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D Y N A M I C & Z E A L O U S S T U D E N T L E A D E R S | G u i d e f o r I n c o m i n g U S T F M S F r e s h m e n AUGUST 2023
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P n DYNAMIC & ZEALOUS STUDENT LEADERS Guide for Incoming UST FMS Freshmen
TableofContents A T O Z G U D E F O R I N C O M I N G U S T F M S F R E S H M E N 06 08 04 ANATOMY TIPS PHYSIOLOGY TIPS 12 10 BIOCHEMISTRY TIPS HISTOLOGY TIPS CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY TIPS 1 4 13 NEUROSCIENCE 1 TIPS MEDICAL ETHICS 1 TIPS PREVENTIVE MEDICINE TIPS 1 1 REMINDERS 15
LEARNING RESOURCES Snell, Netter’s Atlas, Montelibanotes
LECTURES
Most of the lectures were done asynchronously Although it’s easy to procrastinate, don’t leave it to the night before exams to watch the lectures, especially Embryology and Clinical Anatomy Lectures which only have tests together with Long exams and Shifting exams
ACDS / CDS
CADAVER DISSECTION
Make the most out of this!! Follow the compendium when dissecting, try to identify as many structures as you can Facis will go and teach during dissection, try to listen to as many of them as you can Go to different tables even if they’re not your subsec/faci
Many of the topics don’t have a lecture, just discussed in ACDs
We usually assign parts beforehand and prepare our scripts but some facis call randomly or don’t like when students read from a script
Listen to the faci's questions and what they emphasize, those usually appear on tests
PRACTICAL EXAMS
Moving exam: stations are cadavers or models
Identification with side question
Very important to view cadavers prior!! Structures in the cadavers look different from illustrations in books/online so other than knowing what it looks like, know how to find it and how it relates to surrounding structures Each cadaver looks different!
When studying, focus on identifying their name, anatomical locations, relations, and unique details.
Muscles: Origin, Insertion, Nerve Supply, Action
Blood vessels, nerves: Origin, Commencement, Termination, Branches, Supply, etc Also look at the side question before trying to identify, they can be big clues already! Keep calm!! Time-constrained so you’re prone to mind block.
SHORT QUIZZES, LONG TESTS, SHIFTING EXAMS
Short quizzes usually have LOTS (lower order thinking skills) questions but be prepared for clinical questions
For long tests and shifting exams, go back to the short quizzes. Some questions may be repeated or altered You will get overwhelmed with the amount of information, but previous exams show what concepts, they focus more on!
There are also more clinical questions
MORE TIPS
Don’t alay CA and EMB since exams are only 2-4x a sem It’s hard to bawi and they make an impact on your grades
A lot of Anatomy is memorization, look for ways to make it easier e.g. pictures, mnemonics. Try relating the structure's name, function, location, shape, spatial relationships, and even embryology, it will help you remember rather than blindly memorizing them
The exercises and handouts are helpful!
Anatomy is info overload so as much as possible, don’t cram ♡
Y E A R L I E S 3 A TO Z | GUIDE FOR INCOMING UST FMS FRESHMEN
Anatomy
Facilitators we had
DR SANTOS
VERY HIGH YIELD
Read Snell
Don't read during SGDs
Explain the figure well
Focus on the content of what you ' re saying than adding words in the PPT She really listens to what you ' re saying
If you put a picture/in your PPT, make sure you can explain it
Takes dissection seriously, do it properly
Listen to her questions during SGDs, they appear on the tests
DR. OBNAMIA
VERY HIGH YIELD, GREAT MENTAL HEALTH
Very present and caring!
You have to be active as well
Listen to her reviews after ACDs/CDs, they come up in the tests!
Merge the ACDs with the CDs when presenting
Know the topic, she will sometimes make you summarize Checks the coloring exercises seriously
DR. DIZON
Not as high yield, good mental health Generous with grades Negotiable!
DR. GELLACO
High yield
Really nice and will teach esp during dissection time
Listen to the important structures she mentions and questions she asks minsan it goes out sa exam and pracs
DR. ANGELES
High yield, okay mental health
He teaches a lot during dissection and will explain the ones hard to understand and tell you which are important
Not generous with plus points but will perfect your seatworks
DR GONZAGA
VERY HIGH YIELD
Read Snell
She calls randomly during SGDs
Do research before SGDs and know the topic She will ask a lot of questions
Listen to her, she's the head
DR. PUA
High yield especially when about extermities
Listen to live demos and cadaver dissection sessions, they're really helpful and will come up in exams
DR. FLORES
Good mental health
She knows more about the extremities! Chill!
