This will be quick. Had the multiple choice exam today, it was okay. Thought I'd stamp my authority on it by leaving early. Well, actually I decided not to second guess myself because looking for coincidental patterns in your answer sheet is a stupid idea.
Tomorrow is the written exam, and it will be time to test out my ability to stitch together the random facts rolling around my head in to a coherent answer. Can't wait!
I only ever left one exam early in science, usually because I had nowhere else to be after and enjoyed a good post exam chat. At least now I can claim to have walked out of an exam early in medicine.
And get this Adelaide people - at Flinders you get fifteen minutes of reading time! Not ten! It was weird. Especially pointless for multiple choice questions too. I do miss the Adelaide routine though. The person asking if anyone would like to read the code of conduct, the scraping of crappy metal chairs, the blatant defiance of students refusing to leave quietly because other students are still completing their exams.
Good times.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Exams
Someone once told me "i'd like to hear more about the mundane stuff on your blog."
The fool! But actually, here's something. I have an exam on monday, and tuesday. Also wednesday. But I'm very calm for some reason. Fingers crossed.
Stuff for you to google maybe:
Best words of the semester: Dyspnea, Dyspareunia (try not to get them confused, you'll be laughed at by doctors.)
Points of order: Peritoneum, perineum (Avoid confusing these. You'll be laughed at by patients, until you ask them to bend over while you examine their abdomen pain.)
Words and things I consistently forget: Anisocytosis, graded potential, Arachnoid Villi, NPY, AGRP neurons, and the one asprin breaks down to. I forget...
The fool! But actually, here's something. I have an exam on monday, and tuesday. Also wednesday. But I'm very calm for some reason. Fingers crossed.
Stuff for you to google maybe:
Best words of the semester: Dyspnea, Dyspareunia (try not to get them confused, you'll be laughed at by doctors.)
Points of order: Peritoneum, perineum (Avoid confusing these. You'll be laughed at by patients, until you ask them to bend over while you examine their abdomen pain.)
Words and things I consistently forget: Anisocytosis, graded potential, Arachnoid Villi, NPY, AGRP neurons, and the one asprin breaks down to. I forget...
Saturday, June 18, 2011
More Asbestos!
November 2006. That was the last time I sat an exam. Biotechnology practice or something. It seems like so long ago. And now the cyclical nature of the studious life has spun around again, and I find myself staring down the barrel of three exams.
Unfortunately, my casual disregard toward them is making my motivation to recram everything I have learned over the past semester a trifle more difficult. Still, it scares me that in 3 years I'll be back to being beyond exams again. Hopefully this time I'll mean it.
The one exam I'm actually concerned about the possibility of failure is the 'Health Psychology' exam. It's a ridiculous subject, that has many things in it I shall likely never use again. Still, jumping through hoops is all part of the exciting journey.
Perhaps one of the more novel forms of assessment that we have undertaken this year is the overly vague "reflective writing." Essentially they make us do some activity, in this case it has been 'cultural safety.' Then we are to write about the experience and what we have learned. I was actually impressed with the education session, as my understanding of aboriginal culture was rather limited, and now I feel like I know a little more. Furthermore, it wasn't the white bashing session I thought it was going to be. Australia obviously has a cringe-worthy history when it comes to dealing with Aboriginal and Torres straight islanders, and I think we've acknowledged that. But the session itself didn't resort to finger pointing, which was good because I didn't think any of the students were personally responsible for history. But I'm starting to wonder about the rather militant marking process.
In med, everything is NGP (non graded pass). You pass or fail. One would have thought that in a reflection, where you state your thoughts and feeling about an issue it would be rather difficult to fail. After all, how can your own thoughts and feeling be wrong in the absence of a marking criteria? Well, apparently in cultural safety, they can be.
I haven't gotten my mark back yet, but some have, and some genuinely smart people have failed! It seems the secret to passing is not to express your own thoughts, but to stick to the party line and accuse everyone you know of being racist.
Sigh. This isn't what I thought med would be like!
Unfortunately, my casual disregard toward them is making my motivation to recram everything I have learned over the past semester a trifle more difficult. Still, it scares me that in 3 years I'll be back to being beyond exams again. Hopefully this time I'll mean it.
The one exam I'm actually concerned about the possibility of failure is the 'Health Psychology' exam. It's a ridiculous subject, that has many things in it I shall likely never use again. Still, jumping through hoops is all part of the exciting journey.
Perhaps one of the more novel forms of assessment that we have undertaken this year is the overly vague "reflective writing." Essentially they make us do some activity, in this case it has been 'cultural safety.' Then we are to write about the experience and what we have learned. I was actually impressed with the education session, as my understanding of aboriginal culture was rather limited, and now I feel like I know a little more. Furthermore, it wasn't the white bashing session I thought it was going to be. Australia obviously has a cringe-worthy history when it comes to dealing with Aboriginal and Torres straight islanders, and I think we've acknowledged that. But the session itself didn't resort to finger pointing, which was good because I didn't think any of the students were personally responsible for history. But I'm starting to wonder about the rather militant marking process.
In med, everything is NGP (non graded pass). You pass or fail. One would have thought that in a reflection, where you state your thoughts and feeling about an issue it would be rather difficult to fail. After all, how can your own thoughts and feeling be wrong in the absence of a marking criteria? Well, apparently in cultural safety, they can be.
I haven't gotten my mark back yet, but some have, and some genuinely smart people have failed! It seems the secret to passing is not to express your own thoughts, but to stick to the party line and accuse everyone you know of being racist.
Sigh. This isn't what I thought med would be like!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Exhaustive research
Have you ever wondered what colour the average person wears? According to my clothes dryer, the average colour is light purple. Ah ha, yes. A math based observation. I'd be intrigued to see if everyone's lint basket was the same colour as mine*. Or as full of shrapnel.
*Actually, not really.
*Actually, not really.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The social network
One experiment I'd really like to do, is poke all of my facebook friends. I'd like to see what % responds. Then make a graph of how long it takes for them to poke back. I'd also like to see if there is a poke decay rate if a poke war is entered. I reckon it has the potential to be the basis of a humorous internet article. Maybe I'll try it over the holidays.
Yes I used to be a scientist. The only thing is, there are some people on my list I just don't want to poke. Do I dare break social norms for science?
Here's my hypothesis:
Less than 10% of people would respond.
There will be a decay rate of 50% per poke cycle.
My friend count will decline and people will be annoyed by me :)
Feel free to conjecture madly team!
Yes I used to be a scientist. The only thing is, there are some people on my list I just don't want to poke. Do I dare break social norms for science?
Here's my hypothesis:
Less than 10% of people would respond.
There will be a decay rate of 50% per poke cycle.
My friend count will decline and people will be annoyed by me :)
Feel free to conjecture madly team!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
I love you too Google
I'm not saying I'm completely and utterly amazing. But for some magical reason, I come up as the second search result when you google: This
Classic.
Classic.
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