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Medicine at Cambridge
This is taking my cue from Katie J's thread about Newnham, as I've started receiving lots of PMs about what Medicine is like at Cambridge. To save having to reply to each one (sorry to those who haven't had a response yet, this will have to be it!) I thought I'd compile this:
OK, basics. The course is very scientific, and not that applied for the first two years (though things like Pathology and Pharmacology obviously have a more direct relevant link to practising medicine, it's still studied from a mostly scientific perspective). Sometimes it can get frustrating, I certainly found it so sometimes last year, when you're learning all these complex reaction cascades but thinking "but how will this help me be a doctor?" However, it does provide you with an excellent scientific grounding (don't believe the NatScis when they try to tell you you're not scientists, they're just jealous!) and should you decide to jack it all in and go into research, you'll be well set up.
The timetable for the first two years is broadly similar - lectures at 9 & 12 most days (even Saturdays in the 2nd year
) and practicals dotted around, plus supervisions, adding upto about 25 hours contact time a week. On top of that you have to read and learn dissection sessions, write essays, prepare for supervisions etc...
In the first year, you study Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry (but with different names so that they sound more "relevant" to the GMC). Anatomy (Functional Architecture of the Body) was my personal favourite but I know some people who hated it because it seemed just to be a long long list of words to learn. Knowing Latin is a definite advantage here
though most people don't know it and still pass (and quite a lot do better than me 
). You have dissection twice a week, plus procedures every other week, and about 2 lectures a week.
Physiology (Homeostasis) has one practical a week, histology every other week plus lectures. How enjoyable it is generally depends on the quality of the lecturer and/or your supervisor. Some bits I really liked (Respiratory and Cardiac), others I found impossible, and...sort of...didn't learn for my exams
(Renal 
).
Biochemistry is mostly lectures, with one practical and a "Problem Based Learning" seminar every term. Some bits are great, some are...not so. Make sure you go to Professor Wyllie's lectures! It's based around cell metabolism and regulation of the cell cycle, mostly, and how this links to diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
There are also short courses in Medical Sociology and Introduction to the Scientific Basis of Medicine (basically a bit of statistics), which are examined at the end of Lent term - you have to pass, they don't count towards your Tripos mark). The less said about them, the better
Exams come late in the Easter term, and are very scary. You get MCQs/short answer questions for the 2nd MB papers (which you have to pass or you can't carry on) plus the dreaded Anatomy Steeplechase, which was on my 20th birthday last year, and has a pass mark of 70%. There are also essays for each subject, which contribute 50% towards your final grade, but not towards your 2nd MB.
As for 2nd year, you do Pathology, Pharmacology, Neurobiology and Human Behaviour, and Human Reproduction. You can find out about them for yourselves when you get there!
I think that's about it, if you have any other questions then feel free to ask, or if any other Cambridge medics want to add their own versions of life here, go for it!
Helen x
OK, basics. The course is very scientific, and not that applied for the first two years (though things like Pathology and Pharmacology obviously have a more direct relevant link to practising medicine, it's still studied from a mostly scientific perspective). Sometimes it can get frustrating, I certainly found it so sometimes last year, when you're learning all these complex reaction cascades but thinking "but how will this help me be a doctor?" However, it does provide you with an excellent scientific grounding (don't believe the NatScis when they try to tell you you're not scientists, they're just jealous!) and should you decide to jack it all in and go into research, you'll be well set up.
The timetable for the first two years is broadly similar - lectures at 9 & 12 most days (even Saturdays in the 2nd year
) and practicals dotted around, plus supervisions, adding upto about 25 hours contact time a week. On top of that you have to read and learn dissection sessions, write essays, prepare for supervisions etc...In the first year, you study Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry (but with different names so that they sound more "relevant" to the GMC). Anatomy (Functional Architecture of the Body) was my personal favourite but I know some people who hated it because it seemed just to be a long long list of words to learn. Knowing Latin is a definite advantage here
though most people don't know it and still pass (and quite a lot do better than me ). You have dissection twice a week, plus procedures every other week, and about 2 lectures a week.Physiology (Homeostasis) has one practical a week, histology every other week plus lectures. How enjoyable it is generally depends on the quality of the lecturer and/or your supervisor. Some bits I really liked (Respiratory and Cardiac), others I found impossible, and...sort of...didn't learn for my exams
(Renal ).Biochemistry is mostly lectures, with one practical and a "Problem Based Learning" seminar every term. Some bits are great, some are...not so. Make sure you go to Professor Wyllie's lectures! It's based around cell metabolism and regulation of the cell cycle, mostly, and how this links to diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
There are also short courses in Medical Sociology and Introduction to the Scientific Basis of Medicine (basically a bit of statistics), which are examined at the end of Lent term - you have to pass, they don't count towards your Tripos mark). The less said about them, the better
Exams come late in the Easter term, and are very scary. You get MCQs/short answer questions for the 2nd MB papers (which you have to pass or you can't carry on) plus the dreaded Anatomy Steeplechase, which was on my 20th birthday last year, and has a pass mark of 70%. There are also essays for each subject, which contribute 50% towards your final grade, but not towards your 2nd MB.
