Term 1 Student Daily Schedule

A typical daily schedule for Term 1 students:

6:45 am: wake up.... who am I kidding? This was probably when I starting snoozing the alarm and hopefully woke up around 7. Mom, thanks for calling me to confirm I was awake on those early lab days!!!

7-7:45 am: look over lab material before quiz and breakfast

8-10 am:  Histology Lab followed by lab quiz

10 am-12 pm:  Break from class/studying/meal prep for the week/catch up on sleep (15 minute power naps are the best!!!)

12 pm-1pm: lunch and pre-read for lecture

1-5 pm: Lecture (typically it is 4 lectures with 10 minute breaks every 50 minutes). Many students prefer to sonic (watch the lectures online), but I understand the material better if I attend lectures.

5-6 pm: workout/shower

6-8 pm: review lectures

8-8:30 pm: dinner (usually already cooked. Check out our other post about meal-prep here)

8:30 pm-1:30 am: look over next day's lab and continue reviewing lectures/bedtime

Hope everyone has a nice week! :)

Term 1: Complete!!!

Hi Everyone! Hope everyone's summer is going well! N and J completed Term 1 (yay!!!) and are back in the states for the summer before they start Term 2.

Although we both went through the same courses, same labs, and same curriculum, N and J managed Term 1 differently. There is no right or wrong way of handling the material in Term 1. Each student needs to determine what works best for them. So, this post focuses on N's perspective of Term 1!

Anatomy:
To be completely honest, my number 1 academic concern was passing anatomy. Before I started Term 1, my questions were how do I study for anatomy? How do I prepare for the practical? These questions were answered as the term progressed. Majority of students alter their study methods after Unified exams (an exam taken 3 weeks after the start of the term) or after midterms. Personally, I realized that I had to become more efficient after midterms.

Here are a few methods I used my time more efficiently after midterms:
1) completed labeling and studying images for weekly imaging quiz while reviewing imaging lecture for anatomy.
2) wet lab images: We were assigned quite a few images to know during some lab weeks. So, I divided the total number of wet lab images into 2-3 days. This way I understood the image better and performed well on quizzes.
3) found an awesome clinical tutor in wet lab which helped me prepare for the practical!!
4) did grays questions after I had reviewed the material for the 2nd time over the weekends
5) made a huge table for cranial nerves, which helped me immensely during the head and neck portion of the class
6) made a chart of blood vessels to help me remember the interconnected nature.

Yes, anatomy is an 8 credit class and yes, it occupied a lot of my time, but I enjoyed the class. Also, to future students, don't forget to do the weekly quiz. Those quizzes will count!

Histology:
I had minimal exposure to Histology prior to Term 1. Because it is a 4 credit class, Histology is considered to be the blow-off class of Term 1. However, I do not think this is true at all. Term 1 students will have Histology lab about once a week for 2 hours.

As I started term 1, I attended histology lectures, reviewed the lectures, and prepared for lab just a few days before attending my lab session. Some of my friends followed this pattern and it worked out well for them.  Personally, however, I felt unprepared for lab presentations because I only had enough time to look at lab once before attending lab and taking the lab quiz. I had to become more efficient after midterms. So, here is how I studied histology post-midterm:

1) Pre-read: Flip through lab associated with lecture topic (typically done while I ate lunch before lecture)
2) Attend lecture and annotate
3) Review lecture and prepare for lab (typically done in the evening after lecture or over the following weekend)
4) attend an open DES session
5) Review lecture and lab one day before lab.

This pattern helped me improve my performance in the class. I had the chance to review the material and lab about 2-3 times before lab. It also made studying for finals a lot easier as well!

Biochemistry:
My favorite 1st term class!!! Great teaching staff, very organized, and clear small group discussions!!! I had previously taken biochemistry in college and during my master's program, but that doesn't mean this course was easy. It just means that I had a previous exposure to the material.

