Fifteenth Week - Exams are Sobering!

Exams are sobering in two ways. (1) Students don't usually drink in the time leading up to exams... they need to be sober to learn and, more importantly, sober to take the exam! (2) During the semester when content is thrown at us, we feel we're nearly on top of it all, but by the time exams come we realise that we can't quite remember how to do something and the feeling of confidence soon fades away. This feeling is also sobering. However, it's only natural that by the end of the week, having studied hard and downing a few drinks, that we were not feeling sober any more!

PHTY254 practical assessment is worth 15% of the full year paper. Students were given two main questions to demonstrate with five minutes given to each question. We had 10min to prepare equipment (which for me was figuring out how to fix a broken suspension cord) and familiarise ourself with the case study (NB: this is important because the assessor takes the sheet from you while you demonstrate). We had to be competent at all tasks covered in the lab and able to clinically discuss methods taught in the lectures. I had relatively easy questions - phew! I'll list a few examples of students questions, with mine being the first two on the list:

• Assess right knee flexer weakness for grade two and three using slings and suspension. + Provide an exercise for strengthening at grade three.
• Assess hip abductor weakness for grades three and four (oxford scale for MMT). + Demonstrate a trendelenburg gait.
• Teach a 65-year-old with balance issues how to stand from sitting with use of ambulation aids. + Teach walking with the aids.
• Goniometer measurement of dorsi- and plantarflexion, then demonstrate one stretch for the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles.
• Use postural drainage for the left lower lobe and perform manual techniques to help clear secretions. 
• Draw surface markings for the right & left lungs, and the fissures.
• Demonstrate two ways of measuring thoracic expansion at three levels.
• Measure FEV1 and FVC (spirometry) then comment on FEV1/ FVC ratio

PHTY251 written exam + the third mastery test MCQ = 64%! We have to pass at least 50% of the written component and achieve more than 50% overall to pass the paper. My advice is to always do the MCQ (if there is one) first - it's a good warm up and may include otherwise forgotten info for the written exam. I felt this exam was pretty good - all the stress and study-torture was worth it.

Did I mention that exams are sobering?? Well, now that my first semester is complete it's time to relax (sleep) and to once again enjoy some fresh air. My third year physio flatmate finished pathology at the same time I finished physiology (her last exam of the semester too), so no doubt we'll share our exam experiences. For many of my cohort year, they will be celebrating together. Essentially, this means a crate drinking competition (alcohol drinking race) between lab groups. 

We have a few weeks of holidays between semesters, so I'll continue this blog when I return! 

Fourteenth Week: x3 Tsp Coffee Thanks!

I'm not a regular coffee consumer, but the title 'x3 Tsp Coffee Thanks' sums up the general notion that time is quickly diminishing and we need to 'stay awake to study' - coffee is here to help! Sleep helps consolidate information into longer term memory... but it can also lead to realisations that we hadn't learnt anything the day before! At this time, many students reverse their daily routine; get up at night and go to bed in the morning - I don't understand why (but coffee tends to facilitate/accompany this change). Some students get a good nights sleep before the exam, whilst others fear they'll forget info or need to cram more info before the exam and avoid sleep altogether! I liken exams to athletes preparing for a competition/game day (having done a sport science degree and participated in higher level sport at high school, I know this process well). Here is how I liken it to exams:

1. Physical preparation & exam execution.

•  Nutrition and hydration. The brain is a carbohydrate hungry organ, so feed it complex carbohydrates as per a normal healthy diet. Feel free to snack on fruit for an additional fuel boost. Chocolates and confectionery are nice from time to time - but you will probably find it hard to restrain yourself from eating the whole block/packet at once! Breakfast is important, especially on exam day. Drink water, be hydrated, clear urine is the key. Orchestrate your hydrating and eating so that you don't have to use the toilet during the exam (unless you strategically use it to clear your mind too).
• Muscle endurance! Written exams are exactly that, written. When was the last time you used a pen and wrote for three hours straight? You need exceptional forearm and hand endurance! You're using underutilised fine motor skills. Good ergonomic posture is helpful too!
• Prehab: don't go skiing the weekend before exams - you don't want to break any bones!
• Clothing to the exam. Often exam rooms are cold (or otherwise not optimal for your own specific preference). Bring clothing that can keep you warm, isn't too noisy and that you can remove easily (without distracting anybody else). Also, shirts/jerseys that don't cut your circulation off to your hand when you roll up your sleeve!!
• In the exam, sit at a desk with minimal distractions and that doesn't rock (all four feet of the desk should be level). 

2. Psychological preparation & exam execution.

• Know your stuff! There's nothing worse than getting stuck in a rut during an exam. Know everything; use cues to trigger info stored in memory (rhymes, stories about content etc).
• Know the exam structure, correct exam location/how to get there, time and duration of the exam, weather.
• Be confident, but modestly so! Expect to see questions that make retrieving particular information hard - know what to do about it! Depending on the exam, people may leave the question and come back to it (or jot down some notes before coming back to finish the question).
• Be emotionally stable. Don't get in a fight with your lecturer, landlord, power/internet supplier, flatmates, class-mates, family or significant other! Be happy, optimistic and a little bit realistic about your exam outcome expectations. Use relaxation techniques if you need to. Also, be aware of who you're attributing success or failure outcomes to - be in control of your learning.
• Read and understand the exam question, then answer the question! Use handwriting legibility as an indicator of whether you're writing too fast. If you don't think the examiner can read it, it is time to slow down!
• If you really don't know the answer to a question, make an educated guess.
• Check if the instruction page is double sided!!
• Put your name and ID everywhere that is required!!!
• When you complete the exam with time to spare or the exam supervisor informs you that you have one minute before the exam finishes, consider drawing a nice picture - preferably something comical, in good taste and relevant to the exam content. Although it won't improve your grade, it makes the mundane task of marking exams less mundane (and as the marker is usually your lecturer - it'll make you a memorable student).

