Monday, June 05, 2006

For those who wonder how Monash med exam papers are like..

Scenario Two

Christopher, popular and academically bright was accepted into Engineering at a university in Melbourne, where he expected university life to be a lot of fun. The studies were not too demanding but the social-life was, with impromptu parties in the halls of residence almost every night.

During his second year the social whirl continued. Parties had become something of a habit and fast-food was the norm. In his circle, several students used other 'recreational' drugs, such as marijuana or Ecstasy, but although at times he was tempted, Chris stuck to his beer.
With engineering studies becoming more challenging, however, Chris started to fall behind, although he told himself that he could catch up any time. As the exams approached, this seemed to have become a remote possibility and, at best, he now hoped to scrape a pass. He tried not to think about how disappointed his family would be if he did not do well.

At a party one night Chris antagonized Mick a ruckman on the University football team, by appearing to insult his intelligence. Chris didn't remember much about what happened next, but awoke shortly after on his bed with a deep cut over his right eye. His room-mate Zac was holding a damp flannel over the injury saying "Chris, keep on going like this and you will fail your exams and stuff your liver!"

SAQ 1 (2 marks)

What features present in the scenario have contributed to Chris's current problems?

SAQ 2 (2 marks)

What specific questions would you ask Chris to identify his level of dependence on alcohol?

SAQ 3 (2 marks)

Chris confides in you that he "feels lousy" after drinking. He wants to know "what damage" could he be doing to himself.
What advice would you give Chris regarding setting goals for healthy lifestyle changes?

MCQ 1 ( 2 marks)
A 55 year old male is brought to the emergency service after being found unconscious on the kitchen floor. Blood tests indicate he is inebriated. Alcohol intoxication leads to:

A. increased blood glucose concentration.

B. decreased ratio of NADH/ NAD+.

C. extensive lipid droplets in the myocytes.

D. decreased blood triacylglycerols concentration.

E. increased blood lactate concentration.

SAQ 4 (2 marks)

Why does excessive alcohol intake lead to hypoglycaemia? How does alcohol affect oxidation of fatty acids?

MCQ 2 (2 marks)

During which process is most ATP generated in the cell?

A. Glycolysis

B. The citric acid cycle

C. Electron transport coupled with chemiosmosis

D. Fermentation

E. Formation of acetyl CoA

MCQ 3 (2 marks)
You are running a half marathon race. At the end of the race, upon which of the following will your body rely as source of energy?

A. Mainly fatty acids.

B. Mainly carbohydrates.

C. Mainly muscle proteins.

D. Equal amount of fatty acids and carbohydrates.

E. Equal amount of fatty acids and proteins

SAQ 5 (3 marks)

List 3 situations in which doctors can breach patient confidentiality.

SAQ 6 (2 marks)

Who legally owns medical records?

SAQ 7 (2 marks)

List the 4 ethical principles that form the basis of medical practice.

SAQ 8 (5 marks)

List the 10 essential components of breaking bad news.

5 comments:

lishun said...

looks like a very typical med school exam paper to me!

GaRy said...

aisehman lishun, don't lar pour cold water on me lolz :p

juz wondering, does IMU teach medical law and ethics?
ok ler, mayb add 2 more medical sociology questions:
1. Describe the 4 components of the sick role as mentioned by Talcott Parsons. (4 marks)
2. Explain how Marx and Weber's conflict theories explain the way social position affects health and quality of life. (5 marks)

lishun said...

nope, no ethics. which is the no.1 downfall of what we're studying now. it's gonna be a problem when we go pms, or for someone like me who's going to seremban, when we wanna do post-grad studies overseas. we're not prepared for ethics questions. will most prob have to study that all myself.

however, it doesn't mean your exam questions are any different. the objectives are the same, the principles taught are also the same. what's different is how the questions are presented and the learning culture that you are encouraged to follow. if you really think about it, the thinking process we have to go through is roughly the same.

i can't say the same for usmle though. that is super the multi-layered until you dunno what to do unless you're trained to go through 4 or 5 different layers of thought before obtaining an answer.

but it's a relief to me that imu is not exactly that far behind. =)

Philip said...

so gary, is monash tougher than IMU?

GaRy said...

unfortunately yes..