DR. DE LEON
Not as high yield, good mental health
Chill SGD Doesn't really discuss during ACDs/CDs, she just gives comments
You'll need to self study but gives clues for quizzes
DR. VILLAMIN
Doesn't show up for dissection and SGD
Gives high grades though
DR. SUA
Okay mental health
Gave us a pep talk
Will ask questions
Will encourage you to not read from the script
DR. FERNANDEZ
Good mental health
When hes late, its free! If you have any acd scheduled that day and he's late sa discussion, answer something close to the topic and if its good enough he’ll mark it correct
Really generous sa pracs
Y E A R L I E S 4
Physiology
LEARNING RESOURCES
Trans, SBR, Berne and Levy
Mix of both synch and asynch but mostly synch, they check attendance
Use the transes to follow the lecture
Listen actively in class or during the lecture bc the profs will emphasize the important parts of the topic Sometimes they give a review at the end or in between sections that highlight the must knows of the topic which are very helpful
SGDS LAB
Participate when you can because some facis really count how many times you recite Its not that scary depending on the faci usually they just ask about the basics of the topic that the case is about
Actively participate during lab experiments especially if its your lab conference assignment Make sure to document everything and ask for the results from the other groups
Try working with the other people assigned to the same number as you from the other groups so that you could collab and help each other with the report. Overall its chill lang naman if youre not the reporter for lab conference
QUIZZES
Only 10 items each topic but comprise a 15% of your shifting grade
Use the old short quizzes as a samplex so you know what topics to focus on and what kind of questions to expect Sometimes the short quizzes are samplex
If you have friends from the other sections try and ask them what questions were asked since the set of questions would revolve around the same topic. Each section has a diff set of questions
Understand the basic concepts for the topics bc thats what usually comes out What is highlighted in the lecture is what will most probably come out
LONG TESTS
Only 2 exams per shift but make up 24% of your shifting grade
Listen to the tips some facis give cos thats usually what comes out na Focus on the topics with larger points in the breakdown of topics Study well for this because its a big chunk of your shifting grade
SHIFTING EXAMS
It will be impossible to go over all the topics again so try to samplex ratio after you study the topics you really dont understand Look out for faci tips again
MCQ can be challenging so make sure you understand the concepts since its usually application Make bawi in the VR, QC part
Listen in class as much as possible all the time!!!
Don't memorize, UNDERSTAND!!!! Physio is mostly application of concepts into cases esp in exams so make sure you understand the concepts well and know how to explain it if someone asks A TO Z | GUIDE FOR INCOMING UST FMS FRESHMEN 5
LECTURES Y E A R L I E S
We also usually delegate beforehand but some facis will call randomly
MORE TIPS
Facilitators we had
DR PE
VERY HIGH YIELD, GOOD MENTAL HEALTH
Very generous with grades
Chill SGD, sometimes he won't even have SGDs and he'll explain everything
What he discusses are every helpful!
DR. TRINIDAD
HIGH YIELD
Great at explain most of the concepts
What he mentions appears in the tests
He takes the point system seriously during SGDs so you have to make an effort to recite
Calls randomly
DR. DE LARA
HIGH YIELD, GOOD MENTAL HEALTH
Chill! Super negotiable
She picks the leader and secretary randomly but you can pretend to call people
What she says cones out in the tests
Calls randomly sometimes
DR. SANGALANG
High yield, great at explaining
Be prepared, she likes to ask a lot of follow up questions that are not about the topic itself but they'll help you understand better
Nice and approachable, just participate in SGDs
DR. DALUPANG
Don't read during SGDs
She reads her handouts best use it as a guide
She keeps track of recitation
DR. CABANSAG
Calls randomly If you know the answer already, better to volunteer!
She'll look for certain answers, those will usually come up in the tests
DR. VISPERAS
Generous with grades
She doesn't like it hen you read from a script
DR ROASA
HIGH YIELD
Read before SGDs, she likes to ask a lot of questions but she won't judge you if you get them wrong
During case disclosure she wants full discussion as if you ' re actually leading the discussion not just reading from a script
DR. DEE CHAN
High yield
Concerned, she keeps track of your grades
Make sure you understand what you ' re saying because she will ask questions
DR. CUNANAN
HIGH YIELD, GOOD MENTAL HEALTH
If you ask her to give you a crash course before exams, she will explain everything
DR. ALCID
High yield, good mental health
No BS type of guy. He doesn't like wasting time When presenting, be straight to the point Sometimes he just skips the SGD and explains everything He usually does a review before exams
DR. SIBULO
If your subsec is in his good side, he'll sometimes give answers (sshh) and he treats his students!
