PATH2201 is my shuttle… to Year 3 and beyond!

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.

3. 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:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

Paper Towns, all filled with pathology notes

Infectious skills acquired from the study of pathology: unexpectedly

Q4. Discussing skills which I have acquired, that I didn’t expect to develop through this course.

The term ‘infectious skills’ in the title is a play on the unexpected nature of certain skills that I have taken from PATH2201. Surprisingly, Pathology can cause changes in a learner in a short period of time. I found myself developing attributes which will undoubtedly help me in my future study. These have been summarized below:

Improving independent skills:

The media assessment has been instrumental in allowing me to get a glimpse into the self-directed process of writing research papers. This experience is essential for three reasons:

a) This is the first course that has offered an assessment which encourages student thinking and analysis by allowing them to create their own research question. This process is what happens in the ‘real world’ aka the field of research: a researcher chooses a topic they resonate with, experiment and write papers. It is very difficult to get a sense of this aspect of this profession, since most courses set a specific assignment question that students work towards. Students undertaking such assignments don’t realize the amount of work that goes into making a research question, and how they will be expected to do this in a commercial research lab. With this assessment, I was able to experience researching for my own question. At the time, it was a pain: to go unfocused into a stem of research can make one feel disoriented since research is all about tangents and can feel like multiple people yelling at the same time. I understood the importance of the year of submission  in this aspect. Understanding the sequence of experimentation and acquisition of knowledge is crucial for synthesizing a comprehensive research question. It can also help find gaps where future research is needed. When I understand the sequence in which anti-prion drugs were trialed, I was able to link two drugs together according to complimentary in function and suggest potential research using a combination of drugs rather than using a single drug. This assignment found me unconsciously developing an understanding with researchers. I have an inkling of the true nature of research it’s self direction and self-motivation. I realize that due to this feature, research will suit independent souls who can make their own goals and follow through.

b) critical analysis of presentation of disease in media could be undertaken. The media is famous for its dramatizations and half-revelations which often leads to misunderstandings by the general public. I thought the above was the most important relationship between media and research. However, after looking up articles, I was able to conclude the contrary:

Research into disease needs media representation.

• It can give a new discovery exposure: allowing people outside of the field to keep up with breakthroughs. I was alerted to the new-found success of anti-prion drug
• Also, it could spread the word to other researchers who may not fall under the research team’s career network. Although, it is expected of researchers to be regularly updated on current research via subscriptions to appropriate scientific journals which may explain the issue at hand better and with more industry-specific jargon.
• It may influence the working of a research team. Topics recognized by media and the public as being of high importance in the context of an epidemic (e.g. looking into an Ebola vaccine) may be initiated immediately. They may also have their research teams funded quicker. (This bit is a guess. I didn’t analyse any financial data)

I now find myself critically analyzing every feature of a scientific article. Does this drug really cure cancer? Is this vaccine truly effective despite the headline saying “CURE FOR XYZ DISEASE FOUND”? What does the scientific literature actually say?

I realize I have become more skeptical of media articles. But this skepticism is healthy in a research field where an important part of work is to critical evaluate the importance of found data and understand how one could add to or better conclude that data.

Also, I am more comfortable ruffling through scientific literature for information. At the start of this course, I found scientific articles intimidating with their content and jargon, but experience with analyzing articles has allowed me to understand how to skim and look for relevant information, and not feel overwhelmed by additional information.

c) The sense of refreshing independence provided by the assignment allowed me to look into a lesser known disease: Creutzfeldt Jakobs Disease (CJD). Prion disease are rare but had been brought into the spotlight by the British outbreak of CJD acquired from cattle infected with mad cow disease. Ever since, potential connections between CJD and more prevalent neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s has been drawn due to similarity in their pathogenesis. A breakthrough in anti-prion drugs could mean a breakthrough in neurodegenerative therapy as well.

Analytical and diagnostic skills:

It would be too ambitious to say that PATH2201 has enabled me to diagnose medical problems in the people around me, since it is an introductory course. Although, it has got me thinking about the prognosis of every little ailment presented by my family and friends.

Friend: I got this horrible cold over the weekend.

Me (serious): What color is your phlegm?

Note: The above event has been exaggerated, but nonetheless projects the idea of what I am trying to convey. This was unexpected, as I usually have a tendency to brush off daily medical dysfunctions. The introduction into all the things that could go wrong with the body has opened my eyes and instilled in me the need to study deeper into disease.

