Prof

You will always find medical students constantly complaining. Why? Well, it's very simple. The tension involved in this field of study is immense. If we allow this tension to boil up, a nervous breakdown is inevitable. So we release the steam in the form we know best, venting it out on our friends!
It's our own fault that we chose this field. But it's not that we don't enjoy the challenges assosiated with medicine. We love being stretched to the limits. It brings a sense of satisfaction after a challenge is completed. And we strive for this feeling. Whenever, we have holidays, there is a sense of emptiness. A sense of being wasted. That is why doctors are one of the most hard working people you'll ever meet. It's because by the time we get our degrees, we're so used to long hours of stress that we can't live with out it.
We set very high goals and work towards them. Each and every one of us medical students, no matter how calm exteriorly has a burning desire to excel. And this passion is most visible during the Professional Exams. These exams, better know as Prof, are perhaps the most ruthless tests of a medical student's calibre. A set of written exams followed by gruesome oral and practical examinations lasting as long as a month and a half. One and a half month of absolutely nothing but studies and if not studies, thinking about studies. The Prof Time is here and now get ready for my whining!!!!!!!!

Cold

I don't know if it's the weather or I'm sick, but I feel awefully cold. If you shake hands with me, you would think you touched ice. That's part of the problem when I have to examine a patient. I don't want to touch pateints with cold hands , otherwise they'd tense up and if a kid scream(yes, that has happened to me :( ).
Anyways, Saturday's surgery ward test went suprisingly well. There were 15 seats in the room. After every three minutes the bell would ring and we would have to move to the next seat. On each seat there was a task to do while the examiners took a close look at our clinical methods. Like on the first seat, I had to palpate the patient's abdomen to feel for the liver. I warmed my hands this time, lolz.
The best though were these female doctors acting to be patients. I had to take one history. So one of them volunteered to be my patient. When I asked what her name was, she said Chandni Bibi!! Anyways, she had great fun confusing me with her history and catching my mistakes. Like, when I asked since when do you have a swelling in your neck. She asked, " What's a swelling?" That's when I realized I had to use layman words.So I had to ask , " Kab say aap kee gardan may guiltee hai?". After, I was finished, she reminded me that I forgot to ask her age and where she came from. And that was a relatively big mistake considering that she was a patient of an enlarged thyroid, because certain areas(like Murree) have very little iodine in the soil predisposing the people to goitre (enlarged thyroid). Anyways, since I arrived at the correct conclusion she gave me decent marks.
After my surgery ward test, Faheem(my former roommate) and I went to his brother's house which was empty and stayed there for a night having an all boys day out!! It was great fun. I think I did catch a cold there though, because we hung out so late at night without proper warm clothes.
Today, went with my sister to RMC for her medical examination and interview. I was suprised to find out, my teachers still remember me. I thought I was pretty umprominent. Now I guess, maybe I'm not!! My sister's medical went fine and now she is now officially a medical student. I hope she doesn't spy on my activities in college now though, lolz!

Tired

Done with my exams finally!! So tired and exhauseted right now! I guess I'll write something when my mind is more functional!

RMC Sendup 2005 Forensic Medicine & Toxicology

Today had my forensic medicine sendup. For a change it went good. I also got my Pharmacology result. Thankfully, I passed. Yipeeeeee!! Scared of what my Pathology result will be like, because it went real bad!!!!!!! So please wish me luck!!Here is the SEQ portion.

