First of all, you would like to know, what “Block” means. Well, Blocks are rotations, clinical rotations, rapid fire rotations at different centers of the hospital where medical students try to learn the overall know- how of how things are done right before they give their final MBBS exams.
So apparently, we got 10 days at ENT. It started off with theory memorization, followed by a period of extreme fatigue where I completely stopped the routine memorizing part. It’s likely if you try to finish the entire syllabus in one go.
ENT is fun, well limited diseases and a good book to read as well but seriously the matter is the other way around. With limited knowledge comes with favorite answers. Stuff like, he wants to hear the answer like that and he likes that question more. We don’t have much stuff to do practically, the viva is theory based and some questions will guide you through the exam.
Here’s how I messed or screwed my Block final:
It took me a while to realize that I can’t take ENT for granted. (This was after the Viva of course)
One of the sentences in S.K. DE states that learning is permanently stored in your brain when you utter the answer; temporal part of the brain receives it and faster the memorization. Well apparently in the quest to learn each and every disease that the book has to offer, you stop to utter after a while.
Well obviously the verbal part is the major factor in practicing for a viva. Cut the verbal practice out, you will get informed for written MCQ questions but you can’t even master written questions without the practice.
How did the Block final go?
I screwed big time, not at my level. The mistakes that you make in the Viva table guide you to your next question and this is a viscous cycle of mistakes and more complex questions and ultimately you go nowhere.
What do I do next?
Next block is ophthalmology. Apparently I have to mix that block with Gynecology, so it’s going to bit more hectic than ever. I like to stay positive when things gets messed up, it opened my eyes for ophthalmology (doesn’t that rhyme?) and other blocks that are approaching in the upcoming days.
What should you plan be ?
PRIORITISE! That’s what I keep telling myself. You have to finish studying the common diseases before you master the uncommon ones. Exams are fun when you make the examiner jump into your direction, by guiding him/her through the stuff that you have studied. I am not an expert on how exams should be but the thing is, it’s very easy to give a bad exam but it takes many days of early morning memorization and focus to give a very good exam.
Wish you a good exam people!