Tips on Surviving Notts Medical School ..an individual's perspective

[ZChange]

It's normal for medical students to have to attend a memorial service of some sorts for their cadaver - be this a burial or a cremation. It's really the very least that you can do after they left you with such a gift.

Okay, thanks for the reply. I understand.

[lawyertodoctor]

I forgot to thank Little White Dragon for an excellent guide to GEM!

From my experiences so far, I agree with all of the above. The course is pretty intense and I'm just about keeping up!

Just to confirm; yes, the end of first year exams are now summative and therefore count (June/July 2009).

[Little White Dragon]

Couple of things I forgot to say:

Family get-togethers at Christmas, birthdays etc. are great for a collection of people who might be amenable to allowing you to examine them... (Obviously seek permission!)

One piece of equipment that I did buy was a tendon hammer - these aren't too expensive from the bookstore at Nottingham. I bought this because in my CP1 Osler, I had to demonstrate peripheral reflexes and I wasn't that good at it. I then spent my entire Paeds attachment at the beginning of CP2 testing every child's reflexes - my consultant and the people on my firm teased me about it! However, in my Osler, I got a child with brisk reflexes and I was able to demonstrate this without any difficulty, so all that practise paid off (still need to keep practising though)! I actually took the tendon hammer into the exam with me, which although theoretically was unnecessary as they are supposed to provide you with all the things that you need on the ward, was in fact a good move because 40 minutes wasn't a lot of time to get a complicated history, examine the patient and go hunting for a tendon hammer! So all in all, this might be something worth getting, but even if you don't then there are ways around it!

[Swifty]

Were there any particular reasons that you applied to Nottingham? Are we supposed to research universities before or after interviews? And should our choices be justified? I know that this may sound random...

[Kinkerz]

Were there any particular reasons that you applied to Nottingham? Are we supposed to research universities before or after interviews? And should our choices be justified? I know that this may sound random...

Not especially random. Ridiculous maybe...

[Swifty]

Nocturnal creature...go to sleep

[Kinkerz]

Nocturnal creature...go to sleep

Your message is almost an hour later than mine you hypocrite!

[.22 SD]

Ah well. I've always been nocturnal actually.

[paddy-uk]

Just a quick question. How long does it take to drive from Derby to Nottingham?
Also, how easy is it to get back from Notts to Derby late at night, without driving?

[Little White Dragon]

Driving from Derby to Nottingham (QMC) depends on the time of day. With little / no traffic, it takes about 40 minutes. If you're going for a 9am start then allow about 75 - 90 mins. You also need to figure into the calculation the problem of finding somewhere to park - if you want to use the park and ride, then it's a bit longer (but it is free!).

For the last set of exams, we used the Red Arrow bus:
Trent Barton Bus Timetables
Because of the bus lane, it is as quick, if not quicker than the car and you don't have the problem of parking. However, the buses get full quickly, and if the bus fills up then you have to catch the next one.

There is a cycle path that takes you out of Derby and you can then pick up the road through Long Eaton and into Beeston - it's about 20 miles.

Driving to Nottingham City takes longer (haven't had to really do this in anger). Driving to Mansfield - normally about 40 mins on the A38, but again, allow a bit longer (about 1 hour) during rush hour. Haven't had to go to Lincoln yet.