Pathology is one of the important subjects in Medicine.
It was after our final internals that my friend said to me that she had no idea how to study pathology and that she was failing every pathlogy exam.
I found pahtology difficult as well.
I agree it is a vast subject with lots of concepts and facts involved, but if you are ready to study the subject in a bit more systematic method, it doesn’t have to be difficult anymore.
So here are some study tips on how to study medical pathology.
What is medical pathology?
Simply put, it is the study of diseases.
And what we learn in pathology are the various diseases, their causes, clinical manifestations, and the structural changes it brings about to the organs and organ systems in the human body.
Which textbook should I read for medical pathology?
WI’d recommend going with Robbin’s Basic Pathology, or if you feel like pushing your boundaries, Robbin’s Pathological basis of Disease.
These are standrd textbooks, of course.
If you want an exam preparatory manual, I’d say Ramdas Nayak or Harsh mohan.
How to study pathology as a MBBS medical student?
There are various attributes that define a disease, and it’s important that you study a disease under these attributes (subheadings).
• Etiology of a disease
Basically how the disease evolves- here we look int o the microscopic as well as macroscopic mechanism of a disease or condition.
Learn the concise points only- this will help you memorize better.
The structural changes that occur to the organ/organ system as a result of the diesease.
If you learn the morphology using pictures and diagrams, better chances of you retaining the memory.
Try to associate the morphological changes with the pathogenesis.
• Clinical features
How the person with the disease presents with; the one factor which help us reach the diagnosis of a disease as a clinician.
It will be better if you learn the manifestations first- then think back on pathogenesis.
Because in reality for the correct diagnosis, you have to identify the symptoms first.
• Diagnostic methods
The various methods by which the initial diagnosis is confirmed.
The various treatment methods: eg. pharmacological, surgical.
(In exams this is a point to include where you can earn extra marks)
The first time you read about a disease, do not focus on writing notes or learning it by heart.
Focus on what you are reading.
Read and memorize the pathogenesis like a story- for example, in this order given below:
- The causative factors/organisms
- how they reach the body
- the target site of action
- molcular changes
- results of these molecular changes
- gross changes
- manifestations of these gross changes
Ask qustions to yourself
Do you know how kidney failure produce anemia?
Or why anti-worm drugs are given in certain cases of cough and respiratory symptoms?
The best way to learn about a disease is to ask the important question to yourself:
Why do I need to know about this disease?
For a perfect diagnosis, of course.
Now to actually learn about a condition, you can pretend to ask The Disease itself all the wh- questions.
If you ask the who, how, where, when, what questions, you’ll get answer to the pathogenesis of the disease.
- who causes the disesse?
- how do they cause it?
- which part does it involve?
- when does it manifest?
- and so on
This way you’ll get an idea about what you are reading.
Write down notes
Its after the first reading that you have to write notes.
Now you will know what the key points are and how to structure them in a seamless manner.
Wrie down the notes in the light of what you understood from reading.
Add your own key points or highlight what you feel is important.
Writing notes is actually optional, but it’s definitely helpful for revision sessions. Seriously I can’t even read 5 pages of Robbin’s in one sitting 😅
This time don’t read the textbook line by line- its a waste of time at this point.
Instead, go through the annotations or notes that you’ve made.
Read the topics that you feel are not very clear to you.
If you’ve missed any points, this is the time to note them down in your notes. And you are never going to forget these extra points at all!
If you have followd these methods, you’ll have a pretty good idea about the topic.
Now all you have to do is keep revising what you’ve learnt.
Spacing your revsions will do good for you because you won’t let your memory curve hit zero- if you want to know more about spaced repetition, watch these videos from Mike & Matty.
They have been so helpful to me to find my study method.
You can use other options like:
- Youtube videos
Phew! That was my take on how to study pathology.
What do you think?
Are there anymore study tips in your mind? Comment below!!
