What you should know as a first year medical student in usm | Med School USM |

(don't mind the picture, i cant put 1st year there bcs insufficient space hehe)

I’m taking this opportunity to welcome you guys to Med School in USM and congratulations on passing the interviews to here. No use to tell you that our USM Health Campus located at Kubang Kerian, Kelantan because you guys already went to the interview session there. 


I just finished my first year, which as one of the members of Obelius (gotta promote my own batch), so I decided that it's a good idea to post this on my blog. This post lets you guys know more about how staying and studying in USM will feel like as there are not many blogs that give a bigger view on it. (I’ve been there, and I can’t seem to plan my life thereafter I get my results.)

1. Dorm

First thing first, of course, the accommodation. I’ll make this simple, don’t bring too much stuff. For the first year students, all of you will have four roommates. The block will be divided into two, Nurani Putera and Nurani Puteri. All medical students, dental students, and nursing students will be staying here (but for the guys, all of them are staying in Nurani). The PPSK or Pusat Pengajian Sains Kesihatan students will be staying at Murni (which the only thing I know is you guys will have three roommates).

There will be two bunk bed, four study tables with lamp, four drawers under the table (if you’re lucky enough because I don’t have mine) and four wardrobes. Between the bunk bed is a mirror with some space to put your skincare or anything, and there we usually put our laundry bag on the floor. So my suggestion, don’t decorate your room that much because I bet that you won’t have enough space to put your belongings. Super crammed, I tell you!!

there are my belongings there bcs im the last person

You will have to change your room every year, and each end of the year you need to request at the campus online (don’t worry, you’ll be informed later). If you want to request a particular roommate (read: your best friend there), then you can request it in the form but you will have to wait until next year lah because once assigned as a roommate, you need to stay together for a year first.

my roommates during my first year

If you know someone and want to be together for the rest of your first year, then make sure that you register together. Oh and please be early because the line will be long as hell. 

But maybe you should just have a new roommate instead of someone you just know? 

2. Orientation

I think I did a random post about a rant. Hehe.

Put that aside, you will have two weeks; orientation and induction week if I’m not mistaken. During orientation, just follow the PPSL’s instruction and you’ll be fine. Go check your Facebook and find USM MED SCHOOL group for your batch, and there you can know everything. Please be up to date because there will be tons of documents you need to bring for your studies and PTPTN if you wished to apply for it. In case some of you didn’t know, you can only apply your JPA in the second semester using your first semester’s result. You can change your PTPTN to JPA after you get accepted for JPA. 

Orientation week is a week for you to be familiar with the environment, familiar to your batchmates & roommate, and to the university itself. Enjoy it before you get into the induction week!

For induction week, it’s pretty simple. It’s the week to make you familiar with all of the syllabus provided. Keep in mind that we’re following the latest syllabus which is learning by the system. Instead of learning by subjects like some other university does (ex. Physiology, Chemical Pathology, Pharmacology, etc.), we will be learning by system (ex. Respiratory system, Cardiovascular system, Genitourinary system, etc.). Here, we called it as block. Block GMT101, GMT102, etc. We also have Problem-based learning (PBL), Laboratory class, Clinical Skills Centre and so on that I’ll be touching on the next points.

3. Books and medical equipment

This is the most important part. If you have your previous books (for Foundation students) and notes (for both Foundation and Matriculations students), you don’t need to bring it here. The textbooks that are used are very very different, so just sell it to your juniors. For notes.....I’m not sure but I don’t think any of it helped me during my first year.

• i. Lecture notes

You can print out senior’s past year lecture notes before you enter your lecture hall to make it easier for you to copy notes. The google drive of those lecture notes will be given by your batch’s representative. I did print it before lectures but make sure you print it earlier for the week because the photostat shop there (We called it Kedai Cik Din/Cik Din) will be full of seniors and master/PhD students.

• ii. Books

Books that I used......here’s the thing.........I did ask one of the seniors there and she said “No, I didn’t use any books and use the ebook instead” and of course, I didn’t believe her. But trust me, it’s okay to only use ebooks only because all the medical books are too expensive. I only have one book, which I don’t even use skjskdjs a bad student. Anyway, if you preferred to have a hard copy to highlight and make a side note, then do buy it. Here's the link about ebooks entry (links & tips).