Q.1 What is Shujjah? Enumerate and define it's subtypes. (1.5 , 5)

Q.2 Define medicolegal autopsy.Enumerate its objectives. (2.5 , 5)

Q.3 What do you mean by "TIME SINCE DEATH"? How does HYPOSSTASIS and RIGOR MORTIS help in its determination. (2.5, 2, 3)

Q.4 Give comparison of CLOSE RANGE an NEAR RANGE entry wound of a bullet. (7.5)

Q.5 Give autopsy findings of a person who died of starvation. (7.5)

Q.6 a) What are BATTERED BABIES. (3.5)
b) Conclusive signs of pregnancy. ( 4 )

Q.7 Write notes on

a) 337 L1 ( 4)

b) Injury ( 2)

c) Hurt (1.5)

Q.8 Give postmortem findings in CO poisoning. (7.5)

Q.9 Name tow DELERIANT POISONS. Give diagnostic featue of morphine poisoning in living. (7.5)

Q.10 Write short notes on

a) Delusions (2)

b) PhossyJaw (2)

c) EDTA (1.5)

d) Posion and Medicine (2)

RMC Sendup Pathology 2005

I had my Pathology sendup today. The MCQ's were tough. There were 40 of them and the section worth 20 marks. Mainly revovled around STD's and I didn't study them. The SEQ portion i am posting here andit didn't go too well either. Oh well,life sucks!!!!!!!!!!! Now I have Forensic Medicine on the 24th.

Part 1 General Pathology 40

Q.1 Define Hyperplasia. Give the types with examples. (1+2)

Q.2 Discuss Type 4 Hypersensitivity. Give Examples. (5)

Q.3 Classify pigments. What is Albinism. (2 +1)

Q.4 List chemical mediators. Give the role of complement system in acute inflammation. (3+5)

Q.5 What is the fate of thrombus. Enlist 5 secondary causes of hypercoagulable state. (5)

Q.6 Give the gross and microscopic features of fatty change in liver. (5)

Q.7 Enlist TUmor markers. Give their diagnostic importance. (3)

Q.8 Give the difference between Benign and Malignant tumors in tabulated form. Explain term Carcinoma in Situ. (5 +3)

Part 2 Parasitology And Bacteriology 40

Q.1 Classify Spirochetes and name diseases produced by them. Name difference between Treponemal and non-treponemal antigen test? (5)

Q.2 Name two emerging and two re-emerging infections. Name three diseases produced by Mycoplasma.(1+3)

Q.3 Classify Atypical Mycobacteria. What is differe4nce between Ghon Focus and Ghon lesion. (3 +2)

Q.4 Define Enriched, Differential and Selective Media. (3)

Q.5 Name dermatophytes. Give laboratory diagnosis. Name oppurtunistic fungi. (1 +2 +2)

Q.6 Define Virus. How wil you differentiate between viral and bacterial meningitis in the examination of CSf in laboratory. Give causative organisms of meningitis according to age groups. ( 1+4+3)

Q.7 Name the Haemoparasites. Name different forms of leishmania. Draw the amastigote form of leishmania. ( 2+2+1)

Q.6 Write short notes not more than 50 words

a) TSI

b)TSS Toxic shock syndrome

c) Zoonosis

d) Nosocomial infections

e) Coagulase Test
(5)

You Know You're Asian When

You Know You’re Asian When…

1-When you tell your parents you got 98%, and they ask you what happened to the other two percent.

2-There is a sale on any item, you buy 100 of them.

3-You make tea in a saucepan.

4-You never buy bin bags, but use your saved grocery bags for it.

5-You put your clothes in suitcases instead of wardrobes.

6-You have a 'Singer Brother' sewing machine at home.

7-Your mother has a minor disagreement with her sister and doesn't talk to her for ten years.

8-You call an older person you've never met before "uncle".

9-You hide everything from your parents.

10-Your mother does everything for you if you are male.

11-You do all the housework and cooking if you are female.

12-Your relatives alone could populate a small city.

13-Everyone is a family friend.

14-Everyone always called you for help on homework.

15-You study law, medicine or engineering at university.

16-You were thick so you studied computer science or business instead.

17-You know no one who has studied music.

18-You went to a university as far away from home as possible.

19-You still came back home to live with your parents after you had finished.

20-Your best friend got married at the age of 18.

21-You like the meat well done.

22-You eat onions with everything.

23-You use chilli sauce instead of tomato ketchup.

24-You fight over who pays the dinner bill.

