Lecture Content

The lecture content is relatively straightforward mainly as you’re looking at several organ systems (heart, brain, digestive, reproductive, immune etc) and the drugs that target those systems. Because of this, half the content is learning about the anatomy and physiology of such systems which you would have at least covered in MEDSCI lectures across all levels. So you may be surprised at the amount of overlap 305 has with many other MEDSCI papers such as 304, 307, 309, 311, and 313 – even if it’s just a small section of the course. Having said that, don’t surprised if you get bored part way through the lecture if they ever talk about stuff you’ve learned in first/second year; that’s how the course is.

 

Labs and Lab Reports

The pattern is similar to MEDCSI 303 where you get to deal with organ baths and injecting mice but the focus is on how the drugs affect the body as opposed to how the body deals with each drug.

​Instead of writing group lab reports as you may have come across in 303, reports are written individually now with similar standards regarding outline, format and expectations from 303.

 

Lab Test

You are initially required to sit a 2.5% lab test on your first lab session without any form of practice which can be a shock to some students – this is the exact pipette test carried out in MEDSCI 304. However,this initial practical lab skill test is pretty easy and students were advised to study information put under "Lab 1" on the course website. The first part requires you simply have to carry out dilutions and make a calibration curve and then measure the absorbances of 2 “unknown” solutions. The second part is a lab test about calculations and lab rules. The other 12.5% is in the written lab test which you will sit at the end of the semester and covers all lab topics.

 

MST and Exam

Much like 303, the issue with some of these tests and exams is time. However, the coordinators have kindly posted past test papers for you to practice with and it’s strongly recommended that you practice with them – there is a tendency for questions to be recycled.