ExaMOVIE Review

I came across this really interesting way of putting down ‘post exam thoughts’ in chee meng’s blog. After asking for his copyright approval, here I am, writing down my own exam-movie reviews.

Cardiovascular System
Movie: 50 First Dates
Tagline: Imagine having to win over the girl of your dreams... every friggin' day.

Imagine having to dig your brain cells for the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone pathway-TWICE. The concept was tested twice in subjective questions, so if I got the last part wrong, means WHAM! Both wrong, hope I get marks for all the right explanations in front though. I knew the pathway well enough, till the last part-aldosterone. Argh, sine the ACE inhibitor inhibits the conversion to angiotensin II that secretes aldosterone, is it right to say that more sodium reabsorbed, so more water reabsorbed. As a result, blood volumes increases and cardiac output increases in the case of heart failure. Ah I don’t want to know. =(

I would say that being the first paper, it wasn’t too bad, in fact I thought it was quite ok. Just like how Adam Sandlers felt when he saw Drew Barrymore, he decided to go after her and he had to put in ALL THE EFFORT; like how I had to read the 2 books of notes bound. (This is the ONLY module whereby I had 2 books of notes, due to the portfolio and problem-based learning sessions notes.)

I hope that like the ending of the movie, my results will be a good one. ^_^
Let’s keep my fingers crossed on that.

Organic Chemistry

Movie: Pride and Prejudice
Tagline: Sometimes the last person on earth you want to be with is the person you can’t be without.

Prejudice against organic chemistry? May be. I DISLIKE it the moment I encountered it in the last semester. I was okay with organic chemistry in A levels actually, until I was introduced to the world of stereochemistry- how the benzene ring do the ring flip, and how one molecule can just rotate and WHAM, it becomes another creature that camouflages itself amidst the wedge, solid and dotted like bonds. My ‘Least favourite’ shape- hexagon, for the obvious reason.

But the LAST subject that I want to do is the subject I can’t be without- pharmaceutical organic chemistry is the fundamental to understanding the chemistry of drugs. Like how drugs with esters, amides or carboxyls group are susceptible to hydrolysis.

The irony thing is I got full marks for the class test, which wasn’t too hard actually. I think a lot of them got 100%. I guess it was because I wasn’t good at it that I put in extra effort, and my effort paid off. It does NOT mean that I excel in organic chemistry.

After some roller coasters ride, finally Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth got together! I hope that after all the organic chemistry wallpapers and studying, I will able to reap the fruit of success for this paper.

Physical Pharmacy
Movie: Infernal Affairs
Tagline: -surfed so long but can’t find the tagline,argh!-
http://www.subwaycinema.com/frames/nyaff04-infernal.htm

The movie kept me in suspense all the while- I kept wondering who, Andy Lau (the bad guy who went undercover in the police force) or Tony Leung (the cop who went undercover as gangster), would find out about each other’s real identity.

No amount of ‘information from reliable sources’, planning, scheming and tactful talking was successful at giving away the person’s true identity.

Likewise, no amount of studying (fine, I admit I didn’t exactly study thoroughly) would prepare one well for this- the lecturers are just EVIL! Refer to the pitcher plant question in the past post; it was merely a sub-question from one of the ‘short answer questions’ session. The whole question required DEEP thinking!

Even the objective questions are tough- what is the HLB value for this surfactant? What? So specific!!!I didn’t leave anything blank; I don’t have this ‘screw up the paper’ feeling, nor do I have this assurance feeling that I have done well. So we shall see.

General Pharmacology
Movie: Casanova
Tagline: A partially true story about lies told, virtue lost and love found.

LOVE FOUND-Talk about being interested in a subject that I wasn’t too keen on initially. I find this module extremely relevant to my career, though I am certain that in future, I do not need to know how a G protein or adenylate cyclase work to be a a good pharmacist in hospital/retail pharmacy.

I felt that I did quite well for the paper. Luck was at my side too, as I managed to glimpse through ‘the biotransformation of drug’ before I entered the exam hall.

Phase I-hydrolysis, oxidation, reduction. Phase II-conjugation

* relief * I can actually elaborate on that. So happy!

So overall, it was smooth sailing, like the nice and enjoyable romantic movie.

If I did badly, I would kick myself for leaving the hall 30 minutes early to post a card to someone out there * nudge and wink* Haha. >_^

Pharmaceutics
Movie: Da Vinci Code
Tagline:What do you believe in?

I think paper can compete with physical pharmacy for the ‘toughest paper’ award. It was so unpredictable- the objective questions were horrifying! Even now I have no means of checking if I got them right or not.

As for the ‘short answer questions’-we had to choose 4 out of 5 options.
Not much of option for me you see, coz the last two question:

4. Briefly describe the equipments used in emulsification. (10 marks)

5. ( a ) What is filter media? Give examples. (3 marks)

( b ) With the aid of an diagram, explain how a frame type filter press works (7 marks)

For question 5, I knew examples of filter media are cotton wool and asbestos. Filter media is the thingy you use to retain the slurry as you filter something.

Frame what???? I knew in which notes it appeared, but I can’t really write anything.

So question 4- the equipments are mechanical stirrers, colloid mill, homoginiser and ultrasonifier. Elaboration? Ouch! I can only recall bits and pieces.