As for 2nd year, you do Pathology, Pharmacology, Neurobiology and Human Behaviour, and Human Reproduction. You can find out about them for yourselves when you get there!
I think that's about it, if you have any other questions then feel free to ask, or if any other Cambridge medics want to add their own versions of life here, go for it!
Helen x
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Helenia
Exams come late in the Easter term, and are very scary.
easter term as in the term coming up?! u mean i got one term to learn everything i did so far?! AARRRGGGHHHH....!!!
and in case u didnt get that, we do learn A LOT of stuff in the short cambridge terms and u have to work ur ass off (which i havent) if u wanna do well. anatomy steeplechases = impossible, my suggestion is learn ur atlas cover to cover to learn where everythin is and then go over dissection notes to learn what they do/nerve/blood supplies.
oh and another Q helenia, wot r the MSOC and ISBM exams like? as easy as we r led to believ or do u actually have to work for them?
You have to learn a lot to be able to go and kill people in the outside world.
MB
MB
girtonmedic#1
easter term as in the term coming up?! u mean i got one term to learn everything i did so far?! AARRRGGGHHHH....!!!
and in case u didnt get that, we do learn A LOT of stuff in the short cambridge terms and u have to work ur ass off (which i havent) if u wanna do well. anatomy steeplechases = impossible, my suggestion is learn ur atlas cover to cover to learn where everythin is and then go over dissection notes to learn what they do/nerve/blood supplies.
oh and another Q helenia, wot r the MSOC and ISBM exams like? as easy as we r led to believ or do u actually have to work for them?
and in case u didnt get that, we do learn A LOT of stuff in the short cambridge terms and u have to work ur ass off (which i havent) if u wanna do well. anatomy steeplechases = impossible, my suggestion is learn ur atlas cover to cover to learn where everythin is and then go over dissection notes to learn what they do/nerve/blood supplies.
oh and another Q helenia, wot r the MSOC and ISBM exams like? as easy as we r led to believ or do u actually have to work for them?
lol, lent term is term coming up - easter term is after that.
MB
musicboy
lol, lent term is term coming up - easter term is after that.
MB
MB
i love u musicboy
girtonmedic#1
i love u musicboy
BTW, are you pol or someone else? Do you know any of the binson first year medics (Juliette, Sen, Carys, Richard, Arti, Carl)?
MB
musicboy
BTW, are you pol or someone else? Do you know any of the binson first year medics (Juliette, Sen, Carys, Richard, Arti, Carl)?
MB
MB
no im not pol...
altho i do know him wel. i know a coupla ur medics. have spoken to carl and his friend (blonde girl, cant remember her name - V. SMART!!! got like 90% on her 1st steeplechase). they always hang around lecture theatre in between lecs like us girtonians cos they couldnt b botherd to go back to college. nice ppl 
girtonmedic#1
easter term as in the term coming up?! u mean i got one term to learn everything i did so far?! AARRRGGGHHHH....!!!
oh and another Q helenia, wot r the MSOC and ISBM exams like? as easy as we r led to believ or do u actually have to work for them?
oh and another Q helenia, wot r the MSOC and ISBM exams like? as easy as we r led to believ or do u actually have to work for them?
No, Easter term is what they bizarrely call summer term here. You only have MSOC and ISBM at the end of this term.
