Tropical Medicine

In terms of orderliness, this module FAILED to provide a systematic development in the students understanding of TM. The introductory lectures on TM and parasitology were MISSING and hence students were WITHOUT the elementary basic understanding of the principles of TM and parasitology. Hence, most of the subsequent lectures were just like DISSOCIATED blocks of facts and most students had to struggle with the already growing body of NEW TERMS such as merozoites, merogony, sporozoites, trophozoites etcetera. And it was NOT surprising that most of us still could not imagine in our heads how trematodes, cestodes and nematodes were related in the phylogenetic tree, given the already apparent lack of flow between lectures, given that now each lecture seemed to be a disembodied lot, and neither was it surprising that most students erroneously thought that the trematodes were made up of just schistosomes. Perhaps it is time to reconsider a new solution to TM rather than just cropping and relocating lectures LENGTHEN THE SEMESTER. No point cramming everything into 12 weeks and then all students do is to memorize, regurgitate and due to the lack of time to think things through, FORGET everything. TM is an incredibly IMPORTANT module, and it was frustrating to find myself STRUGGLING to find time to even decently understand the subject matter without stealing time from other modules. Yes this sounds like a long rant, but I am just going to say that some lectures were so weirdly out of place- for example, the one on Emerging Infectious Diseases and Eosinophilia that I wondered whether we actually learnt anything about emerging infectious diseases or not. Seriously, Chikungunya wasnt done any justice by just those handful of slides. And yes, if you were expecting us to do extra reading, and if that was the same expectation for the other 3 mega modules, then perhaps you might want to enlighten us HOW 12 weeks and I have spent nearly every night sleeping UPRIGHT and TRYING to cover the required reading. Do reconsider lengthening the semester. Shortening modules is detrimental to the aspiring doctor in the long run; lengthening the semester is emrely a short-term sacrifice for better gain.

REGUBAs I have said for TM, the same shall I say for REGUB MORE TIME NEEDED. The pathology was FANTASTIC but we need MORE TIME. The worst aspects about REGUB were the BADLY WRITTEN MEDICINE LECTURES. The one on Chronic Kidney Disease especially. And to find out that the tables in those slides were taken from at least 6 to 7 consecutive chapters from a single book the identity of which was not disclosed to students until I found out about it by chance during the study week, WAS APPALLING. How could you expect students to understand the essentials of CKD from a series of tables and diagrams, assuming students are CKD-nave and have had no prior exposure to CKD. To date, most students in my class have no idea how to fit integrate that CKD lecture into their knowledge base, with most of them feeling as though they were memorizing seemingly disjointed tables. The same goes to the acute renal failure medicine lecture the ending of which was left hanging. Yes, dopamine and furosemide do not work,..and?

GIHEPPathology and microbiology lectures were good. Medicine lectures definitely need more improvement. Therapeutics lectures were satisfactory.

CNSLMPathology and microbiology lectures were good. Medicine lectures definitely needed to buck-up. DO NOT LUMP TOPICS TOGETHER FOR THE MEDICINE LECTURES VERY MESSY. Therapeutics lectures were satisfactory. As usual lengthen the semester please.