Coronal section of the brain highlighting lentiform nucleus, caudate nucleus & internal capsule

Coronal section of the brain highlighting lentiform nucleus, caudate nucleus & internal capsule

Autobiography of a fat cell: On prevention of non-communicable diseases

I wrote this essay for a college conference.

Lipid lowering agents mnemonic

"Fiber Tiger"
Fibrates reduce Triglycerides.

"Fiber Tiger is a Lipoprotein li-pacer"
Paces LPL or simply, up regulates lipoprotein lipase.

Ventral and dorsal view of the brainstem highlighting cranial nerves (Diagrams only)

Hey guys! I haven't uploaded my hand drawn notes in a loong time.. So here you go -

HLA subtype associated diseases mnemonics

Hi everyone!
Here's a complete guide on how to remember the HLA associations. Let's catch em all!

Doctors (DR) will turn into MD's someday.. The thought makes you go, "Aah"
Starting with 2 and ending with 5, your mnemonic for DR associations is "MD.. AAH!"
HLA DR2 - Multiple sclerosis
HLA DR3  - Diabetes mellitus type 1
HLA DR4  - Arthritis (Rheumatoid, also the one associated with Lyme's disease)
HLA DR5  - Anemia (Pernicious, causing B12 deficiency)
HLA DR5  - Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Noradrenaline and adrenaline mnemonic

Epinephrine is so epic that it acts on alpha1, alpha2, beta1 & beta2 receptors.
Norepinephrine does not act on beta2. Not so epic. It acts on alpha1, alpha2 and beta1 receptors.

Which one is found in circulation and which one is released by nerve endings?
N for Nerves. Noradrenaline from nerve endings only.
Epinephrine is found in circulation.

*sings* I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins.

Parvovirus B19 (Erythema infectiosum) mnemonics

Parvovirus is the only single stranded DNA virus.
Parvo is part of double strand, that is, single stranded virus!

Single stranded non enveloped DNA virus

Hand of Benediction and clawing mnemonic

"My BF"
Median nerve injury causes Hand of Benediction hand when patient is asked to make a fist (or flex fingers).

"BE U"
Hand of Benediction hand when asked to extend fingers is caused by Ulnar nerve injury.

Defense mechanisms with images

I was learning defense mechanisms and I found really good illustrations, pictures and comics on them.
I thought of putting them all together in one place so everyone else can see and revise them faster! I also added some side notes here and there.

Medicowesome Flashcards 4 download

As you all know, I've been making flashcards as images so that I can put it in my cellphone or tab and revise them while I'm traveling ^_^

Here's the download link as promised:

Antipsychotics names and side effects mnemonic

Hey everyone!

High potency antipsychotics have extrapyramidal side effects.
Low potency antipsychotics have anticholinergic side effects.

I made this silly and lame rap to remember -

How I remember duration of brief psychotic disorder, schizophreniform & schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is diagnosed if the symptoms persist for 6 months or more.

Brief psychotic disorder is when the duration of symptoms is less than one month.

If the symptoms have persisted for at least one month and last less than 6 months of onset, the diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder is made.

Glomerular filtration rate formula and mnemonic

Glomerular filtration rate formula

Submissions: Mnemonic for arterial involvement in atherosclerosis

The aorta is most commonly involved by atherosclerosis; followed by coronaries, popliteal arteries, carotids and circle of Willis.
Mnemonic: Aortic crocodiles popping from car of Willis.

This is high yield information, I remember an multiple choice question being asked in my Pathology exam on this. They particularly asked which part of the aorta is most commonly involved in atherosclerosis. So don't forget that it's the abdominal aorta!

Here is a nice image to go with the mnemonic to help you remember:

How to make medical mnemonics

As medical students, we have a lot of information we need to memorize. Mnemonics makes things easier. If you make them yourself, you are more likely to remember them!
So we are going to learn how to make mnemonics! Yaay!

 

Baroreceptors mnemonic

I didn't have time to edit so I uploaded the video in it's very raw form.
Hope it helps though! =)

Cell mnemonics

Layers of the epidermis mnemonic:
"Cornea is lucid, granules are spiny"
Silly association to remember the sequence: Cornea is the outermost layer of the eye, and the base is always the innermost layer.
Cornified layer (stratum corneum)
Clear/translucent layer (stratum lucidum, only in palms and soles)
Granular layer (stratum granulosum)
Spinous layer (stratum spinosum)
Basal/germinal layer (stratum basale/germinativum)

Sarcomere with various bands mnemonic:
Z is the end  of the alphabet and Z is the end of the sarcomere.
M is the middle of the alphabet and M is in the middle of the sarcomere.
Attached to the M line are your Mighty Myosin (Mighty = thick filaments)
"My tits" (Sorry for the vulgar language) is for remembering that myosin is attached by titin to the Z line.
Actin (acthin) is the thin filament attached to the Z line.

H is a thick letter so only thick filaments are found in the H band.
I is a thin letter so I band has only thin filaments!

