AMK help PLEASE.

**Dr Noodle** · 30-07-2010, 07:41 PM

The eliminating option does seem to work for AMKs 1,2 and 3 but for the last AMK of the year this method isn't so reliable, certainly wasn't for the last one, that was an incredibly frustrating exam!

A lot of us (in the pre-clin years at least) get annoyed with the AMK, we feel it doesn't accurately represent the knowledge that we have acquired and it is very different from the way we would have been examined at school. However, though please correct me if you guys don't agree, it seems that the people who are consistently working hard get the good results and those of us who don't work as hard as we should get variable results.

**Rake** · 30-07-2010, 08:55 PM

I was definitely able to cruise by on lucky guesswork without that much education in Year 1, but in Year 2 everyone upped their game, so I had to start working to stay up within the cohort; that kind of motivation suits me so all's gravy (not that I'm getting top marks or anything).

Given that we are pre-clins, I'm not sure it's suitable as our only form of academic assessment - some kind of additional summative LSRC exam would probably be appropriate - but it has been nice to see my graph going up over the years, and it's kinda cool that we all sit the same exam.

**Dr Noodle** · 30-07-2010, 11:51 PM

I tried to argue for a summative LSRC assessment at Student Parliament. However, some fourth year decided to go on about how it wasn't needed and how she had done fine without anatomy but by the end of her rather convoluted speech had decided that actually yes perhaps it would be helpful. Unfortunately, in doing this, she confused everybody else and it was decided a formative exam would do. Absolutely useless- as Kevin said, we'll still wind up focusing on our AMKs because that's what we need to pass the year.

**Yixian** · 31-07-2010, 01:00 AM

Yeah if they were to introduce traditional exams in year 1 then they'd have to be in place of the AMK I think, and formative exams serve no purpose other than to distract people and waste time.

The AMK is obviously the real deal when it comes to assessing your ability as a doctor, but it can def be tough for some when they first encounter it, and by the time they get the hang of it it can be too late.

**Yixian** · 31-07-2010, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by DrVas

What a pre-fresher has to say has no value and therefore irrelevant, so its should cuase no offence to anyone.

Nail on the head.

**Rake** · 31-07-2010, 06:07 PM

What?! So what exactly what qualifications does a person need to have before we should be paying attention to them? This is ludicrous.

**The Fantastic Dr. Fox** · 31-07-2010, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by DrVas

What a pre-fresher has to say has no value and therefore irrelevant, so its should cuase no offence to anyone.

Chat like that makes you sound as bad as IVC. Going by your sig Dr. Vas I'd remind you that its not that long since you were a 'pre-fresher'

**Yixian** · 31-07-2010, 10:00 PM

To be honest, if you've had no experience whatsoever of medical education, it's pretty arrogant to start making assumptions about other people's courses and shoot them down. Pre-fresher is using his assumptions about Peninsula to back up his "arguments". Let's not forget he recently said that "league tables are a good indicator of what makes a good medical school" and then when Peninsula was ranked 8th "oh it doesn't count for PMS because it's too new"... I think that speaks for itself.

**Rake** · 31-07-2010, 10:31 PM

We've only got experience of our own course. When it comes to any other, we're working with the same information as "pre-freshers". It absolutely baffles me that that's somehow a term of abuse.

To call someone arrogant, then claim someone in their position has no right to an opinion in the first place, is unbelievable.

AMKs then?

**Yixian** · 31-07-2010, 10:50 PM

Not really, having something to contrast against is one of basic building blocks of forming a justified argument, IVC in the same breath asks a question about our course and then puts it down. "Oh noes everyone has an opinion" aside, I don't think that kind of nonsense really deserves defending. Besides, you're arguing that PMS students are in no position to judge other courses, and that doesn't change the fact that IVC has no basis to make so many sweeping judgements of our own.

It is because he is basing his sweeping judgements on such little understanding that I'm calling him arrogant, so yeah not unbelievable at all.

Oh and pre-fresher just means someone who is pre fresher.