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Otago MBChB Class of 2021

Aarnoman

Otago MBChB II
Shiny new chat thread for all of you that got offers in medicine in 2016 (or early 2017)!

Useful information/links:
Textbooks with the rest of MSO (General Medicine)

The previous links used in the older threads (i.e. MBChB Class of 2020) are mostly 404's, so we'll add to the current one as we go. Please PM with anything you want added to this post, or just tag me in this thread with the relevant links/info. I'll keep this first post updated as we go along.

Congratulations to all of you that got in, and best of luck for the anyone on the waitlist. Looking forward to meeting everyone next year :)
 

Aarnoman

Otago MBChB II
Side note, feel free to use this as a discussion thread, introduce yourself, etc :) Would love to get to know some of you before next year. Any gamers among the lot? :)
 

flooghost7255

BMedSci (Hons), Otago MBChB IV
Side note, feel free to use this as a discussion thread, introduce yourself, etc :) Would love to get to know some of you before next year. Any gamers among the lot? :)
Hey everyone! Here is something as a bit of an introduction:
I'm flooghost and I got into medicine via the hsfy pathway! Last year, I stayed at St. Margs which was a great hall, met some amazing people and had an awesome time! Some of my hobbies are reading, watching TV, pointlessly scrolling through my Facebook news feed, exercising and playing (social) basketball!

As for the gaming question, not a massive gamer myself but I do fire up the old PS3 whenever I'm back home in chch (sorry PC gamers) and that's about it so won't be happening much during the year (probably for the better in terms of procrastination haha).

Anyways, look forward to meeting you and facing the mighty MbChB with you all for at least the next five years, and perhaps even bumping into you guys in the future! :)
 
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Aarnoman

Otago MBChB II
Haha Floog glad to know you have one struggle less in terms of procrastination :p Any of you guys planning on doing a little pre study in regards to medicine? I've been flicking a little through a PDF of Robin's Basic Pathology, might be worth your time especially for those that came in through Grad from a non-Biology/Biomed degree. It's interesting enough anyhow. Also, curious if anyone is planning to work while studying?
 

Bluerock

Regular Member
Congratulations to the class of 2021 for getting in! It's one of the largest hurdles you'll face, so pat yourself on the back.

@Aarnoman and whoever else is thinking of 'pre-study' for medicine: do not do it. Take the summer off, you absolutely deserve it. Learning when to take your free time and do your own thing is the toughest thing to learn in the MBChB degree (yes, even harder than pharmacology). You will be given ample time to learn what you need to learn next year, even if you haven't done it before, and anything you do by yourself will likely be forgotten before you start back in Feb.

In regards to textbooks, I purchased three: Gray's, baby Robbin's, and Guyton & Hall. I also purchased essential anatomy on my ipad. I found I used Gray's and essential anatomy the most, Robbin's I used sporadically and Guyton & Hall I didn't even use - it is collecting dust on my shelf. My advice is to wait till day 1 (of MSK, not psych..), work out what you need from there, and talk to those in the year above you. Also I would highly recommend you download Anki, and make your own flash cards for anatomy, pathology and pharmacology. This is a great way of working out what you 'need to know' vs 'nice to know', and if you do it consistently throughout the year exams will be much easier.

I worked through ELM 3 and it was fine. You could easily work in ELM2, just make sure you have flexible hours/limit it to PM and weekend work only.
 

Aarnoman

Otago MBChB II
@Bluerock Thank you, I will definitely take your advice to heart. One last thing I'm curious about, how did you go about getting the required immunizations? Do I just see my GP about it, or is it handled through university? Apologies if this has been asked before.
 
@Bluerock Thank you, I will definitely take your advice to heart. One last thing I'm curious about, how did you go about getting the required immunizations? Do I just see my GP about it, or is it handled through university? Apologies if this has been asked before.
You have to get Boostrix before you start (diptheria/tetanus/pertussis) but the rest can be sorted once you're back
 
Congrats everyone! Definitely don't stress about prestudying it's a marathon 1st semester as it is, best to start fresh!

Books wise. The library has everything you need in the first few weeks, so there's no rush to buy everything. Wait to get your hands on the flash drive that does the rounds. There are more text books than you will ever need on there, but for those who do like a hard copy - Grey's and Baby Robbins are a good start.

Two books I highly recommend (and are often overlooked!):
- Peterson Lecture Notes in Physiology 5ed. Matt Bevin - physiology lecturer- refers to this A LOT and it is great for all modules (MSK, CVS, Resp and Gut). There is no electronic version that I can/have found anywhere. It's not expenny $60-70 from UBS.
- West's Respiratory Physiology - this is a tiny book but covers everything you need to know. Added bonus: West presents a full lecture series on youtube to accompany it.
 

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Aarnoman

Otago MBChB II
I personally am passing (I've found past O-week experiences at other universities to be very lackluster if not downright cringe-worthy), but it may be worth your time for meeting new people regardless.
 

travellingspaceman

Regular Member
I found the o-week great for meeting people, good activities during the day and evening and no pressure for you to actually turn up to everything. Last year there was a beach day @ Long beach and food from subway.
 

rustyedges

Moderator
Moderator
You are going to be spending a lot of time with your classmates over the next few years- more than you would spend in other degress. Unless you're coming from halls like Arana or Carrington, chances are you will not know many people, and the o-week is a relaxed, low pressure way to start meeting these people. At the very least you'll know a few friendly faces you can sit next to in lectures/labs etc.

Some of the activities might be a bit cringe-worthy, but I do think a lot of people find it a really fun week, and if you can spare the $70 go for it.
 

flooghost7255

BMedSci (Hons), Otago MBChB IV
I am buying an O-week ticket myself, even though I have other commitments which means I can't go to the day time events of the O-week, just to mainly meet other classmates and as a good catch up with my friends who've also made it in
 

choclover

Member
I'm a 3rd year and I found O-week really fun! yeah it's a bit pricey but I found it really good for meeting people in my year (and in the year above). I wasn't going to go last year because I thought it'd be similar to the Otago O-week but it's super different. Last year, there was amazing race, sports day, beach day, a group byo and a stein (where we got Mac's bar to ourselves for one night). There will be a ball and a quiz night this year I believe. So yeah, unlike the uni o-week, Med o-week is less alcohol related (but there will still be alcohol involved for some nights, if you choose to drink anyway) and a more 'yay new friends' vibe. around 80% of the cohort attend usually :)
 

asaltybear

Otago MBChB IV
O-week will be great! Wondering if anyone can login into the OUMSA site?
To login to the OUMSA site you have to buy access through the "OUMSA + NZMSA + NZMA 5 yr subscription" available on the OUMSA 'shop' tab I believe. That's how I managed to get access. Hope that helps :)
 
Good advice re. O-week. Don't stress if you can't make it. But it is a great way to meet some of the people you're going to get pretty familiar with over the next few years.
 

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flooghost7255

BMedSci (Hons), Otago MBChB IV
Yo guys, do you get to use your own blood pressure cuffs in OSCEs? Tossing up whether to buy a single handed or a two handed blood pressure cuff :)
 

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