tell me all about.........?

Question

I'm so...wanna know all about : how is medical school like in other countries....so tell me: how many years of theoretical teaching u had? when u started u're clinical sessions? when was u're 1st ptn follow up ( even if u were not treating)? how was examinations done? average marks students get? do u ever get feedbacks & correction of mistakes done in the exam? in the last year of taking medicin, do u feel competent? do u feel overwelmed & can't catch up (cuz this is how i feel...depressing!!)
& if u r an intern: how is like? is ittough & nerve damaging?
(pls say where u're from)

Answer 1

In Adelaide (South Australia) we have 2 universities offering medical degrees:

University of Adelaide takes undergraduate students straight from high school, who have earned sufficient marks in their year 12 exams and who pass a personality test and an interview panel. It takes overseas students also, but I am not sure of the criteria for this. Adelaide Uni has a 6 year course.

Flinders University takes postgraduate students who have an existing degree who have sat the GAMSAT exam (a bit like the USMLE for people coming from overseas to work in the USA). There may be a few other criteria, but I am not sure about this. They do a 4 year course.

I went to Adelaide Univesity.

3 years of theoretical teaching in anatomy (3yr), physiology(3yr), biology(1yr), biochemistry(2yr), microbiology(1yr), pharmacology(1yr), behavioural science(3yr), medical physics(1yr), chemistry for medicine(1yr), genetics(2yr), statistics(1yr)

Then in 4th year we did clinical placements. We were assigned to wards (and a ward team) and did ward work - took histories from (ie interviewed) the patients and examined them. We wrote in the notes and got our entries countersigned by the interns, residents and registrars. We went to outpatient clinics and practiced more of the same there. Then we rotated on and were assigned to a different ward.

My first memorable patient follow up is a fellow who died in hospital of cardiac failure. I learned a lot from this chap, from his living and his dying. This was in 4th year.

Examinations were of two types - the end of year exams were closed book, in an examination hall, completely written - mostly essay questions, sometimes short answer questions.

Marks were scaled and the bottom 10% failed.

Usually we received the marks in the form of Pass/Fail but in some subjects (particularly the earlier ones) we got the usual Distinction/Credit/Pass/Fail sort of rankings.

Some of our exams we got feedback sessions, but this was a minority of cases. Mostly we got together and did a post-mortem of the exam. Some groups tried to record the questions to hand on to up-coming years.

The other type of exam was the "viva" or viva voce exam. These were either ward based with the consultant from the team we were attached to would give us a patient we had not seen. We would have some time to do history/examination and then come back and discuss the case and get quizzed.

Another type of viva was the OSCE (organized scientific clinical examination) which we had in 5th and 6th years. This type of exam is a "stations" exam where you would assemble in groups of 20 in the receiving room, do the 20 stations and then go to another room to wait till everyone has gone through for the day. These stations would be short answer stuff - you'd get a photograph or a clinical scenario, an ECG or some lab results or something. Then you would go in and they would ask you about such and such.

In the last year of medicine, many people felt much like you describe. It's a bit scary to think that when you write up the patient's medications your name is there on the chart and you are responsible and some people don't feel ready for this. It comes with time.

Some people never get it. If you hang around medicine for long enough you will hear stories of doctors who never quite cut the mustard even if they got through medical school - we had the notorious "intern in the cupboard" who couldn't cope on nights and hid and didn't answer his page - although I suspect every hospital has one of these stories.

However have a bit of trust in the doctors you are working with. They wouldn't usually put you in a position they did not feel you were ready for. It is in their best interests to ensure you are educated and supervised and that they are on-tap to answer your questions.

I loved my internship. I was a little ambivalent about becoming a doctor, but then I did my internship and liked 90% of what I did. There was a bit of time on relieving when I did a few weeks of a surgical term that was a nightmare - one intern - 40 patients - I would come 1 hr early, stay 2 hrs late just to get all the ward work done and never even got to the discharge summaries. The seniors got into trouble for it and they had to do the discharge summaries but this flagged the situation for the hospital and they have subsequently changed things. I understand the intern I was relieving had some time off on stress leave and has subsequently become a pathologist. :)

You can find a niche in medicine for almost anyone.

Good luck and I hope you become a fantastic doctor!

Cheers!

Answer 2

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