Slightly high yield
Low maintenance
Listen to her comments if she has them
DR. CABRERA
Don't expect that you'll get high grades
Nice but he'll want you to discuss in depth
Makes you repeat what you discussed by asking guide questions
DR. PURINO
High yield, good mental health
Approachable
Y E A R L I E S 6
Biochemistry
LEARNING RESOURCES
Refer to the lecturer's presentation, they usually don’t ask outside their presentation. Superflex.
LECTURES
Try to LISTEN to the lectures and pay attention to the topics/terms they emphasize Take note of their comments and write it down immediately
It can be overwhelming especially when your undergrad course doesn’t have Biochemistry so just pay attention
Try to understand it the first time you hear it from the lecturers because some topics are difficult to understand on your own, at least some terms won't be too foreign when you review
SGDS
Take note of the topics of the SGDs and the questions/prompts you need to answer because they always get questions from these to put in the exam Facis take note of recitation!
LAB
There are lab quizzes so just know what each material is for and what it does (eg EDTA is a chelating agent, thus it chelates ions to inhibit the effect of enzymes) It’s difficult to understand the experiment while you are doing it so just focus on the methodology while performing the experiment The understanding will come when you are doing the Laboratory Conference Refer to previous years’ results and discussion to compare and contrast so you can explain your own results Make sure you understand and can explain the experiment since your faci (depends on who) can ask and they always ask these in the laboratory quiz.
Don't alay the Lab Quiz!! It can make or break your grade
QUIZZES
Focus on finishing the trans But never ever skip on reading the samplex (Superflex the best) and go back to the trans and emphasize that part of the trans some questions on the quizzes are not exactly the same but the concept will revolve around that
You will need to know the details There are "which on is true" questions and the choices will look right a first but there's just one detail that makes it wrong Deductive reasoning will really help you
SHIFTINGS
Focus on the major topics, they usually don’t ask the details unless it is super important Analyze what you are studying, because of the bulk it is nearly impossible to go over everything, try to filter out what you think is important and focus on that.
Try answering as many samplexes as you can, information is too overload you won't be able to finish tge transes
MORE TIPS
Personally, quizzes palang I make mini summaries of the topic na & write down all things that are important It's kind of time consuming pero when it comes to LEs and Shiftings, I only review my summaries nalang if ever I don’t get to go through the trans anymore
Review with people who understand the concept!! Sometimes they have their own way of understanding it the way that YOU can comprehend it
First and second shiftings are really difficult but it is the basic knowledge you’ll need to understand third and fourth shifts, baka make bawi nalang sa 3rd and 4th shift kasi relatively easier. Don’t sleep on Biochemistry because it is really challenging. There is always another way to remember the concepts (mnemonics, hand gestures) You can always search and try to browse USMLE Biochemistry reviewers since they always provide mnemonics
Don't cram biochem Do your best learning the topics early on so you ' re better prepared for the shifting and final exams
Y E A R L I E S 7
A TO Z | GUIDE FOR INCOMING UST FMS FRESHMEN
Facilitators we had
DRA LAYGO
HIGH YIELD, Great prof PREPARE!!
Do extra research because she will ask questions not discussed She calls randomly
You have to recite at least once so better you volunteer if you know the answer rather than being called during the harder questions
Be careful not to make her mad, better to recite with wrong answers than no one answering at all
DR. BLAS
High yield, good mental health
Alphabetical order during SGDs Lets you read and will sometimes answer the question for you You can ask for tips before quizzes/shifting exams
Approachable
DR. SEMPIO
GOOD MENTAL HEALTH
Very chill and fast SGDs, if you want to recite you should volunteer agad and sometimes he'll discuss it nalang himself
Relates the topic to a clinical setting!
DR. MATAWARAN
Nice but don't expect too much with grades
DR. MENDOZA
Great at explaining Generous with grades
Listen to his lectures, he explains the topic very well!
I think as long as you report your sgd completely and good, he will give perfect score
He’s approachable, you can always ask questions
DR UY
HIGH YIELD, GOOD MENTAL HEALTH
Listen to her comments during SGD and LabCon, they're sometimes give aways
She gives notes before the shifting exam regarding the coverage!
DR. TAPANG
GOOD MENTAL HEALTH
She graded everyone ' s SGD perfect as long as you ' re present Negotiable Discusses things more clearly if you ' re confused
DR. BAWAL
GOOD MENTAL HEALTH
Very kind and approachable
If she gives you summary videos to watch, watch them!! They're very high yield!