So I try to use ‘paragraphing tactic’ to make the answer looks longer.

1st paragraph- on the 4 types of equipments
(Let’s hope I get 4 marks for this. Haha)
Then each short paragraph (of one of two sentences) that follows suits elaborates on the respective equipment. My 10-m answer is SHORTER than my 5-m answer ah!! (If I get 2 marks for elaboration-I still get 6 marks for this question=)

WHY MUST WE LEARN ENGINEERING STUFF?? * sob *

Try to ask those future engineers to learn up the blood coagulation pathway, or the renin.

Overall, like Da Vinci Code, I had to rely on my brain cells to put in the bits and pieces of information together, like doing a jigsaw puzzle. Let’s hope the outcome is satisfying.

Haematology
Movie: DAISY (Korean movie)
Tagline: A Love that Trancends Fate

It was spring in Amsterdam, and a love story blossomed between an artist, Hai Yun, an Interpol, and an assassin.
By fate, the assassin set his eyes on Hai Yun and started to deliver a pot of daisy EVERYDAY (grown by him) to the artist’s doorstep at 4.15 p.m. WITHOUT FAIL.
However, by a twist of fate, Hai Yun thought that the Interpol whom she drew a portrait for was the mystery guy who had been building a bridge for her (watch the movie and you will know) and sending her his love through daisies.
She looked it up and found out that daisies mean ‘HIDDEN LOVE’.
Having fallen in love with her, the Interpol chose to remain silence on her wrong assumption. However, when the assassin’s and the interpol’s paths cross, it is so so SAD indeed.
This is the movie that was WELL SHOT in scenic Amsterdam, well directed by Andrew Lau of Infernal Affairs, and another KOREAN movie that earned my tears after the Korean series, ‘Stairway of Heaven’.

Note: HIGHLY recommended by me if you are one who can appreciate 1^st class love story

To start with, this last paper was delayed due to some problem in Academic Affairs Department. Another would be although this module comprises 3 credit units (which is a LOT), there are 40 MCQs (40 marks-high stake) and ONLY 3 COMPULSORY SAQs (sob- no choice)

First gun shot (that took away Hai Yun’s voice) :

1. A woman with blood type AB, rhesus positive needs a blood transfusion. Her son is blood type O, rhesus negative.

Tick where appropriate:There is….

ABO antigen A in the woman’s RBC
Rhesus antigen in the woman’s RBC
Antibody A in the woman’s plasma
Anti-rhesus (whatever it was called) in the woman’s plasma

BANG! I got the last two WRONG-oh how could you NOT know that if I am AB, I have BOTH antigen A and B on my RBC, and none of the antibodies in my plasma. The antibodies are supposed to react with the ANTIGENS that are NOT in my RBC. Ok, how can some blood smear that we did in LAB come out for exams? And it is NOT even a directly linked one!

(b) What is isohaemagglutinin (I hope I got this word right) (4m)
I crapped about it being some alloantibody- to tell you the truth, I DON’T really know. I think I read something about an alloantibody is one that reacts with its isoenzyme in the same body, or with another body of the SAME species, so I wrote something.

( c ) Can the son’s blood be transfused to her? why or why not? (4 m/ 6 m?)
Concept check on RHESUS positive and negative, the LAST time I did it was in spm, and that was a long, long time ago…..

*heart-broken for the first time*

Thinking that what comes next will be better, I got the second gun shot.
(the detective got shot)

2) ( a) With the aid of a diagram, describe the pathophysiology of disseminated intravascular coagulation. ( 6 m )
Erm, diagram can be some flow chart or pictures right? I did a flow chart, I really did not focus on this topic, I was paying my attention to the coagulation pathway.
Well the only relieve is that I ROUGHLY know what it is all about, so, I tried my best.
At least the detective and the girl, Hai Yun, had some happy memories together.

( b) Management of DIC (4m)
At least I could write a few lines.

3) ( a ) what is anaemia and what is pernicious anaemia? Describe how deficiency in a micronutrient can lead to pernicious anaemia (6m)
FINALLY something that I think I could do with confidence, though I am not sure if my definition of anaemia is correct.

( b) Describe the blood profile of a pernicious anaemic patient. ( 4m)
OH DEAR, 4 marks means 4 points right?
Sob I can only proudly declare that the vitamin B 12 level decreases.
Then I go and crap about the ferrum, transferring and total iron binding capaciry being normal. I don’t think it is right le, like that we can just write haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume and a list of other things NORMAl.

*Interrogating myself* Why DID I NOT read the supplements used in workshop?
Answer: Well it was A LOT and you didn’t think the blood profile was THAT important. They didn’t really touch in lectures.

*oh dear…*

Too bad problem based learning in haematology doesn’t carry a high weightage, Mr. David told me that I am a good presenter AGAIN the other day. Did I mention that I really look up to Mr. David for his professionalism? >_^ By the way, he is some big shot, haha, his dad is a Tan Sri.

So there goes my FIRST YEAR of university, haha assuming I passed all the modules for sem2; the results are freakingly fast to be released on next friday, and viva / resit will follow suit. (Please oh please I DON'T wanna resit, I will be in lang tengah then! I don't really think I DID BADLY to resit le...)

Now I am FREE girl, until the hectic cycle rears its ugly head again on 10/7...