25-You say you hate Indian films/songs but secretly watch/hear them

26-You avoid public places when with a member of the opposite sex, especially if there is an acquaintance within a 250 miles radius

27-You always say "open the light" instead of "turn the light on".

28-You secure your baggage with a rope.

29-You're walking out of customs with your trolley at the airport and you see all twenty-five members of your family who have come to pick you up.

30-You get very upset when airlines refuse to accept your luggage which is just 80 lbs. overweight.

31-You go back to your parents' country and people treat you like a member of the royal family.
32-You ask your dad a simple question and he tells you story of how he had to walk miles barefoot just to get to school.

33-Your Dad drives a Nissan.

34-You're rich so he drives a Mercedes.

35-You are ALWAYS taking off and putting on your shoes wherever you go

36-When you were little you always wondered why your English friends waited until after breakfast to brush their teeth when you did it first thing in the morning

37-To your English friends, oil is used purely for cooking and not as a grooming aid

38-Your parents have nicknames but only because people they work with just stop when trying to read their names

39-You have annoying nicknames like Chotu or Chicku

40-Your parents call all your friends "Beta" (son/daughter)

41-Your mother measures wealth in gold and diamonds

42-Your parents drink 3 cups of tea a day

43-Your parents compare you to all of their friends' kids.

44-At least once a week your mom says, "I want to go to India/Pakistan"

45-No one ever seems to call ahead of time to say they are coming over for a visit.

46-Your parents worry what other people will think if you're not going to be a doctor/ engineer.

47-You're parent's always say while shopping abroad, "It's cheaper in India/Pakistan"

So then… Are YOU asian?

Doctors From Hell

Ok, after my study stint trying to comprehend the basics of Immunology for my Pathology paper on the 22nd, I've had enough. I'm sick of people complaining about how much doctors charge for their services.Here is what I have to say

1-We waste the most fun years of our lives studying. While people are outside partying, we are trying to memeorize how some stupid parasite ends up in the lungs.

2-The routine we go through while in med school, is perhaps the most gruesome of all possible routines. Loads of lectures, tests, wards plus the emotional trauma of seeing dead bodies, patients in pain and perhaps the worst seeing someone in front of us die.

3-Most doctors end up having a very disturbed family life. They get into fights with their wives/husbands because they are always running off when the pager beeps, allowing no family time together. A doctor can have his vacations cancelled with a single beep.Doctors have duties as long as 48 hours only to end up in the hospital again after a 12 hour let-off. Now what social life can a doctor have??

4-Is it too much that doctors in exchange for their messed up life ask for respect in society and monetary benefits??

5-People treat doctors as some God forgetting that doctors are nothing but human beings. And studying makes doctors realize how fragile life really is and how little we can actually know about the complexities of the humna body.

I recommend people reading Erich Segal's "Doctors".

http://www.blogger.com/posts.g?blogID=18101183

Stuff I love to do!!

Obviously, I'm bored and can't figure out what to write.Plus I don't feel like studying so what the heck!!

1- Sitting on the college benches at night with my roommate talking about our shitty lives!!

2- Going to this fastfood restraunt in F-8 markaz called Rayyan's. I love that place. It's pretty quiet,cheap,has good service, and loads of cute girls!!!!!!!

3-Taking a walk around F-8. Only my roommate knows why!!

4-Laying down in front of the heater while half studying and half watching TV.

5-Sleeping!!!!

6-Playing computer games, surfing the net and chatting with my old friends.

7-Getting SMS on my mobile. Don't get alot so it's fun when I do get one.Lolz

8-Playing sports! Be it cricket, basketball or just a game of chess.

9-Reading! If it can be read, it shall be read!

10-Hanging out with my close-friends.

11-Travelling!

12-Gosh, I can't think of anymore. Just goes to show how boring my life is!!!!!!!

RMC sendup 2005 Pharmacology

Done with my pharmacology sendup/mock today. Posting the Short Essay Question part here for medical students from other colleges in Pakistan.