DR. CHIONG
Early dismissal, speed and straight to the point SGD Chill but for labcon, explain the purpose of the steps and of the experiment
She wants the objectives incorporated into the discussion and not answered at the end
Asks a lot of follow-up questions to emphasize small details
Approachable, don't be afraid to ask
DR. DAKIS
Know the basic concepts
She asks follow-up questions
DR. LO
Very particular with SGDs You should know the topic very well and that you can explain without a script
Y E A R L I E S 8
Histology
LEARNING RESOURCES
LECTURES
Wheater's Functional Histology
Usually a recorded lecture is played every class hours. They do live lectures sometimes then they have an interactive session after The interactive session is high yield sometimes they get questions from there or maybe like same answer just different phrasing
SGDS
You can get answers from the reference book Some facis allow the subsection to volunteer, but there are also some facilitators who call randomly so better be prepared.
QUIZZES
For batch 2026, we had post tests after the lecture but we ' re dismissed na and they were onlinenot samplex but if you read the trans, you’ll be able to answer
PRACTICAL EXAM
They were via Blackboard but we were taking them all in one room. Study the slide reviews and the samplex Rationalize them Sometimes the picture is the same sa samplex but the question is different
LONG TESTS & SHIFTING EXAMS
Sometimes LOTS, sometimes HOTS Read and rationalize the samplex – even the old ones (Priority order: recent to old)
Focus on distinguishing features of each area since there are a lot of "which one is true" questions.
Read the clinical correlations part in Wheater's! Clinical questions get asked even though they weren't discussed in the lecture
MORE TIPS
Worksheets repeat year after year! Make sure to check the questions in case they change it Dont forget to submit within 24hrs after lecture (better to submit agad para you dont forget)
Histo is chill compared to the other yearlies
Facilitators we had
DR. GELLACO
High yield, good mental health
She's chill and fun, just be present
Approachable, feel free to ask when you don't understand
Enough to know just the basics of the case
DR. LIGO
Very chill! And very generous with grades
Recite, just attempt to answer her questions even if you don't know the answer
You can. look up answers
DR. SANTOS
Study in advance and be prepared to answer everything, she asks hard questions
Wants in depth answers
DR. LAO
Kind and chill
Asks follow up questions but no pressure
Just be sure to recite at least once!!
DR. CHAVEZ & DR AQUINO
Chill, just be sure to recite at least once
Y E A R L I E S
A TO Z | GUIDE FOR INCOMING UST FMS FRESHMEN
9
ClinicalEpidemiology
LEARNING RESOURCES
Just refer to the lecture presentation.
LECTURES
Most of it is self explanatory. Pay attention and listen to the types of studies (Cohort, Cross-sectional, etc.) it can be confusing but is ALWAYS asked in the exams, and the statistics topic because it is a little tricky.
RGCS
Refer to the lectures when answering the question. It is usually really easy just to make sure you can explain your answer when the faci asks you
SHIFTINGS
Questions per shift are just repetitive concepts. They just change the subject and the manner of how it is asked.
MORE TIPS
People tend to alay Clin Epi, be careful nalang because people can still fail this!
Facilitators we had
DR. NILO
So many questions
Be ready to defend your reporting
Detailed, looks for loopholes
DR. TRINIDAD
Great faci
DR. IPA
Prepare a lot since she's not very patient
Not that approachable
Try reaching out to other facilitators for advice
Has followup questions, just make sure you can defend your study
Not too much pressure when you can't answer
Y E A R L I E S
A TO Z | GUIDE FOR INCOMING UST FMS FRESHMEN 10
LEARNING RESOURCES
Froggie notes, NerdNinja and RhesusMedicine (Youtube)
LECTURES
Will get overwhelming but try to stay focused as much as possible just so at least some terms are not foreign to you
LISTEN to the lectures and try to understand them at first hearing because it’s hard to understand it on your own
SGDS
We’re recorded SGD kasi so I can’t speak for those who did it live but focus on applying the concepts and make it SIMPLE and STRAIGHT TO THE POINT because you are under a strict time limit of i think 10-15 mins.
QUIZZES
Samplex is key!!!
