h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Great article, Z.

The bit about balancing out your subjects with an art type one is so true; real life is not narrowly focused in one direction or another & if you read around a subject in, for instance, a historical perspective, you often gain a slant on things which you certainly wouldn't otherwise have found.

So, if you want to find out more about medieval medicine, you know where to find me!

ps: leeches can be ordered online at: http://www



oops, no, I forgot, no commercial websites!

(but it is OK to plug your own page on so here goes: A1044145 )

Terri

Personally I'm finding the physics I learnt at A-level quite helpful, admittedly I've only about to finish my first year of medical school- especially in physiology where it made it far easier to understand temperature regulation, respiratory physiology and a bit about muscles. At my university (Cambridge) the statistics was taught from GCSE level, but very quickly and so having done 2 statistic modules was handy. My personal opinion of biology was that I spent so much time learning about plants that there didn't seem to be much about humans in A-level. But maybe I'm attributing more to GCSE level biology than I actually learnt. Having said that my optional module for bilogy was reproduction, which we haven't covered yet, and I'm sure I'll find my old notes very handy when we come to that.

Ooh right, I know that Cambridge are one of the few medical schools not to do intergrated physiology / anatomy, I never though "I wish that we'd done that at A level", the physics that was used seemed basic enough to me.

In my first term report my physiology supervisor wrote that I always though like a physicist so mmaybe my having done it is as much of a hindrance as a help!
Integrated anatomy/physiology how does that work? I admit there is some overlap, but not that much (at least in the way I've been taught it).

Well one term we'll do the Anatomy, and Phsyisology of one system, the anatomy is in seperate classes, but they emphasise the function and how the anatomy affects the function. Trying to think of an example here... oh yeah for instance the portal system of the liver is related to it's blood supply.

Histology espeically is closly related to function really, from what i remember, and anatomy was pretty much related to histology, (both dull!) eg the histolgy of the lung is related to it's function etc...

how do you like "Baby Dr" btw, I see you've had a browse through teh archive, is there any topic you'd like to to know about. Am a bit worried it's all getting a bit student BMJ ish

Ah! The lovely "life as a medical student" sections of the Student BMJ- how I avidly read them to find out what it was all *really* like! I have to say since I've actually become one I no longer buy it- but maybe I will when I reach clinical years.
I agree hat histology is dull, so AMAZINGLY dull. The only interesting thing I've discovered so far is that cats and squirrels have Pacinian corpuscles in their pancreas- but no other animals do. Weird hey?
Anatomy is sooo hard- trying desperately to learn it all for my exam next month and it sucks. All i can remember is the disgustingly rude mnemonics, like the one about tom and susie for the carpal bones.
Back on the point though- I like your articles, amusing light and not too bitchy or whiney about things.

Ooh yes, and the Crainal nerves! Hang on, why do you need to know about cats and squirrels? Brum may have it's disadvantages, (shameless persuation to become a GP continually for five years, far to much Medical Socialotion and Communication Skills) but it does tend to keep off animals!

I'm avoiding revising as well..

Oh and you don't buy the student BMJ, you get it free as a student Member of the BMJ, or someone in your house does..

The cat/squirrel thing wasn't on the formal curriculum, as such, it was learnt following a question to a demonstrator in a histology session on the pancreas in which i asked "What the hell is that?", and i was told that interesting fact.
Hmmmm, yes. The cranial nerves... o, o o to touch and feel...[CENSORED DUE TO BEING DIGUSTINGLY MEDICAL AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH PUBLIC DECENCY].

There's actually a slightly cleaner version off it in an edited guide entry, have you heard teh one about branchs of the superfical temporal artery?

No... go on! Then I really will have to say goodnight and get back to trying to learnt he branches of the aortic arch.