The fact that I unconsciously link together symptoms of body dysfunctions to their possible causes has inclined me to choosing pathology as a potential area of specialization in my Medical Science degree. If unconsciously, I have developed a mere inkling of a diagnostic skill; voluntarily, there is potential to magnify it and positively benefit my future career in the medical field.

Thus, in conclusion, I have gained independence, literary research and analytical skills from this course. This was truly surprising as my expectation at the start of this course was to gain a comprehensive understanding of human disease (which the course has catered to).

Using an e-portfolio for pathology: the good, the not-so-good

Q3. Reflecting critically on using an e Portfolio for my learning, i.e. discussing the role of reflection on my learning.

This is my second experience using an e-portfolio software. My first experience was with a SCIF course in my first year, which had me reflecting on what it meant to be a scientist. I understand that PATH2201 aimed to used the marked e-portfolio in order to make students acknowledge the importance of and utilize self reflection in their learning.

I feel that e-portfolios are a great way to initiate and introduce the process of self reflection. Students are at the starting points of their careers. To effectively plan and direct their career paths, one must do a lot of self reflection.

“Do I like this? Can I do this for the rest of my life? What am I learning from this?”

Taking myself as an example, I was introduced to the concept of self reflection via this assessment. I was able to self reflect and decide my third year courses for specializations in my Bachelor of Medical Science degree.

After much deliberation, I was able to single out genetics and microbiology as specializations I am not leaning towards. I am undertaking an on-going use of self-reflection to further narrow down my one true specialization.

On a lesser note, I had used self-reflection for synthesizing study notes for pathology. I used to think that notes for pathology could be done by hand. But after using too much time to do the initial lecture notes, I was able to go back, reflect and decide that electronic notes was the way forward.

Regarding the e-portfolio allowing me to self reflect; it was the main reason for my updated stance on the media assignment. Answering the questions for reflection on the portfolio allowed me to be efficient in my synthesis of my chosen article, my chosen peer-reviewed texts and hence enabled me to do my best on the media assignment. I was faced with a road-block on my synthesis of the many treatments for Creutzfeldt Jakob disease(CJD). I wasn’t prepared for the extensive new research being done on the topic- potential drugs, genetic engineering and even RNA interference are being harnessed for obtaining a cure for CJD. The question “Why and how did you choose your Media Assignment research topic?” was instrumental in making a firm decision to delve into anti-prion drugs and direct my mental energies towards this topic.

Although at the same time, I must say that this method of using a marked e-portfolio might not help everyone from the cohort.

Some people have the innate ability to synthesize and self-reflect in their own time and might find the e-portfolio process a waste and almost akin to blogging. This phenomenon is seen in people who are not used to keeping personal diaries (which helps prepare the diary-writing public by allowing them to hone writing their thoughts in cohesive sentences)

I am one of these non-diary-writing people. I often felt that I could not fully express my thoughts on paper, particularly my excitement and motivation towards choosing my research question for pathology. I had expressed that it was regarding the use of anti-prion drugs to cure CJD.

Only after much theory work on the media assignment, was I able to fully synthesize the research question. It regarded the proposal of a novel therapy involving two upcoming anti-prion drugs; chosen such that each overcame the limitation of the other.

Coming back to the reflection, I often felt that there were times where I was writing down the obvious, and that my idea of reflection was to answer the questions on Moodle.

Although the difficulty face while writing these notes, I am grateful for the fact that I am given a chance to hone my literary self-reflection skills. In today;s world of careers and employment, self-promotion is key. It is absolutely necessary to project yourself positively towards an employer, be in via CVs, e-portfolios or personally. For honing this ability, this marked e-portfolio is cruicial.

Therefore, despite knowing that I am not the sort of person gifted at projecting their reflections on paper, I am positive that if I keep at the processes required by this assignment, I will be able to overcome this aspect and grow as a person.

Choosing the Media Assessment topic- Rogue Proteins

Q2. Why and how i choose my Media Assignment research topic.

Prions. An unusual pathogen.

Prions are just proteins. In fact, they are present in everyone at this very instant, perfectly harmless and contributing to normal functioning. But a mistake in the folding in the protein during gene expression causes it to change structure and become pathogenic. When it comes to acellular infectious agents, viruses are always in the spotlight. Prions are often overlooked, although they too are acellular pathogens that can cause commendable damage.

