AbalaTIPs 101: Pathology, Surgical Pathology, Clinical Pathology --> ACTIVE LEARNING

 Hello again mga dokie na ka Abalahin, welcome sa AbalaTips: now we will discuss on how we can approach these difficult related subjects in medical school which is General and Systemic Pathology, Surgical Pathology, and Clinical Pathology

Disclaimer: 

A, This AbalaTip is not intended to invalidate or to mention that your learning method is wrong, but rather this is a guide and to emphasize the advantages of active learning in medical school

B. Take note this will involve the correlation of two topics of my blog which is Visual Learning and Active Learning, however those two will only be applied to this blog. If you do not read those blog, I would suggest you read those two blogs first before reading those since it will give you a hands-on application of blog. Pls click the title on the post below to read more about those blogs

1. Visual Learning sa Philippine Medical Schools- ni Dok Juan Abalahin  

2. AbalaTips 101: Active Learning Strategies in Philippine Medical Schools

Assuming now that you had read the blogs above, let us move on to the topic proper which is applying ACTIVE LEARNING to Pathology subject for better retention of information in your long term memory 

C. I am also a non-RMT who took up medicine course, the goal here is to show how can we approach the subject as non-RMT

GENERAL PATHOLOGY

 This is your introductory course to this subject which is discussed in usually 1st sem of the 2nd year of your medical school in the Philippines. If you are familiar with the textbook of Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, this will cover the 1st 10 chapter of the textbooks since these 1st 10 topics or chapter is the basics of diseases, alongside with Surgery, Pediatrics, OB, IM, Microbiology, Immunology, Parasitology, and Psychiatry in the 2nd year which focuses on basic Physical Examination and alongside Basic Principles of these Clinical Subjects focus on Normal and more importantly Abnormal aspects of the human body

 Let us again focus on the diagram created by PPCMD2 for "Horizontal-Vertical Learning with Clinical Correlations" you can appreciate on how to understand the subject much better 

Credits to PPCMD2 for allowing me to put this on the blog

Horizontal Learning as he defined it as to correlate the other subjects (for example what I had learned in Gross Anatomy, I will apply in Histology, Physiology and so on and vice versa to all subjects [same is true in other year level subjects thats why they are all inside the boxes]) and Vertical Learning meaning what I learned in previous year/s I will apply it in my current subject example I Horizontally Learned my subjects in 1st year now I will Vertically apply it in my 2nd year and Horizontally Learn it with other 2nd year subjects, example I will apply Pathology in my other 2nd years subjects and so on......... so GRASPING 1st yr concepts is important here

then now comes active learning, again let us apply the concepts mentioned and modified from University of Melbourne

According to University of Melbourne, here are the ways that we can do Active Learning (Taken and Modified)

• Use memorization strategies- examples are MNEMONICS that you can see in First Aid USMLE review materials or in the medtwitter 
• Change the format of information- example a long paragraph in Harrison or Nelson or Katzung , or Harper turn them into diagrams, bullets, or tables 
• Write and Draw frequently- make summaries, glossary or picture taking (for example summary of your Physiology, or Draw for example what you had learned in Legal Medicine)
• Work with Friends (especially who like to be in groups)
• Add missing links or information gaps such as write on piece of paper memorize, then after memorized remove the papers (in my interpretation and experience, this is where PPC's "Vertical-Horizontal Learning with Clinical Correlations" comes into play pls click here for the link to the blog [credits and with Permission from PPCMD2])
• Practice Labeling, Diagrams- usually done in SGDs Case discussions, Laboratories, Practicals) [you can use the blog about visualizing your lessons in this blog here)
• Test your understanding- via Pre/Post test - without notes, this will help you learn your weaknesses, also for us medical students we may also practice to correlate, simplify, and use our mother tongue as if talking to a patient
• Create an Immersion Environment- such as flashcards, anki decks, sticky notes or Manila paper all over the room

Now important is to convert the information into simpler terms 

 Example in Robbins there is a statement in chapter 2 on apoptosis and necrosis and how it differs look at the picture and try to discuss it in your own words using mother tongue or Tagalog and simplify it. Memorize only the MOST IMPORTANT TERMS like for ex, pro and anti apoptotic signals etc.. this could make your learning easier, same goes with other topics as well

 Create a diagram, flowchart and bulleted form that can make it more understandable, in morphology describe briefly and apply 1st year subject and concepts to know how it arrived on that specific state as shown in morphology in the picture, if you are going to create your own review be it a trans or handwritten (which I encourage create your own). Just like Physiology and other subjects, you can apply correlate, simplify, and mother tongue in this subject

SYSTEMIC PATHOLOGY 

 Welcome to the 2nd sem of your 2nd year here alongside with other subjects, you are now introduced to the basic sciences of human diseases, usually it discussed in the following format

• Introduction
• Epidemiology
• Pathophysiology
• Morphology
• Immunostain which can be used
• Treatment (in some)

in introduction and epidemiology most important to do here is to get the MOST IMPORTANT TERMS and put them into bulleted form or diagram after highlighting them and understand them 

For Pathophysiology i will advise for you to use diagrams or flowcharts showing the progression of the disease entity and simpify it based on your understanding, also include the must know nooks and crannies

For Morphology, describe and put pictures onto it use bulleted forms

For Immunostain describe the result in the immunohistochemistry of the disease entity

Treatment (basic treatment, also better correlate also to other subjects for better review, Horizontal Learning Approach)

SURGICAL PATHOLOGY

 Some medical schools offers this subject for one sem, the purpose of this subject is to focus on how a diseased organ looks like and several test, also bullet form it and apply other clinical subjects, this is one of the supporting subject besides Radiology for Clinical Subjects in 3rd yr

CLINICAL PATHOLOGY

 Clinical Pathology, is a 3rd (2nd in some) year subject is another should I say in between Basic and Clinical, Basic that it emphasize again Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Parasitology. Clinical in aspects on how the laboratories requested and its results will be applied to the clinical aspect of medicine in terms of interpretation especially when you are already in the clinical practice.

Vertical it again and Horizontal it with other subject use diagrams, bullets to simplify your notes  and apply, know the following

• significance of the test
• know the normal levels and result
• know the significance of the result
• know the fasting time if applicable (why do we need to fast the patient)
• what will be the structure of the smear (Hematology)

Also you can correlate, simplify, and make it into mother tongue as possible for you to understand the principles behind doing the laboratory for the patient