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TSR Med Students' Society Part III

Gotta give some naff presentation about the patient experience of a specific disease tomorrow. I should probably write something today.

Reply 5981

Fission_Mailed

15

Original post by sweetchilli

Hi all

Bit of a worry that my first entry into the dissecting rooms prompted retching for at least 5 mins. I always knew that I don't react to strong smells well so expected it. After a while, I kinda got used to it. However, we were looking at prosections and I wasn't bothered by that but rather the embalmed body on one of the tables. Most of my class were round it very quickly and really interested but I avoided it. Generally, I'm not bothered by sights but I'm not sure that I even want to dissect which happens later in the course. I realise that the donors wanted to be dissected but I'm not sure I can bring myself to do it.

Can anyone offer any advice?

The smell of formalin used to make me want to be sick, now it makes me very, very hungry.

TBH, I think you should be more worried if you are salivating at the prospect playing with dead people. When the time comes and you actually have to start working on a cadaver, it will feel incredibly strange for the first few minutes while the first couple of incisions (that you don't even have to be involved in, I'm sure someone else will want to) are made and whichever cavity you are doing first is opened up. After this, it is something you will very quickly get used to because you will be concentrating far too hard on not making a terrible hash of things (which you will anyway, because 1st years dissect like a blind man with a cheese grater) to let your imagination run wild. In my, admitted limited, experience of the DR, I have never encountered anybody who is unable to do at least something.

Just remember that while your cadaver is indeed a person, who used to talk and breath and walk around like us, they are now no longer using their body so they've let you have it. Wherever they are now, they are not going to mind you dismantling them. You can't hurt a cadaver. :smile:

Edit: DR survival tip- eat a decent breakfast, have some bacon ready for lunch straight afterwards and never, ever turn up hungover.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 5982

sweetchilli

7

Original post by Fission_Mailed

...

Thanks very much for your reply and your words of encouragement. I did indeed feel very hungry afterwards and was quite surprised by it but others said the same. I have plenty of time between now and Xmas to get used to the formalin and hopefully, get my head round dissecting.

Reply 5983

ScrubZ

12

Original post by Fission_Mailed

The smell of formalin used to make me want to be sick, now it makes me very, very hungry.

TBH, I think you should be more worried if you are salivating at the prospect playing with dead people. When the time comes and you actually have to start working on a cadaver, it will feel incredibly strange for the first few minutes while the first couple of incisions (that you don't even have to be involved in, I'm sure someone else will want to) are made and whichever cavity you are doing first is opened up. After this, it is something you will very quickly get used to because you will be concentrating far too hard on not making a terrible hash of things (which you will anyway, because 1st years dissect like a blind man with a cheese grater) to let your imagination run wild. In my, admitted limited, experience of the DR, I have never encountered anybody who is unable to do at least something.

Just remember that while your cadaver is indeed a person, who used to talk and breath and walk around like us, they are now no longer using their body so they've let you have it. Wherever they are now, they are not going to mind you dismantling them. You can't hurt a cadaver. :smile:

Edit: DR survival tip- eat a decent breakfast, have some bacon ready for lunch straight afterwards and never, ever turn up hungover.

I've got an initiation on Wednesday followed by a full day of dissection... sympathy please

Reply 5984

Beska

21

I already hate histology. Can anybody recommend a half-decent textbook that will help me get my head around the basics? The library/reading list has loads, but don't have the time to read through them all atm.

Reply 5985

xXxBaby-BooxXx

OP

19

Original post by Beska

I already hate histology. Can anybody recommend a half-decent textbook that will help me get my head around the basics? The library/reading list has loads, but don't have the time to read through them all atm.

Surely you of all people should know to check the textbook thread or article :wink:

Reply 5986

billet-doux

14

Original post by Beska

I already hate histology. Can anybody recommend a half-decent textbook that will help me get my head around the basics? The library/reading list has loads, but don't have the time to read through them all atm.

Wheater's is really good :smile:

Reply 5987

Beska

21

Original post by xXxBaby-BooxXx

Surely you of all people should know to check the textbook thread or article :wink:

I don't really need to learn histology per se, I need to know how to look at histological slides. Does that make sense? The 2D representation of 3D things confuses me somewhat. :p:

Original post by billet-doux

Wheater's is really good :smile:

Cheers.

Reply 5988

Penguinsaysquack

16

Original post by Beska

I don't really need to learn histology per se, I need to know how to look at histological slides. Does that make sense? The 2D representation of 3D things confuses me somewhat. :p:

Cheers.

Spoiler

Arghh, having to miss a lecture that actually looks like it could be useful and might miss 2nd anatomy practical thanks to my body's inability to keep anything down atm :sigh:

Reply 5989

Beska

21

Original post by Penguinsaysquack

Spoiler

Arghh, having to miss a lecture that actually looks like it could be useful and might miss 2nd anatomy practical thanks to my body's inability to keep anything down atm :sigh:

I don't think it's mine. :confused:

How is life atm?