Don’t cram studying, go through transes and lectures again and again since it’s information overload and a lot to memorize
Mostly LOTS
PRACTICALS
Moving exam
Go to lab demos!!! Listen to profs discuss since those will most likely come up during the practicals and even tests
Familiarize yourself with using the microscope before the practicals
Ask what time you can visit the lab before the pracs (2-3 days before the pracs date), if you’re lucky if Doc Ed Tan is there ASK for tips and tricks and he’s so generous that he’ll discuss all stations and make sure you VOICE RECORD it because he makes the practical exam and what he says is literally going to show up in the pracs (but make sure you studied na before hand so the things doc is discussing is not too alien to you haha)
You can ask our pracs reviewers for Doc Ed Tan’s previous tips and tricks kasi I just reviewed that and I passed all pracs hahaha, for our sem no questions were asked outside of what they showed sa lab demos
SHIFTINGS
Take your time understanding talaga
I watch NerdNinja and Rhesus Medicine on youtube for easy understanding - really helped me to digest the topics in a simpler way
Samplex!!! Study it by analyzing how they ask questions and try to predict variations and what they’ll ask
A lot of HOTS! They will ask clinicals!! If may disruption sa physical anatomy, what are the manifestations
MORE TIPS
Relate function with location as much possible
It’s better if you try to make sense of it than blindly memorizing
Neuroscience1 S E M E S T R A L S
A TO Z | GUIDE FOR INCOMING UST FMS FRESHMEN 11
A TO Z | GUIDE FOR INCOMING UST FMS FRESHMEN
MedicalEthics1
LEARNING RESOURCES
Previous transes
The whole course depends on who you ' re under. All off us were taught b Fr. Manlangit.
We did online lectures with Fr , fight the urge to mute because he will call randomly and if you don't answer he will mark you absent Just refer to the trans when reciting
SHIFTINGS
12
LECTURES S E M E S T R A L S
For Fr., his exams are very samplex, we survived just reading them For Doc Moral, you have to study for his exams as it’s not samplex
Very Catholic and old-timey teachings
PreventiveMedicine1
LECTURES
SGD will serve as your lecture
LEARNING RESOURCES Transes SGDS
Listen, participate, and take down notes because they will discuss a certain topic that is related to the question in the case
Depending on your faci, you’ll see patterns in the cases and it’s the same questions lang for exam (i.e. primary, secondary, tertiary, etc. interventions, age and sex and appropriate preventive measures).
For the Family Plan, some facis are strict so make sure to go over the rubrics.
QUIZZES
If you listened to your facilitator during your SGD, you read the handouts, you read the samplex, you’ll be good
SHIFTING EXAMS
Prev med shiftings aren’t usually during shifting exams, so throughout the year it’s usually sabay with other exams (esp Anatomy) Kaya to study kahit for 2-3 hours lang, as long as you finish the samplex and read the notes
MORE TIPS
Don’t overthink. Context clues when answering the exam. It's easy to alay prev med but still put in effort! You still need to study transes before exams even though you think it's " common sense "
Facilitators we had
DR. CRUZ
Head of the department
Strict with presentations so make sure to read the rubric
Chill during SGD and generous with grades
DR. VILLAVER
Kind!! Very traditional
Better if you do research beforehand for extra recitation points
Be active in SGDs
Generous with grades
DR. SANTOS
HIGH YIELD, GOOD MENTAL HEALTH
Just understand the topics
Make sure you make your own genogram because she asks us individually
Just listen to her & engage with her Answers to her questions are found in the transes!
Generous with grades
DR. MAGLONZO
Don’t expect too much from SGD grade
You’d have to put extra effort into quizzes and exams
S E M E S T R A L S
A TO Z | GUIDE FOR INCOMING UST FMS FRESHMEN
13
Impostor syndrome will hit hard! Just remember you deserve to be here ♡
First year can get overwhelming for most if not everyone, so don't be too hard on yourself if you struggle, all of you are
First sem is mostly for adjustment
It will feel like the effort you put into studying isn’t worth it when the results you get aren’t what you expect! Just remember to take everything one day at a time.
Have fun!! ♡ Med school is hard enough, you deserve to enjoy every now and then!!
80/20 rule! 80% you’re working, 20% you take time for yourself. That 20% will keep you afloat and prevent you from burning out
More study tips
Learn how you absorb information!! For visual learners, I use google drawings and even just a pen and yellow pad to visualize concepts I don’t understand Prioritize and balance!!
Identify your weaknesses so you know what you should focus more on
Know what matters more, e.g. biochem short quizzes have more impact on the grade than anatomy and physiology short quizzes
No man is an island! Learn to seek help from the people around you. Help each other and you’ll get through this together
Studying with others also helps with active retention and understanding concepts they better understand
Dearreader, A TO Z | GUIDE FOR INCOMING UST FMS FRESHMEN 3
DYNAMIC & ZEALOUS STUDENT LEADERS Guide for Incoming UST FMS Freshmen
