BDS First Year - A walkthrough (Part I)

by Zoha Malik and Bukhtawar Azhar

As you enter a university you are very determined to stay focused, are ambitious and highly energetic to make the best of everything, however, as you march towards the end of your first year that determination goes down the drain. There are a number of factors that gradually flush out this energy and determination from you.

One of the main factors for this is the ‘Lack of Guidance’.

In a medical/dental university/college the basic source of guidance are seniors, they say. True. No one would guide you better than a senior would. Reason being, they have seen it, suffered it all and yet made it through. However, the biggest dilemma lies in the fact that not every senior has the same advice for you. What leaves you in total confusion is the varied guidance you get and a mutually contradicting take on various aspects of every subject by each senior. This is as a result, not so much of the ability of some people to prove themselves as carefree and happy go lucky kinds yet ending up with great scores but more, of the individuality that is involved with the studying strategies of each student. So what you need to keep in mind is the fact that, when someone guides you it’s according to their experiences and lessons. You’ll have to live through your own. The easy way of doing that is to listen to as many advices as you can and then compare and see what best suits you.

When I started my first year (not even an entire year ago) I had no idea what to do. The lectures seemed like French and Persian classes to me and I didn’t know what to read from the books or even what books to refer to, for that matter. This was most of my first month. After that the terminology started becoming a little more familiar, the lectures made a little more sense and I had a few books for each subject. What I needed at that time was someone to tell me how to get started. In the first three months anything anyone will ever tell you is not to give a damn. Quite literally. Your studies related queries conveniently earn you the tag of “THEETA”. But hey! you’ll have to get used to that one. The word itself loses its meaning because of the frequency with which it is used. So you need to keep going in the flow from the very first day till the end.  

I write this article as a basic outline for the freshmen. You can read this whenever you want, and to any extent that suits you. This is an effort to enable the 1^st year students to start working on their ambition and keep their energies high throughout the year. I have divided this article subject wise, pointing out how to get started, how to pace up and how to finally end up preparing the subject in the prof. So you need not read the entire article in a day’s time but, read the portions that coincide with your time and the stage of the course you are at.

ANATOMY

Anatomy is a major subject in the course of first year. It requires a lot of learning and understanding. It is time consuming and considered the toughest of all the subjects mainly due to the length of its course.

About the Anatomy Department:

At the same time anatomy’s is the only department that will keep you on your toes throughout the year.

Head of Department/Internal for Prof: Dr. Rafiya

Professor in Charge: Dr. Samee

Other Teaching Faculty:

• Gross Anatomy: Various teachers of the anatomy department.
• Neuroanatomy: Dr. Samee and Dr. Rafiya will predominantly teach you the subject accompanied by other teachers of the anatomy department.
• Embryology: Dr. Nadia Tazeen and Dr. Rafiya.
• Histology: Various members of the anatomy department.

Introduction to the subject:

The first and the most important* level in anatomy is the Gross anatomy of ‘head and neck’.  This involves the study of basic bones of your head, face and neck, the associated muscles, blood vessels and nerves. It also includes various important organs in head and neck region.

The next important* level is Neuroantomy. This basically involves the study of anatomy and function of the brain, nerves and reflexes along with the spinal cord.

Another level is Embryology. This starts pretty late and usually towards the end of the session.

Two other important* components of anatomy are General Anatomy and Histology. They’d go side by side with your gross anatomy. Histology is more important* than G.A.

*the importance has been mentioned according to the weightage of each portion in the final exam.

Books: 

Books you need to have no matter what:

·         BD Churasia Anatomy Head and Neck.
·         Snell’s Clinical Neuroanatomy

These two books are absolutely necessary for each student to have. However, for further studies you’d be recommended to consider other books.  You need to buy other books according to your own needs.

Gross Anatomy:

• BD Churasia is the divine book of anatomy for every BDS student. If I had to describe this book in one word it would be: Ratta. The key to learning from this book is that you listen carefully to all the lectures and then revise them from this book.
• Atlas of Anatomy This is the most helpful book on the subject. You cannot just read and understand anatomy. You need visuals and this book will act like your lifeline whenever you’re stuck on a topic in anatomy.
• R.J. Last An easy to understand and comprehensive book. Also, not to forget it’s Sir Samee’s favourite book as well.
• KLM One of the best books on the subject. Every single topic is accompanied by respective images and the very core of understanding anatomy is to visualize whatever you read. It’s the Guyton of Anatomy.
• Clinical Anatomy by Regions (Richard S.Snell) is a very student friendly book. Topics are explained in the simplest of the language. This book helps build concepts. Have a look at the book in the library before buying it, so that you know if you really want it.

Neuroanatomy:

•  Snell’s Clinical Neuroanatomy is the only book you need for this subject; no other short or more extensive book is required.
• Famuriq’s CNS is another book by three Pakistani authors. It is a revision book and you will need this in physiology as well. However I do not recommend it for anatomy at all.

Embryology:

• Langman’s Embryology is a really helpful book in building your concepts regarding embryology. It narrates the intra-uterine life like a story and thus helps you to retain it. It is detailed yet easy.
• KLM Embryology, hands down one of the best books on the subject. You cannot go wrong when it comes to this book. Also, not to forget this is Ma’am Rafiya’s favourite book on the subject and she loves asking questions from KLM.
• Firdous Embryology is a short revision book. You use such a book on two conditions. A: You are good at rote learning. B: You listen to the lectures very carefully and need a book only to revise.