Myosin doesn't like to change and is very bossy. So it not only took the middle M letter for the M line, but also took the A alphabet to represent itself (How mean, poor Actin! T_T)
PS: A band represents the thick filaments irrespective of the overlap, unlike H band.
So during contraction, A band doesn't change (The myosin only part)
The H and I band changes in width during contraction.

Cell junctions mnemonic:

Mean systemic filling pressure

I never understood what it meant.

I found myself wondering.. What the heck is "The tightness with which the circulatory system is filled with blood." and what do you mean by "Pressure that exists in the vascular system if the cardiac output stops"?

Until one fine day I finally got it.

If you don't understand all those complicated (yet simple) terminologies and definitions.. You are just like me.. And I'm here to help you out =D
Here is how I understand it!

Imagine blood vessels are talking -

Mean systemic filling pressure simplified

Parotid tumors mnemonic

I had trouble remembering that Warthin's tumor is "Papillary cystadenoma lymphomatosum" and this happened.
Yes, feel the "Warth" (or maybe I'm just weird!)

Wrath of the Pa-cyst-ans? Warthin's tumor? Papillary-cystadenoma-lymphomatosum? YES!

Sensitivity and specificity flash cards

There you go < 3

What is sensitivity? Sensitivity flashcard

Bio-statistics mnemonics, tips & tricks

Hey everyone!

I thought of writing the whole blog at once as I have a lot of mnemonics and tricks but I barely get time and it has been pending for a long time now so I thought of publishing it, hoping I'll keep updating this post as and when possible :)

Relative risk and Attributable risk mnemonic

Which cell secretes what? Gastric mucosa histology mnemonics

"pH" for Parietal cells secrete H+ ions.
Parietal cells are also known as oxyntic cells.

"PC" for Pepsin is secreted by Chief cells.
(Chief cells are also known as peptic cells or zymogen cells.)
Alternate mnemonic: I think of master chef making food rich in proteins, peptides being degraded by pepsin and that's how I remember the association that Chief cells secrete Pepsin.

G for G cells & G for Gastrin. (Hah! That was easy!)

S for S cells & S for Secretin! (Medicine is easy!)

Cardiac Output and Venous Return curve mnemonic

Let's have some fun! =D

A diagram to brush up your memory..
(And to remind you it's all simple & easy and that you've got this!!)

Cardiac Output and Venous Return curve simplified

I used to freak out when I first starting seeing this graph and related multiple choice questions in question banks. It's only in a matter of time that I realized these problems need only three variables to be figured out to choose the right answer!

Case scenarios: When you don't give patients 100% O2 and why

Clinical scenario #1: Chronic lung disease patient.

The ventilatory drive of patients with chronic lung disease is primary due to their hypoxemia, rather than CO2 levels. This is because pCO2 receptors are adaptive. Chronically elevated pCO2 makes central receptors unresponsive in COPD patients. Administration of a high O2 mixture to relieve the hypoxemia is contraindicated because this removes the hypoxic drive, leading to severe hypoventilation.

Clinical scenario #2: Drug overdose where central receptors are blocked.

Healthy food: Salads

Hey everyone!

I thought of sharing something that inspired me.. It's about nutrition (Not my regular study post!)

In this age where cardiovascular problems and cancer have been on the rise like never before, it has become essential for us to eat healthy. We need to cut down on bad cholesterol and encourage fiber, nutrient rich, natural, unprocessed food.

Recently, there was a salad making competition held in my mom's school. Children of the second grade helped their mummy's make salads in the school.

Difference between Iris repositor and IOL dialer

Iris repositor has a straight or bent "blade" with blunt edges.

IOL dialer has a bent "tip".

This diagram should help you -

Human developmental index and physical quality of life index mnemonic

For Human Developmental Index remember, "Humans LIKe development"
So it takes into consideration: Life expectancy, Income & Knowledge.

Physical Quality of Life Index, "LIL physical quality"
It takes into consideration: Life expectancy, Infant mortality, Literacy.

For remembering the I in both mnemonics, I think that development is linked to money (income).
LIL should remind you of the little one, that is, the kid & hence infant mortality!

Mnemonics on nutrition

Hey guys!
These are some mnemonics I made on nutrition which is a part of my Preventive & Social Medicine (also known as Community Medicine).
We'll keep updating this section.
Please, please, please feel free to add your mnemonics as well ^__^

Deficiency of vitamin B1:
Thiamine deficiency causes Ber1 Ber1 (B1).

Deficiency of vitamin B2:
"A2 B2 C2"
A2 - 2 ATPs (FAD and FMN are derived from riboFlavin)
B2 - Vitamin B2
C2 - Cheilosis, Corneal vascularization
Let’s call it ri-two-bo-flavin!

Layers of the cornea mnemonic

Layers of the cornea mnemonic

Refractive indices of the eye mnemonic

Refractive indices of the eye mnemonic