Exam #2 during midterm week was Genetics/Immunology which are combined into one class called MIMG. The exam consisted of 80% genetics material and 20% immunology material. The teaching team for genetics is essentially the same professors that taught biochemistry during Term 1. I enjoyed the lectures from majority of the professors of biochemistry. So, I was glad that they lectured again in genetics. In addition, we had about 2 weeks of immunology before the midterm. I, personally, felt that the professor introduced a lot of new material just a few days before the midterm, which was a little overwhelming. The following are a few methods that I used to study for the unified and midterm. I hope these methods help future students succeed in MIMG.
1) Study the genetics slides like biochemistry slides. Genetics questions are going to be application- or fact-based questions focusing on the lecture slides.
2) The Patterns of Inheritance lectures were about 4 lectures and it is important to know each of the genetic principles that were introduced. For example, heteroplasmy is a term that is associated only with mitochondrial diseases. That is an association that is important to keep in mind. An exam question may state, MELAS is associated with which of the following principles? The answer choices will be 4-5 genetic principles and one of the answer choices will be heteroplasmy. So, the student needs to be able to identify that MELAS is a mitochondrial disease and associate heteroplasmy with mitochondrial diseases. This is a relatively easy type of question. It can become more challenging if the questions only gives a brief description of the disease or a list of symptoms and students will have to identify that it is a mitochondrial disease.
3) Make up mnemonics for the list of autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, and X-linked recessive diseases that we were instructed to know. One of the first things I did during the exam was write the mnemonics at the top of my white board (Each student is given a small white board during the exam).
4) I reviewed the molecular diagnostic lecture about 5 times because I knew it would appear again and again on the midterm. In addition, I skimmed through the problem set for this lecture.
5) Do all the online/sakai questions.
6) I skimmed through the problem sets for the lectures that I thought were challenging.
7) Immunology: We have a new course director and professor covering the immunology material. The lectures pre-midterm are straight forward, except for the complement lecture. We had less amount of time to review the complement lectures. So, I made a big, fat concept map of the complement pathway, associated deficiencies, and diseases about 36 hours before the midterm. That map, of course, went up on my wall for about 24 hours before the exam. The immunology questions on the midterm were either straight forward or very difficult. In retrospect, I probably should have started memorizing the complement charts a few days earlier while I was studying for physiology.
I hope this helps future students prepare for MIMG. SGU students have a 4-day weekend for Thanksgiving. So, I hope everyone is having a relaxing and enjoyable long weekend! :)
1) Study the genetics slides like biochemistry slides. Genetics questions are going to be application- or fact-based questions focusing on the lecture slides.
2) The Patterns of Inheritance lectures were about 4 lectures and it is important to know each of the genetic principles that were introduced. For example, heteroplasmy is a term that is associated only with mitochondrial diseases. That is an association that is important to keep in mind. An exam question may state, MELAS is associated with which of the following principles? The answer choices will be 4-5 genetic principles and one of the answer choices will be heteroplasmy. So, the student needs to be able to identify that MELAS is a mitochondrial disease and associate heteroplasmy with mitochondrial diseases. This is a relatively easy type of question. It can become more challenging if the questions only gives a brief description of the disease or a list of symptoms and students will have to identify that it is a mitochondrial disease.
3) Make up mnemonics for the list of autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, and X-linked recessive diseases that we were instructed to know. One of the first things I did during the exam was write the mnemonics at the top of my white board (Each student is given a small white board during the exam).
4) I reviewed the molecular diagnostic lecture about 5 times because I knew it would appear again and again on the midterm. In addition, I skimmed through the problem set for this lecture.
5) Do all the online/sakai questions.
6) I skimmed through the problem sets for the lectures that I thought were challenging.
7) Immunology: We have a new course director and professor covering the immunology material. The lectures pre-midterm are straight forward, except for the complement lecture. We had less amount of time to review the complement lectures. So, I made a big, fat concept map of the complement pathway, associated deficiencies, and diseases about 36 hours before the midterm. That map, of course, went up on my wall for about 24 hours before the exam. The immunology questions on the midterm were either straight forward or very difficult. In retrospect, I probably should have started memorizing the complement charts a few days earlier while I was studying for physiology.
I hope this helps future students prepare for MIMG. SGU students have a 4-day weekend for Thanksgiving. So, I hope everyone is having a relaxing and enjoyable long weekend! :)
Hello, I just read all your blog posts its a lovely blog. I am joining SGU in January 2016 in the third year of the premedical programme. Any chance you know something about that program?
ReplyDeleteHello Veronica! Congrats on being accepted! Thank you for reading our blog and your kind words! We have a few friends that completed the premedical program at SGU recently and are now medical students in our term. If you have any specific questions, you can reach us at meyouandsgu (at) gmail.com
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