If I don’t have any medical books (well, one), how do I study? Well, using lecture notes and Nota Syahmi, and then I’ll make my notes. Most of nota syahmi’s notes are based on lecture notes so sometimes I didn’t even print the lecture notes and just used nota syahmi instead. You can buy a soft copy of nota syahmi and print it at cik din.

• iii. Medical equipment

For the first year students, all you need are lab coat, stethoscope, pen torch, and a measuring tape. You can get all of this by group order from MedSoc, just wait for the announcement. We don’t use pen torch that much but it’s nice to hang it on your lab coat’s pocket. I did buy a reflex hammer during my first year to make it easier for future me.

It’s pretty expensive to buy all of it right? If you’re not capable of buying them, MedSoc's welfare will help you get them by filling the online form given from them.

 4. Class

To make it simple, we have lectures, guided self-learning (GSL), English/Malay/Entrepreneur class, PBL, lab, and CSC. For lectures, you’ll go to the lecture hall with all your batchmates and won’t be divided into classes. For GSL, you will have to open the eLearning and study the materials given in your free time. For english/malay class, you’ll be divided into group of classes. For entrepreneur class, you’ll go to the lecture hall with all you batchmates and first year dental batchmates (you’ll be divided into a group but only for assignment). For PBL, you’ll be divided into groups and this PBL group will also be your “homeroom” or we called as Mentor-Mentee, where your mentor will be the lecturer. For lab sessions, it’s either you can sit randomly or by PBL, but you’ll be informed before. For CSC, you’ll be divided using the PBL group.

• i. Lecture

thank u musa sorry curi gambar 

 Picture above is our lecture hall, DK1, during study week. Ignore the blanket and stuff and let's pretend our abang musa really study hard. Anyway, my phone was locked before, so I factory reset it. That's why I lost all the pictures :( sorry that I can't provide more picture than this :( 

Your class schedule will be from Sunday to Thursday, from 9am-5pm. Each one of the lectures will take one hour, and then self-study (self break) for either 15 mins, 30 mins or 1 hour, and then continue to the next lecture. Your lecture will be conducted at Lecture Hall DK1 for the rest of your first year.

Prepare A4 paper, lecture notes, any notes and your stationery like usual. Have a water bottle with you or coffee if you’re like me.

• ii. GSL

Guided self-learning is the topic that you’ll be learning by yourself. It can be between 9am-5pm or at night, 8pm-10pm. These topics are important, well some are, but the lecturer believes that we can understand it just by reading and studying alone so it is put under GSL. I think some exam questions came out from here too so don’t skip it.

Prepare notes for this.

• iii. English/Malay/Entrepreneur class

my precious english class???we actually went to the beach together at night???

my malay language!! im soft for em!!

Again, sorry for my previous english class :( i lost our picture :( still love you guys :(

For your first sem, you’ll have English and Entrepreneur class. Your English class will depend on your MUET’s band. Band three will have to take the class until the second year, while the above band will only have classes for two sem.

For the Entrepreneur class, which is in your first sem, you’ll have to attend lectures and do the assignments given. One of them is opening a business for a day. Have fun!

Malay class will be taken during your second semester, and you’ll have another different group from your english class.

• iv. PBL

i lost the room's picture so sorry again

first session of pbl

Problem Based Learning or PBL is those classes that you see on any medical student drama or movies. You guys will have your room (Tutorial room) based on your PBL group. PBL session will be divided into two, A and B. During the first session (A), you need to discuss every keyword and come out with questions (learning issues). In the second session (B), you will need to have the answers for all of the learning issues. Each learning issues will usually have one or two persons to be presented with. You’ll know more during the induction week.

PBL mentor mentee is the best part. Since you’ll spend your two years together, you guys should be close to each other. I do enjoy being part of PBL 9 and I hope you’ll feel so too later on.

my pbl9!! thats abang musa at front skssk nak kenal yg lain boleh pm tepi

our dr. actually treat us makette? we stan

• v. Lab

a microscopic picture of......um.....yea......

Bring your lab coat for temporary used until you have your own USM lab coat.

For lab sessions, make sure to have your A4 or iPad or anything for you to jot down notes. There’ll be questions given there too so you need to answer it before the lecturers start discussing the answer. Lab session is important because it can come out in your OSCE.

From my own experience, prepare a file or notes for your whole lab session so that it would be easier to review it for OSCE and Professional examination 1 later on.

