Year 1 Guide 2020-21

MBChB Student Council
Year 1 Guide
2020-2021

Contents
What is the MBChB Student Council (MSC)? 3
How does the MSC operate? 3
Objectives for 2020-2021 4
Meet the team 5
Recent achievements 6
Welcome from staff 7
Welcome from the SiP Convenor 7
Welcome from the Y1 Lead 8
Welcome from the Academic Mentors 9
Welcome from the MSC Co-Presidents 11
Welcome from your Vice President for Systems in Practice 13
Tips from Students 14
Exams in Y1 16
Student Support 17
Interested in Joining Us? 20
FAQs 21
2

What is the MBChB Student Council
(MSC)?
The MSC is a student-led organisation that seeks to continually improve the
Dundee medical curriculum by raising and resolving issues on behalf of the
student body. We assist in making the University of Dundee a great place to study
medicine by:
→
→
→
→
→
→
Engaging with staff to discuss issues affecting students
Developing and improving the current curriculum
Reporting and resolving issues as they present
Tackling problems affecting the wider university through DUSA
Improving the overall student experience and satisfaction
Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion within the medical school
Remember: the MSC is your council. If you encounter any problems or are seeking
advice, we aim to support you in any way we can throughout your time here in
Dundee.
How does the MSC operate?
Each year group within the medical school elects two Year Representatives. They
are the point of contact for staff and students.
Any student with concerns regarding the curriculum or their experience at the
medical school is encouraged to speak to one of their representatives.
Your representatives meet every 2-3 weeks with the rest of the council’s members
to discuss any issues that have arisen and work on various projects to improve the
medical school.
The MSC has representatives on a number of committees throughout the school
and this enables decisions to remain student-centred even if issues ultimately
have to be taken to the Dean.
3

Objectives for 2020-2021
This year has been and continues to be a very unique one, bringing with it
challenges that none of us foresaw! This means that a major part of the MSC’s work
over the coming academic year will centre around supporting students with
changes that are being made to the structure and delivery of teaching, and
tackling any issues that become apparent as a result. We will do this by asking
regularly for your feedback and liaising with staff, acting as a link between the two.
We hope to continue to build upon our successes, improve engagement with staff
and other student bodies, and help to maintain Dundee’s reputation as one of the
best places in the UK to study medicine.
Our ambitions for this year include:
→
→
→
→
→
→
Promote equality, diversity and inclusion within the medical school,
as one of our new committee aims
Continue to work with the medical school on the ongoing curriculum
review to ensure changes are valuable for students going forward
Continue working on projects to improve the curriculum, student
support and medical school facilities
Continue work within the Student-Staff Liaison Committee, to allow
students a better platform to feedback
Make the transition to virtual learning as smooth as possible for
students, as well as making sure any changes to the course as a result
of COVID19 are communicated to students in as timely a manner as
possible
Embed careers and portfolio advice earlier on in the curriculum
If you have any projects you would like us to help you take forward, please get in
touch!
4

Meet the team!
5

Recent achievements
6

Welcome from the staff
Welcome from your SiP Convenor
7

Welcome from your Year 1 Lead
8

Welcome from your Academic Mentors
9

10

Welcome from your MSC Co-Presidents
11

12

Welcome from your MSC Vice-President for Systems in Practice
Tips from students
13

General tips for Year 1 (and onwards!)
STAY ACTIVE
Exercise has so many benefits,
both physical and mental - sign
up to the gym or join a sports
club!
EAT WELL
A good diet is important, and
cooking can be great fun – try
out some new recipes with your
flatmates!
SOCIALISE
We know it will be hard this
year, but is important to do
things with other people. Try an
outdoor picnic, or a socially
distanced walk!
JOIN SOCIETIES AND
ATTEND EVENTS
This is a great way to make new
friends and meet people with
similar interests
TAKE TIME OFF
Make sure you take time for
yourself, to relax or to do
something fun. You can’t and
you shouldn’t work all the time!
ASK FOR HELP
There is always someone to
speak to if you’re struggling,
and it’s better to reach out
early.
14

