deny you terms for the whole year
The only assessments that count for your end of year grade are the end of year exams. All other assessments (and there aren't many) are formative - for the purposes of giving feedback only. Hence there's no real point in using labs/tutorials to give out free marks (which is essentially what happened in HSFY).
Oh thats quite good. Sounds quite different to health sci in terms of not needing to be so overly paranoid about every little thing and actually learning stuff not just for the sake of getting marks!
Is it also true that at the end of the year you only get pass, fail or distinction and not a number or something?
Thanks for all your help greenglacier
Yup, PIMS just says "Pass", "Fail", or "Pass Distn", and that's all that goes on your academic record. You get more detailed feedback informally - a grade ("clear fail", "bare fail", "bare pass", "clear pass", or "potential distinction") for each part of the exam (e.g. anatomy, bioethics, consultation skills), but no numbers.
You'll realise early on that the amount of content definitely doesn't decrease compared to HSFY, but you also definitely don't need to learn it all, and the assessment tends to reflect this. It's way better because if you think a lecture was going into pedantic detail that you realistically won't gain anything from memorising then (for the most part) you don't have to... unlike HSFY where if you didn't it would inevitably sneak into a test and lower your mark.
Yup, there's a lunch break every day from 1pm to 2pm
Given the nature of Dunedin driving to lectures is for the most part unnecessary because almost everyone lives at most a 20 minute walk away. Having said that, it can be nice to drive when it's raining or you sleep in etc... p) I'm pretty sure there isn't any allocated student parking nearby, but most of the people I know who do drive to med school seem to find it easy enough to get a park within a block or two (though they are all metered, so the costs can add up).
p) I'm pretty sure there isn't any allocated student parking nearby, but most of the people I know who do drive to med school seem to find it easy enough to get a park within a block or two (though they are all metered, so the costs can add up).Suppose it depends on where you come from... I came from Christchurch and during winter I wondered what people were complaining about to be honest - after all the winter frosts I'd been through in chch, it didn't feel too bad. Some of the Aucklanders do seem to find it colder than what they're used to though 
. While you're in a hall at least it doesn't matter much anyway because everywhere you go is well heated. Once you go flatting it gets more difficult but people tend to acclimatise. Personally I prefer the weather being too cold to too hot because it's way easier to deal with cold - just wear more layers!
I did notice an increase in the amount of rain compared to chch though, which was annoying. It doesn't actually rain that heavily (most of the time) - more of a continual drizzle that can last for up to a week at a time.
Overall I do think people get used to the weather. Besides, it does have its perks - if you're lucky you might see some snow!
. While you're in a hall at least it doesn't matter much anyway because everywhere you go is well heated. Once you go flatting it gets more difficult but people tend to acclimatise. Personally I prefer the weather being too cold to too hot because it's way easier to deal with cold - just wear more layers!I did notice an increase in the amount of rain compared to chch though, which was annoying. It doesn't actually rain that heavily (most of the time) - more of a continual drizzle that can last for up to a week at a time.
Overall I do think people get used to the weather. Besides, it does have its perks - if you're lucky you might see some snow!
First off, ignore the massive list and don't buy any textbooks yet.
The ONLY textbook that you will need regular access to is the pathology textbook (Robbins Basic Pathology). However, there is an alternative textbook (not listed) called Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, which covers everything in Robbins Basic Pathology + more detail, and costs about $200 (cf $150 for basic pathology), so even here you have to make a choice.
Every other textbook is entirely optional, and there will only occasionally be times where there is prescribed essential reading that you have to do as part of class (so you can just go to the library). However, personally I like having a couple of reference textbooks that I can access straight away. I reckon it's good to have an anatomy textbook and/or atlas, and if you're not grasping something in physiology, a physiology textbook can be useful (notice though how there's more than one anatomy text, atlas, and physiology text on the list - so even here you have to work out which one you prefer). I also liked "medical pharmacology at a glance" and Talley and O'Connor ("clinical examination") because they were good (but definitely not essential) supplements.
It definitely is a "buy as you go thing" though. All the books are on close reserve at the med library - best strategy is to use those first, and then buy any texts you find yourself regularly needing. The med students association arranges discounts at the start of the year, but they stay active for about 3 months, so no need to rush.
Thanks! Yikes it seems a little confusing letting you just pick what you want!! Yea I think I'll definitely try just buy them as I go
It's all about starting to take control of your own learning... there's heaps of spoon feeding in 2nd year, but at the same time definitely not as much as health sci.
No recordings. Someone said they were looking into it last year but we didn't hear anything since. Who knows? Maybe they will at some point, but haven't heard anything yet, so best to assume no recordings. Combined with just one lecture stream it does make it a bit harder if you miss a lecture, compared to HSFY!
You can make your own recordings, but official university policy is you have to ask the lecturer first. Also, there are some lectures you can't record. Last year the med school got really hacked off (rightfully so) after finding out that some students had recorded clinical demonstrations (which, as part of them, often involves patients speaking to the class).
Haha sorry for the endless pestering with questions
All good
Second that
heya one_soul, just wondering, if you have sorted your accommodation yet? where will you be living at? ^_^
cheers.
Suppose it depends on where you come from... I came from Christchurch and during winter I wondered what people were complaining about to be honest - after all the winter frosts I'd been through in chch, it didn't feel too bad. Some of the Aucklanders do seem to find it colder than what they're used to though
I did notice an increase in the amount of rain compared to chch though, which was annoying. It doesn't actually rain that heavily (most of the time) - more of a continual drizzle that can last for up to a week at a time.
Overall I do think people get used to the weather. Besides, it does have its perks - if you're lucky you might see some snow!
yeah I wouldn't mind the cold but constant drizzle/rain could really get on your nerves sometimes ay!
so I guess the umbrella is among the essentials for dunners?
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