• vi. CSC

Clinical skills centre or CSC is where you’ll be learning the clinical skills, like what CSC stands for. Oh, don’t forget to bring your lab coat. You’ll have simulated patient (or fake patient) and you’ll have to pretend that you’re the doctor. You’ll learn all the history taking and physical examination in this session.

I actually love CSC sessions because you’ll have the motivation to be a good doctor soon.

• vii. Quiz

during kahoot session, so all you can see are phone and tab

It’s either online (e-quiz) or through Kahoot. For Kahoot, marks won’t be taken. For e-quiz......well...maybe? I’m not sure. I thought no marks will be taken but it stated there that it’ll be taken so...yea...maybe

• viii. Co-curriculum

Yes, we still have ko-k, im sorry.

Instead of 2 years, we only have our co-curriculum for one years only!! Great right!!

I can't tell you more about this because I don't remember everything?? But all I can say is, if you failed your ko-k then you need to retake it for another sem. Instead of grading as A, B or C like other students, we are graded by Pass or Fail. So......jangan gagal lah....mustahil gak nak gagal.....make sure you tak ponteng lah baru tak gagal.....

my project for ko-k handicraft

I entered Ceramic art and Handicraft for my ko-k because um art released stress and frustration?

Here's my assignment for Handicraft!!

5. Examination

Ahh, we are finally in the examination part.

Don’t worry too much because you will have a session in the induction week talking about the examination. I’ll just briefly give you the idea here.

To put it simply, you have a practical and writing test. For practical, it’s called OSCE. There will be 6 active stations and 3 rest stations. For 6 stations, there’ll be interactive stations where you’ll have to perfom lab/physical examination/history taking to a patient, and writing stations where you have to read any questions, slides or pictures and answer it. Each station will be given 10 minutes, 2 minutes to read and 8 minutes to perform/answer.

You’ll have a mock session by seniors so make sure to join it or else you won’t know how it feels like and how’s the flow.

Next, writing test. You’ll have 4 papers, Short essay questions (SEQ), Scenario-based questions(SBQ), Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) and Single best answer (SBA). The seniors will send their past year questions to you, so don’t worry. Each paper will be divided into GMTs.

Also, all the past year questions are from the senior which they memorize it and transfer it into a document for their junior’s use.

taken right after the end of first sem's final

6. Transportation

Well, kelantan pun ada grab tau. You can use Grab and MyCar (will be a little later because there are fewer MyCar users here.) to go anywhere. They can enter until Nurani and you need to bring your student card to scan. There’s also car rental over here, just asked your seniors to get their contact numbers.

You can’t bring your car here unless you’re the final year students. The car sticker will be given only to the final year students, but, you can bring your bike and bicycles. Nurani to the academic block is not that far anyway and you can get here by 5 minutes of running if you’re late to the class.

7. Dress codes

I don’t think jeans and sandals are allowed.

If during orientation, refer to the PPSL or the guide given.

But that’s basically it. But for the first week or two, try to use fomal attire during PBL. You can wear a blouse or shirt (collar shirt for guys) like those you wear during the foundation, and its a no problem. We’re in degree anyway. But during the exam, wear formal attire.

But. No jeans, sandals, shorts or any improper attire is ok. Don’t blame me later on, I don’t want to bear any consequences later skjskj bye

You can just refer to my english/malay class' attire. 

8. Entertainment

Sis, we have everything. Except for the cinema. And all the famous boba tea. And ikea. But we have everything.

You can go to Aeon Mall for...food....and...shops?? Nak date ke pergi sana je lah, boleh masuk kaison acah acah tangkap gambar dengan bear.

KB Mall and Billion mall (I'm not sure but I think that's the name) do have bowling and karaoke. If starbuck can go to KB Mall and Tesco too.

I will make a post later about the entertainment in Kelantan including the beach so wait for it!

my ex mrsm pdrm-mates!

they both are ppsk students

9. Cafe

I do think I a lot of cafe hunting here more than in KL. KL who.

There’s a lot of hipster cafe here ok! Click here to my posts: Artaste & Tiny Elephant.

I will make a post later about this too so stay tuned skjdskj the post is too long I don't want it to be

Oh God, this is literally the longest post I’ve ever made........and I'm tired......my fingers are numb......

That’s all from me. I really hope this post will help you a lot because I really put my effort into writing this during my part-time work. For any questions, you can freely find me on my social media, or even better, at my comment section.

Thank you for reading and I hope you will do well on your first year as a medical student.

Toodles.

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