Prions can cause pathogenesis without the presence of genetic material, a property unusual to acellular viral pathogens and cellular bacterial, protozoan and fungal pathogens.

The other amazing fact about their action is that not only do the mis-folded mutated prion directly affect body tissue, but they can also cause normal proteins to change their structure and in-turn become pathogenic.

I think a driving factor in choosing this topic has been that prion pathogenesis is not covered in the PATH2201 course theory. However, my interest in prions was piqued when I had watched a documentary in high school- we were introduced to the case of the Mad Cow disease outbreak in the UK- a case where a disease previously known in cattle like cows (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy)  made its way to humans. This was done by people ingesting meat contaminated with pathogenic prions of ailing cows- which had somehow slipped past authorities and ended up in food circulation.

In humans, the disease is called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and is degenerative brain disorder which is fatal- the multiplication of prion proteins leads to the formation of holes in the brain, leading to loss of normal functioning and thought. Death follows.

This disease is thought to be incurable- until recent research looking into creating anti-prion drugs that function by inactivating protein aggregation (the process that causes holes) and hence using them to slow the progress of the disease. These experiments are the main focus on my report which seeks to address how prions can be blocked by anti-prion chemicals, and how further research in this area is crucial.

Writing this report on prion disease is relevant-especially in the wake of identifying Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), a neurodegenerative disease, as being caused by prions. This identification of a new prion has led to questions about whether neurodegenerative diseases have similar pathogenesis to prions and are in fact linked to prions. This speculation is not unusual- considering that most neurodegenerative disorders pathogenesis is not fully understood.

A way to test this speculation and simultaneously find a cure for neurodegenerative diseases, would be to explore anti-prion drugs and get them available for clinical trials. I feel like we are on the cusp of something grand- if we do find a correlation between prions and degenerative disorders, and develop appropriate drugs to cure them- this will definitely change the face of neuronal medicine, enabling the human mortality rate to no longer be deterred by neurodegeneration.

This is the basis of my research article. I aim to start researching the Cruedtzfeld Jacob’s disease and analyze the experiments done to counter-act the pathogenic prions- the limitations and possibilities of the anti prion drugs used and scope for further improvement.

These are my ideas so far- but considering the beauty of science, it is subject to modification as I acquire new information- I will, obviously, keep everyone updated with the details.

Contemplation on Scientific Literature and pathological research

Our lecture in week 2 approached ‘Scientific Writing Literacy’. As scientists, it is essential to develop an appropriate writing skill set to communicate with the greater scientific community. Communication is absolutely essential in this field where everything is so dynamic i.e. constantly changing.

I am no stranger to the dynamic nature of research.

Having had a keen interest in all things science from a young age (an interest has prompted me to work towards a career in this field) I was aware of how scientific knowledge can advance over the course of the years.

For instance in the late 1920s, Frederick Griffith conducted his experiments confirming DNA to be the genetic material of cells, as opposed to protein. Then, a mere 20 years later, Watson and Crick had presented their ground-breaking discovery for the structure of DNA. This snowballed into further experiments that led to the birth of biotechnology as a field, opening a whole new frontier in science.

The above series of events have interested me mainly because of their effect on the medical field. Scientists who pioneered biotechnology communicated their findings to the medical board via scientific communication, who in turn registered this information and formulated improved techniques based on the new knowledge that could be used to treat patients. The communication between the two parties was crucial.

The inclusion of biotechnology techniques in medicine has led to an improvement in healthcare.

Before such discoveries were made, diabetic patients needed to rely on extracted insulin from bovines or external sources, leading to inappropriate flaring of the immune system – allergies and immunosuppression (that by itself, brought with it a tidal wave of diseases). Now, diabetic patients can be safety treated with genetically engineered insulin.

Insulin is from long list of synthetically made hormones that can be used in therapy. The making of such hormones using biotechnology has led to the management of diseases like diabetes, hyperthyroidism, growth hormone discrepancies etc.

The lecture reinforced the ideas I had about scientific literature. We discussed the dynamic nature of research and the importance of communication. We were reminded to be careful about the issue of plagiarism.

The lecture introduced a slightly different angle to the research field:

Scientists often get restless at their inability to fully solve a particular question that one question answered leads to more questions raised. But this is the essence of research.