Academic tips for Year 1
TRY DIFFERENT STUDY TECHNIQUES
We all learn differently! Find out what works best for you,
whether it’s making notes, studying flashcards, using question
banks, or group study – and don’t be afraid to try new styles!
DON’T COMPARE
Everybody is different, so don’t
compare yourself to others! Do
what feels right for you.
STUDY A LITTLE, A LOT
Try to study in small bursts
regularly from early on – it will
take the pressure off when it
comes to exam time
PEER SUPPORT
Make use of the senior students
- they have all been where you
are, and will be happy to help
(plus it’s good revision for them,
too!)
PRACTICE PROCEDURAL
SKILLS
Use your friends or flatmates –
practice makes perfect!
USE ONLINE RESOURCES
There are lots of great resources out there, which we should make use
of now more than ever! Some of our favourites are: PasTest (question
bank), PassMedicine, (question bank), BMJ Best Practice,
TeachMeAnatomy, Brainscape (flashcards), Geeky Medics, Armando
Hasudungan (YouTube), UoD Clinical Skills (Youtube)
15

Exams in Year 1
Formative exams
PRINCIPLES FORMATIVE
You will have an online formative ‘exam’ at the end of your Principles block. Try
not to stress about this – your score doesn’t count towards anything and it is
mainly purposed to get you used to the online platform and question style.
CAP TEST
The CAP is another online formative test taken each year, a couple months
before your end-of-year exams. It is useful to give you an idea of where you are
and what areas you need to work on. There is plenty of time between the CAP
and your real exams to improve on your score!
Summative exams*
THEORY
ONLINES
Normally, each year there are 3 multiple choice exams. Each has ~120
questions and lasts 2 hours. The question topics are proportional to the
amount of time spent on each topic throughout the year.
ANATOMY SPOT
Each year you will have an anatomy exam with 25 stations, each with a
question relating to a prosection, model or image. Your mark for this is
added to your online mark (i.e. it is not pass or fail).
PRACTICAL
OSCE
Practical skills are assessed using OSCEs, where there are several stations
requiring you to consult with or examine simulated patients.
You will not have any OSCEs in 1st year.
*We don’t know what the coming year will bring, and unfortunately this
means that we can’t say for certain that this is what your exams will look
like! You may be required to sit your exams remotely, as last year’s 1 st years
had to do. We hope that everything will be able to run normally for you, but
it is important that you are prepared for some potential changes.
16

It’s okay to not be okay
If you find yourself feeling lost or overwhelmed, try not to worry. Everyone is
in the same boat, and you peers may well be feeling like a fish out of water
as well.
If you are feeling like you need help:
→ Try to find strategies to cope with your workload and whatever else
may be bothering you – take time off, socialise with people, and
remember you are not alone.
→ Discuss your problems with friends, family, your GP or helplines –
getting a different perspective can be extremely helpful, and you may
realise other people are going through something similar.
→ Chat to your personal tutor/academic mentor – they’re a very helpful
bunch who are always happy to listen, give good advice and have your
best interests at heart.
*Letting the university know there may be a problem early is encouraged*
The University offers a number of services to support students, the full list
of which can be found in the Student Services Guide
(https://www.dundee.ac.uk/media/dundeewebsite/studentservices/a-zstudent-services.pdf).
Here are a few to get you started:
Counselling
Service
→
→
→
→
A free, short-term counselling service is offered at
the University, and they are currently offering
appointments both online and by telephone.
Appointments can be made by contacting 01382
384164 or by emailing the service at
counselling@dundee.ac.uk
Emergency appointments are offered to students in
crisis Mon – Fri at 10.15am. Appointments are made
on a first come first served basis
More information can be found at:
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/studentservices/counselling/
17

Health
Service
→
→
→
Provides a range of health-related services,
including advice on mental and sexual health, and
how to register with a doctor and dentist in Dundee.
Can be contacted at 01382 384168 or at
healthservice@dundee.ac.uk
More information can be found at:
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/health-service
DUSA → Wide range of support services offered, from
housing advice, money and budgeting to academic
support, safety and mental health
→ The Hive (Level 4, The Union, next to Air Bar) offers a
drop-in service Mon – Fri between 11am-3pm for free
and confidential advice
→ More information can be found at:
https://www.dusa.co.uk/advice/
Careers
Service
→
→
→
Advice on CVs, volunteering, employability skills and
more.
Appointments are currently being delivered online, and
can be booked using the Careers Portal at
https://dundee.targetconnect.net/unauth
More information can be found at:
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/careers/
Disability
Services
→
→
→
→
Offer advice and support for people with physical or
mental health problems and learning difficulties such
as dyslexia.
Can help arrange adjustments to exams.
Online appointments can be arranged by calling 01382
385402 or by emailing disability@dundee.ac.uk
More information can be found at:
https://www.dundee.ac.uk/disabilityservices/
18