Q-1 What are the various methods employed for prolonging actions of certain drugs?

Describe different types of Drug Antagonism. Give one example for each type. (4 , 5)

Q-2 Describe mechanism of benefitial effect of

a) B-blockers in hypertension

b) Quinidine in ventricular arrythmias. (4, 5)

Q-3 What is the relation of mechanism of action of following to their clinical response?

a) Pro-kinetic effect of cisapridine

b) Anti-depressant action of Impipramine. (4,5)

Q-4 What are the different ways by which drugs can stabalize neurnonal cell membranes and inhibit spread of seizure activity in epilepsy? (9)

Q-5 Name Disease Modifying Drugs used in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Decribe precisely the mechanism by which Methotrexate helps in suppressing disease process. (4,5)

Q-6 Name antiplatelet agents

What are merits and demerits of COX-2 selective inhibitors compared to Aspirin.

(4,5)

Q-7 Name Opiods that interact primarily with mu-receptor. What actions of morphine are ascribed to mu receptors activation. (4,5)

Q-8 Enlist

a) Drugs that inhibit folic acid synthesie in bacterial and protozoal systems.

b) Drugs that have malarial efficacy in grma negative rods.

c) Uses and adverse effects of Metronidazole. (3,3,3)

Q.-9 Give cellular target for the action of following

a) Anti-gout effect of Allopurinol

b) Anti-Psychotic action of Clozapine

c) Anti-coagulant effect of Heparin (3,3,3)

Q.10 Write short notes on

a) Insulin secretagogues

b) Ketamine (4,5)

Horoscope ( Dedicated to Shakia)

Since I have no time to write a long entry....and Shakia and me are fighting over which is the best month....herez a cool link....and the best thing is...the link is to my very own site...so what better way to promote it...Ain't I smart!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.pakonlineworld.bravehost.com/Horoscope.htm

And wish me luck...in fact wish me loads of luck...in fact truck loads of luck!!!!!!!

Pharmacology :(

Well after my long Eid holidays, I'm stuck trying to remember enough pharmacology to clear my exams which start from the 14th of this month.Now that isn't easy considering the fact that the book is about 1,000 pages long. Plus there are like a thousand drugs and for each drug you have to remember

1- Generic name of the drug....which isn't easy as it sounds.

2- Mechanism of Action.

3- Pharmacokinetics ( how a drug is absorbed, distributed and then excreted).

4- Biotransformation ( how a drug is converted from it's inactive to active form or vice versa).

5-Pharmacodynamics (action of drug on the body)

6- Dosage and Treatment regime

7- Toxicity

8- Clinical conditions in which it is used and what line of drug is it...first line,second line or as a last resort.

9- What to do in case of overdose?

10- In case of antibiotics, mechanisms of resistance.

11- Classification( which group of drug does it belong to e.g anti-hypertensives, anti-epileptics, etc.)

Multiply this basic scheme with a 1,000 and around 5 days, I've got a major problem to deal with!! And how you just love to goto doctors to get medicines !!!!!!!!!Ahhhhhhhhhh....if only there were fewer drugs.

Taxi!