Here are a few studying techniques that worked for me:
1) I made a big chart of the coenzymes and cofactors during the term. Every time the coenzyme or cofactor was used in a reaction, I wrote down the reaction.
2) I made a chart of the vitamins and minerals. This came into use when I was studying for the final.
3) wrote pathways over and over and over... :)
4) Put effort into the small group discussion. I think I remember the material covered during the small group discussion most.

I have a rule of 4-5. That means that I try my very best to review a lecture/lab at least 4-5 times before I walk into the test room for midterms/finals.

I'm not going to sugar coat it, Term 1 was not easy. However, it is manageable. There is no recipe for success because every student is different. I take medical school one day at a time and wish the best of luck to future SGU students. If you have any questions and comments, please let me know.

Thank you for reading and have a great rest of your day! :)

~N

Traveling to SGU for Term 1

Curious about what you see on the way to SGU? Here's a video we took, check it out:

Understanding the Curriculum

The 4 year MD program at SGU has two parts: the preclinical component, consisting of the first two years of medical school, and the clinical clerkship, which is done during years 3 and 4. The first of three medical board exams (USMLE Step 1) is taken after completion of year 2. The second board exam (USMLE Step 2) is taken after year 4. Finally, your third board exam, USMLE Step 3, is taken after your intern year, also known as post-graduate year 1 (PGY-1).

The preclinical curriculum at SGU is fairly straightforward and taught in a traditional systems-based format.

Preclinical Year 1

Term 1 (17 cr):

1. Human Gross and Developmental Anatomy (8 cr)
2. Medical Biochemistry (5 cr)
3. Histology and Cell Biology (4 cr)
4. Objective Structured Clinical Examination (0 cr)

Term 2 (17 cr)

1. Medical Genetics and Genomics (2 cr)
2. Bioethics and the Professional: Medicine in Society I (1 cr)
3. Immunology (2 cr)
4. Neuroscience (5 cr)
5. Physiology (6 cr)
6. Topics in Community and Preventative Medicine: Medicine in Society II (1 cr)

Preclinical Year 2

Term 3 (6 cr)

1. Behavioral Sciences in Medicine (6 cr)

Term 4 (23 cr)

1. Communication and Physical Diagnosis (3 cr)
2. Microbiology (5 cr)
3. Parasitology (1 cr)
4. Pathology (13 cr)
5. Medical Nutrition (1 cr)

Term 5 (23 cr)

1. Introduction to Clinical Medicine (3 cr)
2. Pathophysiology (12 cr)
3. Basic Science Foundation for Clinical Reasoning (2 cr)
4. Pharmacology (6 cr)

It's worth noting that these credit designations are not in line with emphasis on the USMLE. For example, the most important class from term 1 is biochemistry, although anatomy is given more emphasis on SGU's grading scale. By reputation, anatomy and pathology are the two most difficult academic courses at SGU.

Clinical Clerkships Years 3 and 4

The clerkships are comprised of 80 weeks of in-hospital medical training. These years are designed to acclimatize students with the rigors of working as physicians, as well as ingraining a sense of responsibility in treating patients. Every student is graded by their attending physician on clinical rotations. Students need to perform well in rotations that they are interested in specializing into, in order to gain letters of recommendations from their supervising physicians. 

Each MD student must complete 42 weeks of core rotations, which include: 

• Pediatrics (6 wks)
• Surgery (12 wks)
• Obstetrics and Gynecology (6 wks)
• Psychiatry (6 wks)
• Internal Medicine (12 wks)

After core rotations, students complete rotations in:

• Family Medicine (4 wks)
• Medicine Sub-internship (4 wks)
• Medicine Elective (4 wks)
• Pediatric Sub-internship or elective (4 wks)

To complete the remaining weeks of clinical requirements, students must complete elective rotations, at a minimum of 22 weeks. Most students do elective rotations after core rotations. The availability of electives vary with each hospital, and are also dependent on your personal preference of location. The order in which you complete each rotation is also dependent on each hospital. 