Reply 5990

Penguinsaysquack

16

Original post by Beska

I don't think it's mine. :confused:

How is life atm?

I'll see if I can ask who it belongs to... it might have been labelled incorrectly.. :dontknow:

Life's generally pretty good, loving it here and not finding the transition too difficult.. just spending far too long on PBLs..

How about you? Newcastle shaping up to what you expected?

Reply 5991

Beska

21

Original post by Penguinsaysquack

I'll see if I can ask who it belongs to... it might have been labelled incorrectly.. :dontknow:

Life's generally pretty good, loving it here and not finding the transition too difficult.. just spending far too long on PBLs..

How about you? Newcastle shaping up to what you expected?

It's ok, it's sorted now. :smile:

I'm finding the transition very difficult. I always knew it would be hard because of the layout of the course but it is ridiculously intense - already nearly finished a case, anatomy of the reps. system, resp. clinical exams and I've been here for what, 2 weeks? Not even met my tutor or peer parent yet, lol. I absolutely dread to think how intense the Newcastle GEP course is...

We come here to work at the end of the day though, so I'm not moaning. :p:

Reply 5992

billet-doux

14

Original post by Becca-Sarah

Do something you enjoy. I'm only two weeks into mine and I can already see it's going to be a long year. Doesn't really matter what you do it in provided you get a decent classification and hopefully a publication out of it.

Thanks

Are you not enjoying your iBsc so far then or is it just a big change from medicine?

Reply 5993

Penguinsaysquack

16

Original post by Beska

It's ok, it's sorted now. :smile:

I'm finding the transition very difficult. I always knew it would be hard because of the layout of the course but it is ridiculously intense - already nearly finished a case, anatomy of the reps. system, resp. clinical exams and I've been here for what, 2 weeks? Not even met my tutor or peer parent yet, lol. I absolutely dread to think how intense the Newcastle GEP course is...

We come here to work at the end of the day though, so I'm not moaning. :p:

Excellent

Bloody hell that's intense.. makes it sound like we've got it easy at BL :lol:

GEPpers are machines.. only explanation :sadnod:

But you're keeping up for now at least? :redface:

BTW do you know when your first exams are? :erm:

Very true very true :yep:

Reply 5994

RollerBall

20

So my new (university) years resolution to type up all my PBLs has already fallen through after my third one.

Well, it's better than last years effort. Managed two in freshers.

Reply 5995

spacepirate-James

18

Oh dear lord this morning of biochemistry is making me hit the desk faster than horse tranquillisers. I just so not love enzymes has much as the lecturer thinks we should. Not to mention we covered most of this in advanced higher biology...

... But that doesn't stop it from still being boring. :colonhash:

Reply 5996

xXxBaby-BooxXx

OP

19

Original post by Beska

It's ok, it's sorted now. :smile:

I'm finding the transition very difficult. I always knew it would be hard because of the layout of the course but it is ridiculously intense - already nearly finished a case, anatomy of the reps. system, resp. clinical exams and I've been here for what, 2 weeks? Not even met my tutor or peer parent yet, lol. I absolutely dread to think how intense the Newcastle GEP course is...

We come here to work at the end of the day though, so I'm not moaning. :p:

I've done all of haematology in 4 weeks (plus 2 weeks secondary care) :console:

Original post by RollerBall

So my new (university) years resolution to type up all my PBLs has already fallen through after my third one.

Well, it's better than last years effort. Managed two in freshers.

Glad I'm not only one who makes resolutions. I made 3 main ones - 2 I've stuck to, one has just been completely forgotten :sigh:

Reply 5997

Becca-Sarah

19

Original post by billet-doux

Thanks

Are you not enjoying your iBsc so far then or is it just a big change from medicine?

I am enjoying it, but it is completely different. As one of my friends put it, you need to use a different part of your brain entirely. I think my issue is with not really knowing what the expectations are - we're in with 3rd year students from two different courses, plus some masters students, so the lecturer will say "oh, it's like you did in that module in second year" and all the medics just look blank. The exam format is going to be completely different as well to what I'm used to. I think the biggest thing is trying to figure out how much work this should actually involve - I only have classes on two days, but I haven't yet figured out whether this means I should be in the library on the other days (currently ignoring the project that apparents requires a day a week) or whether a couple of hours a week to keep up to date on lecture material is sufficient.

Reply 5998

iq101

12

Original post by Beska

I already hate histology. Can anybody recommend a half-decent textbook that will help me get my head around the basics? The library/reading list has loads, but don't have the time to read through them all atm.