Memory 5:- Last summer I joined my family,who flew in from Cairo, in Jeddah. I was meeting them after 2 years. In these 2 years, I learnt alot. It was the first time I was on my own. I learnt how important the support system of a family is for normal functioning. No other people in the world, be it good friends, can substitute for this support system.
Anyways, when I arrived in Jeddah, it took me 2 hours to get out of the airport. Three flights landed there simultaneously, so naturally the airport was crowded and the proceedings were slow. However, in addition to that the authorities were very uncooperative. They made me go in circles making me sign various papers and forms because I had an official passport and special visa permit(because my dad's an embassy employee). Everytime I'd sign a paper and come to them, they'd find another objection and I would again be out of the line finding another form to fill. On top of it none of the airport officials knew English, so I had to communicate with them in broken Arabic which of course was very exasperating. After a while,to my horror, I found out that every single passenger had been cleared except me. All three flights cleared and I was still going round in circles. Luckily, a PIA(Pakistan International Airport) pilot came to check if all his pasengers had left. He spoke to the authorities and they cleared me finally. I still don't know what objection they had over my passport and visa. Anyways, when I reached customs, they were laughing and saying:" Thank God! You've come. We had to wait only because of you." Exhausted by the proceedings I collected my luggage and got it cleared and left the airport. There, I found my dad waiting and worried. He said that he was about to leave since no other passengers were coming out and the airport authorities said that all passengers had left and the flight had arrived on time. He thought that I might have missed the flight altogether. My dad had hired a car and we went to an apartment my family rented. It was there I met my little sister Saba for the very first time. She was born when I was in Pakistan studying medicine.
We performed Umrah and after 6 days it was time for us to go back home. This time my dad would be living in Cairo alone and my family and I would be going to Pakistan.On the last day, my dad decieded that we see some of the historical and religious spots around Meccah like " Gar-e-Hira" and "Muzdilfah". We rented a taxi and saw all the sites. While returning from out tour, my little sister vomitted over my Dad. Dad cleaned himself and when we reached Mekkah we gave the taxi driver his rent and some tip. The taxi driver asked for more but my dad said that it was more than enough. We all went back to our room.
After an hour of talking, my dad suddenly said" Where's my handbag?" As soon as he said that everybody started searching the room. We didn't find it and we all knew that my dad must have dropped it in the taxi. It contained all our passports, airline tickets and around 1200 dollars.My dad and I rushed back to the spot where the taxi dropped us which was right in front of the Holy Mosque in Mekkah. We found no signs of him. My dad asked me to return to the room and search again. I looked again and found nothing. When I came back to inform my dad, I found nobody there. I looked around confused. After a while, I found my dad across the road beckoning me. When I came near, he told me the taxi driver returned and saw him. He lowered the window and threw the handbag. My dad said that he shouted at him to stop so he could give him some reward for returning the bag. However he dashed away. When dad checked his belongings, he found that the taxi driver had taken all the money except 100 dollars. Luckily, he gave us back our tickets and passports. We all thanked God that we were saved from the trouble of losing our passports and tickets. We, however, did feel sad that the taxi driver being an Arab Muslim still stole money in front of the Holy Mosque. He didn't respect the teachings of Islam.My dad had the handbag strapped around his shoulder. Most probably, it slipped when he was cleaning himself after Saba vomitted. It was a stressful day and we all were relieved when we left Saudia Arabia.

Back

Okz..I'm back from my Eid Holidays. I haven't used the net for a week, and all this week I felt as if a part of me was missing. So this does now prove beyond any doubts I'm addicted to the world wide web. Eid was splendid. Second day of Eid my grandmother arranged a dinner buffet and all of our relatives got together. Really nice seeing so many relatives gathered under one roof. People change alot in such a short while. A few I couldn't even recognize. Hmm...I'm real tired. So I better get some sleep.

Eid Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak to all of you and your families!!! I'm going to Faisalabad today to spend Eid with my grandmother. Gosh...I'm wasting so much time....my exams!!!!!!!!! Help!!!!!!! Pharmacology..............I'd remember the drug actions if only I could somehow remember the drug's name....so freakin hard...funny that sometimes I remember the actions of some drugs but just can't recall the name. Then, I have Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology. And I think I'm actually in a worse position with these than Pharamoclogy.Studying about gross worms devouring blood from your intestine, laying eggs and somehow ending up in the liver,lungsor brain doesn't appeal me. Lastly, I have Forensic Medicine. No fun remembering changes occuring to bodies after death and trying to ascertain when the person expired. Yes, indeed, I'm in serious trouble right now. If somehow, I can manage Eid, exams and the sad environment(cause of th earthquake). See how stressed out I am. Started this post out to wish people Eid and ended up taking about my exams!!!!