Grocery Shopping at SGU

One of my biggest concerns when I first came to SGU was the grocery shopping situation. Where is it? How do I get there? Is it expensive? Do they take credit cards? Is it safe?

First of all, let me make a distinction between the grocery store and the pharmacy. Although the grocery store (called IGA) does have some cosmetics like soap, shampoo, common medications etc, it can be much more bare than the grocery stores in the US or Canada. In order to get the medications you need, or to have a wider selection of cosmetic items, you'll have to go to the local pharmacy. It'a a 10 minute walk from campus and even less via any campus bus.

To get to IGA, simply hop on the Grand Anse bus. In about 15 minutes, the shuttle passes by a local mall area (mall, by Grenadian standards). It's located near Grand Anse beach. Simply push the red button to tell the driver you want to get off at the stop, and exit on the left side of the road when it stops. In the mall, simply make a left and keep walking until you reach IGA, which is in the mall itself.

Some items at IGA are, admittedly, expensive. However, a few items are as cheap if not cheaper than the US. I would suggest creating a list of "food staple" items which you usually don't get tired of eating, and buy those items regularly. This has the added benefit of helping you track your own expenses. Milk is shipped into the island from Chicago, and arrives every Thursday. Milk is usually hard to get by Sunday.

IGA does take credit cards (bring your ID).

The area in the mall is safe. However, there was a situation one day when it wasn't as safe as I had hoped. I had gone to IGA in the evening one day and was waiting at the bus stop. A small boy came up to me and persistently asked me for money. He said he would starve if I didn't give him any money. He even went as far as trying to dig into my bag in order to find any cookies. The kid was the child of a woman who owned the fruit stand which is next to the bus stop. Even though I didn't feel threatened or anything, it's an uncomfortable situation to be in. There are many ways to avoid it: go to the grocery store with a group of people, shop in the mornings or daytime and never in the evenings. Also, you can simply wait inside the mall until the bus comes (you can see it through the windows of the mall exit). 

First Impressions

Greetings from Grenada! We arrived on the island on Tuesday night and with only a slight flight change, we luckily arrived with all of our bags on time. The last few days have been filled with a orientation events and meeting our fellow classmates. All the faculty members, advisors, and our new friends are very nice.

Housing:
We were both assigned to two different dorms compared to the dorm mentioned on the housing portal. Although this came as a surprise after landing in Grenada, we are glad that the housing placement resolved quickly. Actually, it worked out for the better because we both are placed in single triple suites. What does that mean? It means that three students are placed in suite with three individual rooms and share 1 kitchen and a bathroom. So, you have some personal space to yourself! To all future SGU students, when you get your housing placement, make sure you call/email/go in person to housing department and confirm your placement.

Grocery:
In general, life in Grenada is a lot slower with the exception of the speed that cars/buses drive on the street. Some of our helpful friends told us that a trip to the grocery store may take a while. So, we gave ourselves enough time and finally made it out to IGA (the local grocery store) today! We were pleasantly surprised of the variety of items that were available. IGA will accept cash or card. 1 US dollar = 2.67 EC (the local currency in Grenada). An easy method to convert from EC to US dollars is to multiply by 4 and divide by 10. So, if a food item is 10 EC, it is worth (10x4)/10 = approximately 4 US dollars.

Spectacular Sunsets:
Grenada, although very hot and very humid, has some of the most spectacular sunsets we have seen. We especially liked the view from Modica Hall, the newest building on campus, which has a wide panoramic view of the Carribean Sea.

View from Modica Hall

Sun Set from Grand Anse Beach

We have noticed that SGU not only provides a rigorous curriculum is a variety of scientific fields, but also creates a diverse, welcoming environment. Every student that continues their education at SGU will automatically become more cultured, more open-minded, and more patient. As orientation draws to a close, we are looking forward to beginning our first term of medical school! Hope you had a great week!