As put eloquently by our lecturer Research isn’t about looking for answers, it’s about looking for questions.

Now, this was a whole new direction of thinking that I hadn’t thought of. Maybe by adopting this theory to future researches, might be able to keep the frustration that comes with concluding papers are bay.

An example would be the research that looks into finding a cure for disease like cancer and HIV. I understand that such a task cannot be underestimated- that many unforeseen roadblocks occur down this path. But by applying the psychology of approaching research with an expectation to encounter more questions, we can look past these road blocks and start afresh on new questions.

But I can always reassure myself with this- if I dig a hole, maybe someone else will find a seed. Then another person can plant it, another can water it. Somewhere down the line, the fruit can be enjoyed by many. (This is a hypothetical situation where everyone forgot how farming worked)

The start of reflection on Pathology? PATH2201

Q1. How will this course help me in my future career and studies

I think, and then I over-think

Pensive philosophy regarding research and pathology

This blog is centered around my reflections as I enter the discipline of Pathology, an area whose existence is essential to my future career field Medicine.

Medicine to most people, conjures an image of an impressionable doctor- in a white coat with a stethoscope placed carefully around their neck. Seldom does it invoke the picture of a researcher working away in the lab with his/her microscope, fervently typing down information for their future thesis.

The role of medical research is often overlooked,which is absurd considering that the branches of practical and theoretical medicine are intertwined. Medical research improves health care practices; while health care allows practical application of medical research.

The reason why I chose to introduce the presence and necessity of medical research is because I undertake Bachelor of Medical Science at the University of NEW South Wales. This degree is focused on developing medical research skills in students. Although, I am more interested in becoming a doctor. I hope to conclude between the two by analyzing the information and experience given to me by this course.

Of the many subjects I am introduced to in the vast field of medicine is Pathology.

The title is posed as a question for a valid reason. Did I start reflecting here at the start of this blog? Did I make no previous attempts to synthesize the information from my surroundings and make sense of it?

That is incorrect, human beings are reflecting since childhood. Even my decision to undertake Medical Science at the University of New South Wales as a product of my reflection on my likes and dislikes after high school graduation.

Regarding reflection on pathology, believe it or not, every one of us has done that since childhood as well!

Undoubtedly, all of us have suffered from sickness in our childhood. “Why is this happening to me? was it because I ate too much candy? was it because I played in the rain?” we’d ask tearfully, wrapping ourselves in a blanket and sipping home-made chicken soup. And then we made sure not to do the task that we believed got us into that unsavory situation.

The above question is the primary question in field of pathology- what causes an illness?

Then we expand on what is its epidemiology and pathogenesis.

Only after we’ve answered the above questions can we answer the question which should be answered to enrich human life- How can we cure it?

Being a part of this degree allows me to enroll in PATH2201: Processes in Disease. This course is my first introduction to the vast discipline of pathology.

I expect this course to help me explore the many aspects of the field of pathology. As of now, I expect it to equip me with the knowledge of pathology of various disease I will encounter in my medical career in the future. As highlighted earlier, I believe that understanding diseases comprehensively will be foundation in understanding current cures and raising questions for the research of better cures. This course is the first step in this series of events.

I hope to encounter more benefits as I advance further in the course.

However, I ascertain this journey to be long and overwhelming, primarily due to the wide theoretical knowledge in this field. There is no end to the amount of diseases that can plague the human form (a fact that I have realized after attempting to find a single disease out of a vast majority for my media assignment).

A secondary concern is the extent of my skills in synthesizing information given to me. Because this subject requires focus, memory work and application (applying knowledge to case studies) I am starting to think that I may need to modify my original method of studying.

Being a very visual person, I like the use of pictures to assist my learning. I understand that this skill will help me visualize processes better and learn quickly using helpful comprehensive drawings the textbook provides. But I may have to find a method for learning new terminology as I take a while to learn words and I can see that this may be a problem since pathology is practically a language of its own.

I have decided to face this problem by two methods:

a) using the terminology guide given in the pathology manual. To revise and re-revise this terminology as the course goes on so that the words are learnt.

b) to revise new words encountered in every lecture, understand them and use them in my notes so that they become a part of my vocabulary.

Nonetheless, despite all the challenges looming ahead, I am excited to take my first steps into the world of pathology, and to reflect on it every step of the way.