3. Equipment preparation & exam execution.

• You won't ace an exam with a pen that has run out of ink - so be prepared, have a back up!
• Every exam requires something different - obtain what you need. Be cautious of the calculator model (if it is required) - it must be university approved.

In case you hadn't realised; this is the first exam week of semester one: we have three written examinations on Wednesday and Thursday morning, and Friday afternoon. Papers on these days are PHTY255 (clinical practice), PHTY250 (anatomy) and PHTY254 (rehabilitation science). As per always, everything is examinable!!

Anatomy notes... good use of strapping tape!!

PHTY255. Lecture and large group clinical content worth 20% of our final paper grade. This exam was in two parts - a case study in each. We were asked about communication, informed consent, reflective practice and subjective assessment. The class was expecting to answer questions about cognitive behaviour therapy or the social problem-solving model! It's good to note that exam questions change from year to year.

PHTY250. Neuro and systems anatomy exam worth 25% of our final paper grade. I'm still on good terms with anatomy having concentrated most of my study to it this week. The exam had eight stations. Twenty minutes was allocated to each station (20 points per question). This exam seemed to drag on, however there was plenty we could write about! Questions were a mix of everything covered in labs and lectures.

PHTY254. Application of scientific principles to clinical practice worth 20% of our final paper grade. Afternoon exams generally mean a sleep-in is allowed that morning (depending on how confident you feel about acing the exam). I felt this exam was my worst of the three this week. There were four sections and a number of questions per section, some had case studies while others were based around clinical tests for different disorders. Leading up to the exam, I thought I would excel in this exam specifically, but upon completion I knew I had left some pretty giant holes in my answers. I felt I went well in the very few case studies presented, but my ability to recall knowledge of particular clinical tests was dismal (and unfortunately, most of the questions asked were like that). This exam, almost exclusively, focused on the 'clinical application' of, rather than the science underpinning physio practice.

Unfortunately much of the time spent studying is coupled with some form of procrastination! Here is how I spend some of my procrastination time...

Ten physio-student commandments.

1. We are not qualified/registered physiotherapists.

2. Our clinical supervisor is superior than us.

3. Thou shall gain informed consent before treating patients.

4. Soup shall not be consumed in clinical uniform.

5. Study, observe, apply, remember.

6. Non-maleficence, beneficence, autonomy & confidentiality.

7. Thou shall always wear name-badge.

8. Thou shall use poker face when patient farts.

9. Thou shall not lift patient.

10. Thou shall wash, sanitise and moisturise hands

Top 10 Procrastination Methods

1. Social Media.

2. YouTube/Movies.

3. Make tasty food, and eat it.

4. Socialise with friends in town.

5. Find paid work, earn $$.

6. Sleeping / Naps.

7. Exercise.

8. TV and gaming.

9. Deface friends study material (naaaa!).

10. Baking, gardening, cleaning, tidying.

Top 10 Productivity Suggestions

1. Make a study plan with daily targets

2. Be interested in course content - be motivated.

3. Practice mock questions, visualisation of material, integration and application of knowledge.

4. Written notes, wall of notes / mind-map, Q&A flip cards with acronyms, rhymes, songs, stories, dances, diagrams, tables, charts, graphs!

5. Study with friends or teach somebody.

6. Routines: Sleep, exercise, eat well, mental preparation and study.

7. Manage stress, appropriately vent frustrations.

8. Study environment: remove distractions, comfortable seat, table, warmth, equipment, natural and artificial lighting.

9. Reward yourself (positive reinforcement).

10. Caffeine.

Top 10 methods that will not help us to absorb content.
1. Sleeping with your notes under your pillow.
2. Burning your notes and inhaling the fumes.
3. Eating your notes.
4. Staring at your notes.
5. Using an open text book as a sun-tanning reflector device.
6. Wearing your notes for clothing.
7. Rubbing your notes on your skin.
8. Using a stethoscope to listen to your notes.
9. Hitting yourself with your notes.
10. Drawing complimentary pictures of  abstract art on your written notes.

Top 10 post-exam note disposal methods
1. Bonfire
2. Gift it to a friend.
3. Scrap paper.
4. Shoot it with a gun (at a firing range).
5. Paper mashe 
6. Throw them in the air
7. Hide them under your bed.
8. 1000 Cranes (origami)
9. Shred them.
10. Paper fight!
(11. extra: bury them with your hopes and dreams.... just kidding!!)
(12. extra, extra: basketball-like shots at the bin + drinking game)

Top 10 things we do that probably has no bearing on actual results.
1. Pray for easy questions
2. Ask people to say "good luck"
3. Ask portraits of paintings of medical professionals (displayed in the exam room) to guide you.
4. Phone a psychic for their prediction on questions
5. Sit between brainy people in the exam, you may be engulfed in their knowledge energy.
6. Good luck underwear!
7. Good luck charm
8. Waiting for someone to incept your dreams (inception)
9. Rituals
10. Practising telepathy.

Next week: one practical exam for PHTY254 (rehabilitation science) and a written exam for PHTY251 (physiology) on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. These will be the most important exams of the semester to ace!