Year 1 Results

Passed.
Ranked 267/456
6 OSCE stations passed with 1 fail (CPR).

Relief to have passed but a tinge of disappointment with my overall ranking. OSCE and SBA marks overall were below average and SAP just above average.

Exam Papers:

Surprised to score highly in the more social medicine-based paper (SAP - 65%) than in the more scientific paper (SBA - 61%). Poor performances were noticeable on Skin, Respiratory, Nervous System and Genetics questions in the SBA while investigations and histopathology of bowel diseases proved costly in the SAP.

Spaced repetition proved useful in memorising key definitions and concepts but a lack of knowledge of finer more biomedical details was evident. Clearly a need to structure learning throughout the year and effectively use mindmaps to draw out areas that are not as well understood, flashcards to test learning and write out answers to questions on definitions, symptoms and common pathologies.

OSCEs:

A lack of continued OSCE preparation throughout the year proved to be costly. If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail and BLS was no surprise. Remembering to wash hands, ask for consent and systematically work through. Being fluent and taking time to think especially in examinations and patient histories will be elements to improve upon for next year.

Summary:

A similar story to the first year of Biomedical science degree. Back to being average with a lot more to prove. Margins are a lot closer in this degree but the rewards are significantly greater.