Pathology ni moja ya masomo muhimu katika Tiba. Baada ya kufanya mtihani wa mwisho, rafiki yangu aliniambia kwamba hakujua jinsi ya kujifunza ugonjwa na kwamba alikuwa akishindwa katika kila mtihani wa ugonjwa. Nilipata pia kwamba masomo ya pahtolojia yalikuwa magumu. Ninakubali ni somo kubwa na mengi ya dhana na ukweli kushiriki, lakini kama wewe ni tayari kujifunza somo katika mbinu kidogo zaidi ya utaratibu, haina kuwa vigumu tena. Hapa kuna vidokezo kadhaa vya jinsi ya kujifunza juu ya matibabu ya ugonjwa. Ugonjwa wa kitiba ni nini? Kwa ufupi, ni utafiti wa magonjwa. Katika pathology, tunazungumzia magonjwa mbalimbali, sababu zao, dalili zao, na mabadiliko ya muundo ambayo huathiri viungo na mifumo ya viungo katika mwili wa binadamu. Ni kitabu gani cha masomo cha kitiba ambacho nipaswa kusoma? WId kupendekeza kwenda na Robbin ya Msingi Pathology, au kama wewe kuhisi kama kushinikiza mipaka yako, Robbin ya Pathological msingi wa ugonjwa. Hizi ni vitabu vya kawaida vya masomo, bila shaka. Kama unataka mwongozo wa maandalizi ya mtihani, Ningependa kusema Ramdas Nayak au Harsh mohan. Jinsi ya kusoma pathology kama mwanafunzi wa matibabu MBBS? Kuna sifa mbalimbali ambazo hufafanua ugonjwa, na ni muhimu kwamba wewe kujifunza ugonjwa chini ya sifa hizi (subheadings). • Etiolojia ya ugonjwa Kimsingi jinsi ugonjwa unavyobadilika - hapa tunaangalia utaratibu wa microscopic na macroscopic wa ugonjwa au hali. Jifunze mambo mafupi tu - hilo litakusaidia kukumbuka vizuri zaidi. Mabadiliko ya muundo ambayo hutokea kwa chombo au mfumo wa chombo kama matokeo ya ugonjwa huo. Ikiwa unajifunza muundo wa mwili kwa kutumia picha na michoro, kuna uwezekano mkubwa zaidi wa kuhifadhi kumbukumbu. Jaribu kuhusisha mabadiliko ya morphological na pathogenesis. • Ugonjwa wa kliniki: ni jinsi gani mtu mwenye ugonjwa huo anaonyesha; sababu moja ambayo hutusaidia kufikia utambuzi wa ugonjwa kama daktari. Itakuwa bora kama wewe kujifunza maonyesho ya kwanza- kisha kufikiri nyuma juu ya pathogenesis. Kwa sababu kwa kweli kwa utambuzi sahihi, lazima utambue dalili kwanza. • Mbinu za utambuzi Mbinu mbalimbali ambazo utambuzi wa awali unathibitishwa. Mbinu mbalimbali za matibabu: kwa mfano. pharmacological, upasuaji, (Mchoro huu ni muhimu katika mtihani, kwa sababu unaweza kupata alama za ziada) Wakati wa kwanza kusoma juu ya ugonjwa, usikazie fikira kuandika maelezo au kujifunza kwa moyo. Zingatia kile unachosoma. "Kumbuka kuwa ""mfano"" wa ugonjwa ni ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano"" wa ""mfano""" Kwa nini dawa za kuua minyoo hutumiwa kwa wagonjwa wa kikohozi na magonjwa ya kupumua? Njia bora ya kujifunza kuhusu ugonjwa ni kujiuliza swali hili muhimu: Kwa nini ninahitaji kujua kuhusu ugonjwa huu? Kwa ajili ya utambuzi kamilifu, bila shaka. Sasa kwa kweli kujifunza kuhusu hali, unaweza kujifanya kuuliza ugonjwa yenyewe maswali yote ya wh- Kama wewe kuuliza nani, jinsi, wapi, wakati, nini maswali, utapata jibu kwa pathogenesis ya ugonjwa. - ni nani anayesababisha kutoelewana? - zinasababishaje ugonjwa huo? - ni sehemu gani inayohusika? - Ni wakati gani inapoonekana? - na kadhalika Kwa njia hii utapata wazo kuhusu kile unachosoma. Kuandika maelezo ni baada ya kusoma kwanza kwamba una kuandika maelezo. Sasa utajua ni mambo gani muhimu na jinsi ya kuyatengeneza kwa njia isiyo na mshono. Andika maelezo kulingana na yale uliyoelewa ulipoyasoma. Ongeza mambo yako ya msingi au uangalie mambo unayoona kuwa muhimu. Kuandika maelezo ni kweli hiari, lakini ni dhahiri kusaidia kwa ajili ya vikao marekebisho. Kwa kweli siwezi hata kusoma kurasa tano za Robbin katika kikao kimoja <unk> Wakati huu usisome kitabu cha masomo mstari kwa mstari- ni kupoteza wakati katika hatua hii. Badala yake, angalia maelezo au maelezo uliyofanya. Soma mada ambazo unaona hazijulikani vizuri. Kama umekosa pointi yoyote, hii ni wakati wa kuandika chini katika maelezo yako. Na kamwe hutausahau pointi hizo za ziada! Kama umekuwa followd mbinu hizi, utakuwa na wazo nzuri sana kuhusu mada. Sasa unachohitaji kufanya ni kuendelea kurekebisha kile ambacho umejifunza. Spacing revsions yako itafanya vizuri kwa ajili yenu kwa sababu wewe si basi kumbukumbu yako curve hit sifuri- kama unataka kujua zaidi kuhusu spaced kurudia, kuangalia video hizi kutoka Mike & Matty. Nimekuwa na msaada mkubwa sana katika kujifunza njia yangu ya kujifunza. Unaweza kutumia chaguzi nyingine kama vile: - Youtube video Phew! Hiyo ilikuwa maoni yangu juu ya jinsi ya kujifunza ugonjwa. Unafikiri ni nini? Je, una mapendekezo zaidi ya kujifunza akilini mwako? Tafadhali andika hapa chini! !