Q5. How I will take what I have learnt in this course beyond 2nd year.
PATH2201 is an introductory pathology course included in the Bachelor of Medical Science degree offered by UNSW. This course has given me a good foundation, which in turn can be added upon to ultimately construct a career in the medical field.
PATH2201 has given be a comprehensive idea about some common diseases and malfunctions of the human body. The difference between acute and chronic inflammation is the basics of body disease. Based on these topics, diseases such as atherosclerosis, appendicitis, pneumonia and tuberculosis can be understood. Additionally, diabetes and neoplastic diseases (prostrate, colorectal, breast and lung cancer) have been touched upon.This course content is something that will be digested and used beyond year 2:
- Firstly, the basic knowledge of disease is essential to my future medical practitioner studies. It is crucial that I understand the aetiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and prognosis of disease. This will enable me to actually help my patients. In a more recent future, I plan to undertake the third year Musculoskeletal diseases course offered by the pathology department.The basics of pathology are required to understand this course. I am currently leaning towards the musculoskeletal field; I am attracted by the fact that one can see the muscles physically work with the naked eye, no microscopes. It is also very dynamic, and seems impossible to get bored in. For this purpose, I have enrolled in first semester functional anatomy and muscle-motor-control course offered by the School of Medical Science.
- Also, I find the knowledge of disease such as diabetes and atherosclerosis
Studying for pathology extremely relevant to life. These disease have been prevalent in the past generations of my family and it has been noted that I could have a genetic predisposition to acquire these. The knowledge imparted by PATH2201 tells me that the common risk factor of these disease is obesity. This gives me motivation to exercise; I have increased my activity and cut down on junk foods since these lectures. (Although it has been painful parting ways with fried foods, but pathology tells me that it is all for the best. Also, thanks to pathology, I have discovered the delights of avocado). Hence the lectures on atherosclerosis and diabetes have influenced me on a personal level. This something that will definitely follow me after year 2.
- Also, pathology has taught me to undertake a more healthier approach to life over-all. Its statistics on the relationship of lung cancer to smoking have cemented my dislike for tobacco. Also, after noting that alcohol was a risk factor for so many disease, I was able to redefine my stance on recreational drinking.
Theoretical knowledge aside, PATH2201 has made me develop some extra-curricular skills:
- Time management was learnt while writing the media assignment. Thinking takes a lot of time, I was able to acquire the practice of controlled thinking i.e. thinking for benefiting the task at hand and finish in an appropriate time frame.
As time flows, my stress grows For example, my assignment was on using anti-prion drugs in a combination so as to establish complimentary in their function and short-comings and get rid of the prion disease. There was a lot of interference from other potential means of curing prions such as iRNA, genetic engineering e.t.c. Although such information kept popping up everywhere, I was able to keep my focus on the topic at hand and not get carried away in tangents. By sticking to the path, I was able to restrict my report within 2000 words as specified.
- Team work was learnt during tutorial quizzes, where the group and individual marks are averaged.
“You are right. But I am right-er” This has taught me to speak up when I know an answer is right, also use academic debate to verify why I think it is right. An academic debate is when you provide evidence from literature. Also, I have learnt that I cannot be right all of the time and need to rely on others. The tutorial quizzes have helped me learn the fine balance between trusting the judgement of my peers and going with my intrinsic knowledge. Our team has been successful in gaining at-least 80% in most of the quizzes. Team work is an essential skill in a medical career. A doctor needs to have dialogue with his team in order to successfully diagnose a patient. Hypothetically, if a patient comes in after falling down a flight of stairs, a doctor would prescribe an X-ray performed by a radiologist. Depending on the severity of the fracture, s/he may bandage the patient, admit the patient to the ward under the care of hospital stall, or advise the patient to consult a specialist.
- Organisation of data was learnt by experiencing different aspects of PATH2201. I was made to think about the information being presented to be during lectures, the museum sections and histopathology practicals. Since the data always overlapped, was ordered differently and not sequential (the alternate lab/museum sections often addressed topics covered in previous weeks) I was made to sort and organize this data in notes which I could digest. This skill is essential in any aspect of life. Data will not be spoon-fed. It is up to the individual to acquire, organize and integrate the data to get its full benefits. This is true of any course in academics. Also, in a medical field, a doctor must be able to use data from various points to diagnose a patient. Blood tests, x-rays, CT scans etc contain different data and need to be processed and combined by the doctor to reach a diagnosis.
REFLECTIONS ON PATHOLOGY 