MED BOOKS

Med aspirants know that Books are good investment. However, these are too expensive.
Some med students say you can buy second hand books. Though these books may lack some important revisions, still you can save a lot. If there is a missing topic from these books, your library will be a very BIG help. You can always drop by to photocopy those important details. And if you e-books, you can just read those topics and jot down important things.

 Today, I got my first two med books. Guyton's Medical Physiology and Harper's Illustrated Biochemistry. These are second hand books. How did I get these? Simple. A virtual friend from a certain site sent me links where I could buy second hand books. Sulit.com.ph is the site where you can search, choose, and buy whatever things you needed. I searched second hand med books and I found a reasonable price for the two books eversince I've wanted. Though there are some pages with highlights, still these are in good condition.

Just be careful when doing meet-ups. Better if there is someone to accompany you just in case not so good things will happen. Choose well.

FEU-NRMF: SOME MED STUDENTS TIPS/EXPERIENCE PER SUBJECT

• S1-Student Number 1

BIOCHEMISTRY

S1

• Never used Harper    
• Stick with manual
• Samplex are very useful
• 1st Shifting/exam Biochem-A (Protein Chem) difficult

  
S2- 

• Main reference is Harper
• Alternate book is Lippincott (easier to understand)
• Used Manual (P 1000)
• Understand the topic first before answering sample exams

S3- 

• Did not use Harper
• Used Lippincott (though lengthy explanations)
• Manual is okay (you can write additional info's)
• The dept. is willing to give PPT

PHYSIOLOGY

S1-

• Guyton is your bestfriend
• Read until you understand
• Read in advance
• Did not use Physiology Manual
• Baccud/ Limpin Notes(Big help)

S2- 

• Guyton
• If you have time read Cell Physio, Cardio and Renal Physio
• Used lec/lab manual (500/sem)
• EXP:the hardest first year subject but most enjoyed
• Dreaded Small Group Discussions (SGD)

S3- 

• Guyton
• Physio Manual not much used but you can read it if you have time
• Read Baby Guyton followed by monster Guyton
• SGD are very difficult (some are traumatized)

GROSS ANATOMY

S1- 

• Netter a must have
• Some questions directly taken from the manual
• Open the atlas while studying for better understanding
• Better to bring recorder then transcribe
• Do not be absent- Some prof's give tips for their exam
• First sem is difficult due to memorization (Bones, Muscles)]
• 2nd sem much easier

S2- 

• Clinically Oriented Anatomy by Moore to be used on Second sem
• Some teachers get questions from this book- also useful in 1st sem
• Netter is a must have

S3- 

• Netter a must have
• McMinn's photographic atlas of anatomy maybe useful
• Video our classmates while they are teaching
• You can pass if you have mental picture of human body

MICRO ANATOMY
FIRST SEM: HISTOLOGY
SECOND SEM: NEUROANATOMY
S1- 

• Manual needed
• Some questions directly taken from the manual
• First sem is easy
• Second sem difficult
• Snell used once/twice

S2-

• Some questions directly taken from the manual
• You will be exercising your Fine Motor Skills by drawing (Graded: Better if you have good drawing)
• If you have a classmate willing to teach you, stick with him/her during lab hours
• Try to get High scores in the PRACTICAL EXAMS (It will SAVE you)

S3-

• Do good in Practical Exams
• Video the TV in the lab when instructors are orienting you on the slides
• Use you free time in lab to finish manuals or review the topics

INTRO TO CLINICAL MEDICINE (ICM)

S1/S2/S3

• Manual needed ( P 300)
• All exam questions taken in the manual
• Practice sessions
• How to deal with patients
• Easy but you still have to study

HISTORY OF MEDICINE AND MEDICAL ETHICS(HMME)

S1/S2

• Manual needed (P 300)
• All exam questions taken in the manual
• Mostly Common Sense
• Easy
• Main Reference: " A Primer on Health Care Ethics " by Michael Monge

PSYCHOBIOLOGY

S1/S2/S3

• Handouts used
• Easiest Subject

COMMUNITY AND FAMILY MEDICINE 1 (CFM 1)

S1/S2/S3

• Manual Needed (P 300)
• Looks easy but you'll be surprised to get low scores
• As long as you read and understand the manual you are SAFE.
• One of the hardest subjects to pass because the dept. is strict with passing score (75%)
• Make sure you do well on your Reaction Papers
• Do not be Absent

NMAT

National Medical Admission Test. (NMAT)
This is a BIG MUST in every aspiring physician someday. Actually this is one of the requirements of each medical schools  where they can sort the students who will apply.
Here are some of the Medical schools and their certain required percentage:

UP- 90 percent. I've read from different sites that they actually accept applicants with 99+ percentile. Most of the students applying here are with Latin Honors. 80 percent of the accepted students will come from UP as well.

UST- 80 percent. Like in UP, they usually accept students whose premed are from their school. I do not know if this is true but I've heard that there is somehow a "palakasan" system here. One of the students in UST told me that he did not apply here because he said  it's very "mapolitika".

UERM- 70 percent. One of the best med schools. For school year 2011-2012 they've raised the NMAT percentage due to fast rising numbers of applicants I think. I've read that students who were unable to be accepted in UP enter this school.

FEU-NRMF- 45 percent. Well this maybe low compared to other Top schools but as I've from a certain site, they made a corellational study wherein they concluded that there is no corellation with nmat scores.

Saint Lukes- 90 percent. Many aspiring med students will certainly be attracted to the scholarship grant of this institution. I've read that they are very generous because they want to get the best students.

PLM- 45 percent. Many aspirants want to enter this school because you will just need to pay your tuition for as low as 10,000 Pesos. A big plus here is that you should be a Manila Resident.

I took my NMAT last December 12, 2010.
This were some of the TIPS I've got:

1. Read your High School Books especially Chemistry, Biology and Physics.
2. If you can afford to enter into a review center, then maybe you can try it out. Many would say that this is not needed but for those like me who are not good in certain subjects, then try it. The simulation exams are like the actual exam. Good thing about this centers is that they let you experience the set up in the actual exam.
3. MSA Review Book is a bit expensive and the questions are more difficult than the actual exam. This may help as a guideline.
4. Self-study can really help you. 

My score is not high because I'm not good on Chemistry, Physics and on the Quantitative part.

My First Post.

Tadaaah. I made my blog on the first of April.

April Fools.

I really do not know what to write or where to start.

I just know I have to write.

I'm going to start tomorrow on what topic I should write. 

FIN.