If you ever feel you need to talk to
someone now…
NIGHTLINE DUNDEE
Website: https://dundeeuni.nightline.ac.uk
Phone: 01382 381 183
Email: nightline@dundee.ac.uk
Operating times: their phoneline is open 8pm – 8am every night. Their
email is 24 hours
BREATHING SPACE
Website: https://breathingspace.scot/
Phone: 0800 83 85 87
Operating times: their phoneline is open 6pm – 2am on weekdays and
24 hours at weekends (6pm Friday – 6am Monday)
SAMARITANS
Website: https://www.samaritans.org/?nation=scotland
Phone: 116 123
Operating times: their phoneline is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
19

Interested in joining us?
Each year elects two Year Representatives and we will be looking for two 1 st
year students to join our committee as the 1 st Year Reps.
Joining the MSC is an immensely rewarding role which allows you to assist
your year, fully immerse yourself in the medical school’s culture and get a
good understanding of how medical education works (plus it never hurts to
start getting some points on your CV from the start!).
A year rep has some of the following responsibilities:
→
→
→
→
Raise your year’s concerns at fortnightly council meetings
Ensure lectures are delivered and that any PowerPoints/notes are
uploaded to Medblogs
Sit on the relevant medical school committees appropriate for your
year of study
Introduce yourself and remain in contact with the system convenor of
each system block, allowing you to address any problems that present
Application process
If you’re interested in applying for Year 1 Representative, we’d like you to
write a small paragraph (no more than 250 words) on why you would like
to take on the role, and why you should be elected as Y1 Rep. If the position
is contested, elections will be conducted through an online polling system.
All applications should be sent to the MSC email address
(msc@dundee.ac.uk) no later than midnight on Sunday 18 th October.
If you have any questions please get in touch via Facebook (search for
Dundee MBChB Student Council) or send us an email. We have included a
list of FAQs for some further information.
We look forward to meeting you all!
msc@dundee.ac.uk @mscdundee @dundeemsc
20

Frequently asked questions
Are textbooks essential?
This comes down to personal preference. Find out how you learn best: some
people like using textbooks, others prefer different resources – you definitely
don’t need to rush out and buy every textbook under the sun! Some books
that might come in handy are Oxford’s Handbook of Clinical Medicine
(referred to colloquially as “Cheese and Onion”). This summarises conditions
well and is a good size to chuck into your bag. After 1 st year, its ‘sequel’, if you
like, Oxford’s Handbook of Clinical Specialties might be useful. The at a
Glance series can be helpful in giving an overview of a system and includes
some basic science such as physiology and pharmacology, without being
too niche. Essential Examination is excellent for clinical skills, as it contains
examination checklists as well as possible findings and what they mean – it
will probably be more useful after 1 st year, though, when you have OSCEs.
Do you have the same lecturers all the time?
Each system will be taught by specialists in that field, meaning that your
lecturers will change all the time. Some lecturers teach a topic that will be
part of most blocks – for example, pharmacology or microbiology – and so
you will get to know them quite well. Others, you will only meet once or twice.
Are lecturers approachable?
This depends on the lecturer, but the vast majority are happy to answer
questions from us, whether that is during/at the end of a lecture or via email
– you will soon realise, however, that some people are better at replying to
emails than others!
21

Clinical placements and patient contact in 1 st Year?
Our medical school is special in that it provides practical teaching and
patient contact from very early on. Sadly, the pandemic has changed a lot of
things, and unfortunately it doesn’t look like you will have any patient
contact in 1 st year. We are really sorry about this, but we are sure you will
appreciate the risks involved in coming into contact with potentially
vulnerable and immunosuppressed people, for both parties.
How much should I revise?
It’s important that you realise that working efficiently is much better than
working long hours. This means finding study techniques that suit you, and
not trying to learn the course in its entirety (you can’t possibly learn every
detail of every lecture off by heart)! Have a think about what you feel it is
important to know in detail, vs when it is more important to have a broad
awareness of something.
Your exams are not until May 2021, so you don’t want to work too hard too
early and leave yourself completely frazzled by February. Make sure to take
time off, and, although it is important to stay on top things such as lectures
and coursework, you shouldn’t really need to study intensely before
Christmas.
22