Sunday, February 15, 2015

How to study pharmacology

First, you need to get the concepts right. Speed read and get a big picture, then understand the little details.

I dived into minute things I didn’t understand right away.. Now that I look back, I think I should’ve been patient.
Anyway, lil doubts made great blog posts!
Example: Why is lidocaine preferred in patients with arrhythmias following myocardial infarction?

It’ll take time to get a hang of the names of various drugs.. If mnemonics work for you, you should try making em! Try to put mechanism in the mnemonic to make it simpler (That’s what I do!)
Here are some recent examples of how I make my pharmacology mnemonics -
Antifungal drugs with mechanisms
Antiparkinsonism drugs with mechanisms

There are certain drugs which are unique and that is why remembering mechanism of action or their pharmacological property becomes very difficult :/
I talk about how to remember them in this post --> http://medicowesome.blogspot.ae/2014/06/pharmacology-study-tip.html

I requested my study group awesomites to contribute their tips so that I can share them. Here are the suggestions, tips, tricks, life hacks they told us! :D

One awesome way is to make a self constructed table. Side by side drugs.. Uses. Side effects and specific points. Helps a lot.
- Great tip by Sakkan.

I had small classification charts put up all over my cupboard and wall! I Would revise them at night....Since I found classifications a bit volatile.
- The repetitive memorization trick was submitted by Priyanka. (I made flash cards for the same!)

One useful tip is whenever you see a sachet of drug.. Just read the contents and dosages.
- Awesome tip by Sakkan. (Wish I did that earlier!)

And try explaining uncles and aunties taking them what's going on :D
- I like how Sakkan said, "Try" explaining. (She says she gets a lot off oooo, aaa and even a couple of blank faces too!)

I always discussed pharmacology with my friends, and mostly, taught juniors. You get good karma + revision.
- Manisha (Good karma always helps!)

It is very volatile but this subject manages appear everywhere.. All subjects. Everywhere there are therapeutic drugs mentioned. Makes it really difficult to grab the essence if you don't do pharmacology.
- Sakkan's way of telling us take pharmacology seriously.

I drew small cartoons...Of concepts I found difficult to remember.
- Priyanka (Send us your cartoons soon, girl!)

Book recommendations by awesomites:

A very good book for pharmacology is Colored Atlas pharmacology. For retaining most of it. By thieme. A page of drug and a page of illustration. Very helpful.

And there's at a glance series. Exists for all subjects. Comprises cool diagrams, flowcharts and accompanied with a page of description. Pretty standard text in her very easy format.

Motsbys pharmacology memory note cards. If you like cartoons this little book is great. (It's very adorable.) I have to admit there are drawings which I dont really get. Thats why doing your own drawings also comes in handy :)

I wonder if all international students refer Katzung or whether they have local authors too.
I think Lippincott is the standard, internationally.
Lippincott is simple to understand- standard and interesting book to read.
A book very commonly referred to in India is KD Tripathi.
We have Farrukh Jabbar, here, in Pakistan.

That's all!

I'll keep updating the post, adding new tips and tricks, till then, stay awesome!

-IkaN

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