ISBM is a piece of piss, if you have any common sense at all, and especially if you did even one stats module for A-Level maths. It's 10 MCQs, and you have 45 mins. The pass mark is 7
MSOC is a bit more of a challenge. Do you still have to do those CAL modules? Just do them, learn the lecture notes off the net and you're fine - two essays in an hour, nothing too scary. Don't bother buying Scambler. If you're really worried, PM me your hermes address and I'll e-mail you an abridged summary written by some previous generations of medical students and passed down to us. Much more accessible and funny in parts
Helenia
Don't bother buying Scambler. If you're really worried, PM me your hermes address and I'll e-mail you an abridged summary written by some previous generations of medical students and passed down to us. Much more accessible and funny in parts
already bought scambler cos we have to write essays on it for our superviser! but the summary sounds gr8. will pm hermes to u. thanks
girtonmedic#1
no im not pol... altho i do know him wel. i know a coupla ur medics. have spoken to carl and his friend (blonde girl, cant remember her name - V. SMART!!! got like 90% on her 1st steeplechase). they always hang around lecture theatre in between lecs like us girtonians cos they couldnt b botherd to go back to college. nice ppl
altho i do know him wel. i know a coupla ur medics. have spoken to carl and his friend (blonde girl, cant remember her name - V. SMART!!! got like 90% on her 1st steeplechase). they always hang around lecture theatre in between lecs like us girtonians cos they couldnt b botherd to go back to college. nice ppl yeah, that's juliette - dunno how she got 90% must be some kind of freak.
MB
musicboy
yeah, that's juliette - dunno how she got 90% must be some kind of freak.
MB
MB
wer is binson? i didnt think it was so far away as to need to stay in babbage for 2 hrs for.
girtonmedic#1
wer is binson? i didnt think it was so far away as to need to stay in babbage for 2 hrs for.
It's on Grange rd near sidgewick site. directly west of clare.
MB
musicboy
It's on Grange rd near sidgewick site. directly west of clare.
MB
MB
ah, thats quite close to girton's wolfson court then. its easily walkable in 10-15 mins. 5-10 mins cycle tops. is it nice?
girtonmedic#1
ah, thats quite close to girton's wolfson court then. its easily walkable in 10-15 mins. 5-10 mins cycle tops. is it nice?
it's not very nice. Looks somewhere between a council estate and a car-park in red brick (nice than Churchill though). I haven't made many friends there and feel quite negative about the place.
MB
(don't believe the NatScis when they try to tell you you're not scientists, they're just jealous!)
Sure sure
least we have to do a PhD before we get called doctor... so we're the real doctors after all
TakemetoAvalon
Sure sure
least we have to do a PhD before we get called doctor... so we're the real doctors after all
least we have to do a PhD before we get called doctor... so we're the real doctors after all
bet u dont say that wen u have to go into hospital...
TakemetoAvalon
Sure sure
least we have to do a PhD before we get called doctor... so we're the real doctors after all
least we have to do a PhD before we get called doctor... so we're the real doctors after all
Quote from Friends:
Ross: You agree my PhD is worth as much as an MD, don't you Rachel?
Rachel: Sure, and when I have a heart attack in the middle of a restaurant, I'm going to want you there with your fossil brushes!
Helenia
Quote from Friends:
Ross: You agree my PhD is worth as much as an MD, don't you Rachel?
Rachel: Sure, and when I have a heart attack in the middle of a restaurant, I'm going to want you there with your fossil brushes!
Ross: You agree my PhD is worth as much as an MD, don't you Rachel?
Rachel: Sure, and when I have a heart attack in the middle of a restaurant, I'm going to want you there with your fossil brushes!
Well, a MD is more useful in human way... but what the heck.
I'm going to be doing Biochem in my NatSci probably, then I'll help design the drugs you doctors prescribe and sell them at extortionate prices to the NHS
TakemetoAvalon
I'm going to be doing Biochem in my NatSci probably, then I'll help design the drugs you doctors prescribe and sell them at extortionate prices to the NHS
Yeah, I've been threatened with this by lots of my NatSci friends, as if it somehow makes them better than us. *sigh* such tragic wannabes
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- medicine - Oxford or Cambridge
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- Oxford or Cambridge med?
- GCSE
- 2 STEM subjects at A level. can i apply to cambridge med?
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- Should I take further math
- Do I still have a shot at Cambridge (or Oxford?)
- A levels
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- Access to Higher Education (Medicine)
- Will maths help with Cambridge Medicine
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