General Anatomy:

• Laiq Hussain Siddiqui General Anatomy
• Firdous General Anatomy

Histology:

• Medical Histology by Laiq Hussain: Histology, as mentioned earlier, is an important part of anatomy. This book is a detailed one and will help you have a better understanding regarding the basic cell shape and their functions accordingly. Very good in a conceptual building of histology.
• Firdous Histology: Revision book.

Exams:

The exam system of Anatomy comprises of regular tests and then an exam near the end of the term. At the end of the year is a Send-up examination and finally the professional. The regular tests are known as Sub-stages.  The terminal test is the Stage.

The sub stages and stages are for gross anatomy and neuroantomy. For G.A and Histology however there is only a stage.

Preparing for the sub stage: Sub stages are the regular viva voce that are held once every two weeks or so. The class is divided into 10-15 student batches, and each batch gives their viva voce to a certain examiner. Sub stages are lesser course, more tension. So the best way of preparing for them is to do them along with the lectures. Come home and give the lecture a good one hour and learn whatever was taught. In that way you’d be partying hard the night before the sub-stage because you would have already done it all.

Because the sub stages are only viva voce, you need to be prepared to speak out what you know. The best thing about viva voce is that it is a test of your nerves and not of your knowledge. So, if you manage to keep your calm, you can get through it. You don’t need to be afraid of the examiner because they are there only to observe as to what you have been up to the entire time of your course so far. And trust me even if you know a little you can get through it. So go in there with full preparation, but more over with full confidence and all you have to do is the convince the examiner that you have been preparing and know it, if not all at least something.  Every examiner has a different style of asking question, so yes it depends upon your luck too.

The total marks for the stage are 100. You need to get a 50 or above to pass. And if you have passed, you have topped dear.

Preparing for the stage: The stage is a three day exam. First, it’s the OSPE. This exam includes the identification of a certain models, slides etc. Second, it’s the written exam. Third and finally is the viva voce.

Viva and written: There are a number of ways to get started with the preparation of the stage of gross anatomy, which are as follows;

1. If your concepts aren’t clear, even so close to the end of half term, no need to panic, this is nothing but very normal. Start with the basic things. For example the first chapter of BD. To build a strong foundation here’s a trick. Do the External Carotid Artery first, its origin, all its branches and everything about it. It supplies blood to most of the parts of your head and neck. Then do the fifth cranial nerve, it is the main nerve supplying the head. This will be like building a basic road map to start the travel. You will now be ready to explore the buildings as you go. Meaning, when you will be preparing individual organs and stuff, every time you come across its nerve and blood supply, you’d know where is it coming from and it would make a little more sense. Otherwise rote learning the nerve and blood supply for every other organ, muscles etc. gets nerve cracking.
2. Another way of preparing for the gross anatomy stage is that you go topic to topic. This is useful when you are very clear about the basic ideas. Start with the main topics and those that you are not very good at. In this way you’d be getting the load off your chest and finally would be left with all the easy topics to be done at the end.

Written: A misconception remains until very close to the prof, that the organs are the more important topics in anatomy. Well I won’t say that’s not true, but as far as the written exam is concerned, questions from cranial nerves, veins, venous sinuses, various clinicals, glands, various muscles are more frequently asked.

OSPE:  Have a good look at the models in King Edward’s Anatomy Dissection Hall. What’s more useful are pictures of labelled models which you can easily find on the king Edward blog. 

Neuroanatomy: The same goes for neuroantomy, keep revising side by side with the lectures. Use Snell’s from the very first day till the last and you’ll do good.

OSPE: You are to identify the various parts of different portions of brain. Attend the dissection lectures for that and revise from the videos and pictures on the King Edward blog.

G.A (General Anatomy) and Histology: The stage of G.A and Histology do not include the viva voce. Use the above mentioned books to prepare for the stage.

Embryology: Well this particular subject is never tested. No tests, no viva voce, no nothing. The book is very student friendly, written in an easy way and is easy to memorise. It may seem to be an extensive book but trust me it takes much less time than that you would spend rote learning any other desi book e.g. Firdous etc. 

Send up examination: (written only) this is like a mini prof. Prepare like it’s the final exam, do it all and give it your best.

Professional exam (written): Now if you have done it all well and good all year long, this is the time you’d be the most relaxed. You’ll know it’s the final revision. But even if you are not that well prepared don’t worry. Keep trying. Give it your best shot. The final professional needs a very superficial revision. You need not get into minor details of everything. Go through the course once and then revise the main topics. If luckily enough anatomy’s is the first exam, give it good 10 to 11 days for preparation, you don’t want to take any risks. 

Too close to the exam? Still a lot of course left? Don’t panic. Feel free to leave a few topics you have already done sometime in the year. Flip through the pages and tell yourself you know it all. Only make sure that your preparation is such that there is nothing by the end of the year that you have never done. If you have done it ever, be it in the stage, sub stage or whenever, you are good to go. Keep revising and keep learning it.