When studying for these two courses I didn't use any outside sources. I just studied from the notes and that was sufficient for the exams.
Each day I would go over all the MCB slides covered that day and rewrite on the margins of the handouts what was important about each slide. And that's pretty much all I did on a daily basis. When the professors tell you they've put up practice questions on Angel, DO THEM!!! Especially Dr. Apple's* because quite a few of his questions will reappear on the block exams, but with a few changed details. Pay close attention to his practice questions involving pedigrees and genetic testing results (Southern Blot, RFLP, SSCP, ASO etc).
As for Block 3 MCB, Dr. "opposite-BK"* is responsible for it and her stuff can be a doozy. Her material is very straight forward and easy enough to memorize but she has 800 milllion slides that never end! If there is one block to not get stuck behind in, IT IS MCB BLOCK 3. This should have been my best block, but ended up being my worst because I did not keep up with the material in the last week. Please don't make my mistake. Although this block may seem a little crazy, it is a great opportunity to score an A! Do all her goddamn slides and then make flashcards for each disease she mentions throughout these 4 weeks EVERY SINGLE DAY. It's going to take a lot of time, but you can score a 100% on her block exam if you memorize: 1. The disease and the mutated protein that causes it 2. The function of the proteins she highlights in BLUE 3. The function of each G-protein (Raf, Ras, Rab, Ran, Arf, Rho, Rac) 4. The components of the cell-cell junctions (Occluding, Adhesion Belts, Desmosomes, Gap Junctions) and the cell-matrix junctions (Focal adhesions, Hemidesmosomes). On the weekends I recommend going over this a few times just to get it in your head so by exam time, you will have memorized all that will be tested on. Thanks Benji for that great guide. Also do all practice questions that the Dr. and the TA's post on Angel.
For histology, most of the slides were pictures and they were accompanied with a few pages of written notes in outline form at the beginning of each packet. So for blocks 2 and 3 especially, I would rewrite the outlined notes in the margins of the powerpoint slide handouts so I didn't have to flip back and forth between pages. When you get to campus you can ask some upper semesters for the "Jimmy Slides" for studying histology. It's a bunch of powerpoint presentations pretty much summarizing the outlined notes of the entire semester in question form, as well as all the histology slides that may appear in the lab exam. I can't say I found them that helpful, but I suppose trying out some of the questions within the Jimmy slides is a good way to make sure you know your stuff.
Please notice that I almost never use my computer for anything when it comes to studying. Many people are the opposite of me. They won't use the handouts at all because they cost $$$ and the pictures are black& white and blurry. However, I just have no self control when it comes to computers. When I have access to the internet, I can't help but go on espn, yahoo, gmail, and facebook. I discovered this early on in the semester and haven't looked back since. Every person has a different way of studying that works for them so find yours and find it fast!
* I use "not-so-subtle" riddles when I refer to a professor (It's more fun than Dr. M). I don't use their actual name, but something that relates to their name so once you know them, you'll be able to figure these out.
Each day I would go over all the MCB slides covered that day and rewrite on the margins of the handouts what was important about each slide. And that's pretty much all I did on a daily basis. When the professors tell you they've put up practice questions on Angel, DO THEM!!! Especially Dr. Apple's* because quite a few of his questions will reappear on the block exams, but with a few changed details. Pay close attention to his practice questions involving pedigrees and genetic testing results (Southern Blot, RFLP, SSCP, ASO etc).
As for Block 3 MCB, Dr. "opposite-BK"* is responsible for it and her stuff can be a doozy. Her material is very straight forward and easy enough to memorize but she has 800 milllion slides that never end! If there is one block to not get stuck behind in, IT IS MCB BLOCK 3. This should have been my best block, but ended up being my worst because I did not keep up with the material in the last week. Please don't make my mistake. Although this block may seem a little crazy, it is a great opportunity to score an A! Do all her goddamn slides and then make flashcards for each disease she mentions throughout these 4 weeks EVERY SINGLE DAY. It's going to take a lot of time, but you can score a 100% on her block exam if you memorize: 1. The disease and the mutated protein that causes it 2. The function of the proteins she highlights in BLUE 3. The function of each G-protein (Raf, Ras, Rab, Ran, Arf, Rho, Rac) 4. The components of the cell-cell junctions (Occluding, Adhesion Belts, Desmosomes, Gap Junctions) and the cell-matrix junctions (Focal adhesions, Hemidesmosomes). On the weekends I recommend going over this a few times just to get it in your head so by exam time, you will have memorized all that will be tested on. Thanks Benji for that great guide. Also do all practice questions that the Dr. and the TA's post on Angel.
For histology, most of the slides were pictures and they were accompanied with a few pages of written notes in outline form at the beginning of each packet. So for blocks 2 and 3 especially, I would rewrite the outlined notes in the margins of the powerpoint slide handouts so I didn't have to flip back and forth between pages. When you get to campus you can ask some upper semesters for the "Jimmy Slides" for studying histology. It's a bunch of powerpoint presentations pretty much summarizing the outlined notes of the entire semester in question form, as well as all the histology slides that may appear in the lab exam. I can't say I found them that helpful, but I suppose trying out some of the questions within the Jimmy slides is a good way to make sure you know your stuff.
Please notice that I almost never use my computer for anything when it comes to studying. Many people are the opposite of me. They won't use the handouts at all because they cost $$$ and the pictures are black& white and blurry. However, I just have no self control when it comes to computers. When I have access to the internet, I can't help but go on espn, yahoo, gmail, and facebook. I discovered this early on in the semester and haven't looked back since. Every person has a different way of studying that works for them so find yours and find it fast!
* I use "not-so-subtle" riddles when I refer to a professor (It's more fun than Dr. M). I don't use their actual name, but something that relates to their name so once you know them, you'll be able to figure these out.
