Singaporean medical students-a study partner to discuss info

Vince Disel SG

Hey,

I am a medical student from Singapore studying at the University of Tasmania in Australia. I hope to have some pals joining me in discussing anatomy and other topics related to medicine. Peace.

Vince Disel SG

Ok l'll start the ball rolling,

I have just recently dissected the anterior region of the left human thigh. I have located the sartorius muscle(I believe its the one running from the lateral of the pelvis to the medial of the pelvis) and cut it proximally, but I can't identify the adductor canal.

The femoral triangle contains the femoral nerve(I had a difficult time identifying this cause i might have sliced it), artery and vein. Is the lymph node located next to the femoral triange? I can't seem to find them too, maybe its located deep to the femoral vein?

The adductor magnus muscle envelops the femoral artery and vein and is medial to the pelvis as compared to the adductor longus. After cutting the adductor longus running from the medial to lateral of the pelvis, reveals the adductor brevis. on the left side of the femoral vein is the pectineus muscle and the right side, the iliopsoas muscle(I believe so).

The femoral artery branches into the deep femoral artery as it goes down the thigh. The femoral vein, on the other hand branches into the great and small( I can't locate the small one) saphenous veins. The saphenous nerve courses with the great saphenous vein and branches into the sural nerve is is located at the posterior of the foot.

On the lateral region of the thigh from the pubis, is the vastus lateralis muscle, followed by the rectus femoris muscle(deep to this muscle is the vastus intermedius) then to the vastus medialis.

Please correct me if I made any mistakes. Peace.

Vince Disel SG

Different functions of muscles:

Sartorius muscle- It assists in flexion, abduction and lateral rotation of hip, and flexion and medial rotation of the knee.

adductor magnus muscle -Its function is to serve as a powerful adductor(motion) of the thigh, along with being able to extend the thigh.

adductor longus muscle- It provides motion of the thigh.

pectineus muscle- It is one of the muscles primarily responsible for hip flexion. It also adducts and medially rotates the thigh.

illoopsoas muscle- It acts to flex the femur onto the lumbo-pelvic complex. It is considered to be one of the most important muscle in the running process.

Rectus Femoris- It is involved in hip flexion. The rectus femoris is considered a direct antagonist(acts in opposition to the specific movement) to the hamstrings. The hamstrings oppose the rectus femoris at the hip joint through extension and at the knee joint through flexion.

Vastus Medialis- It acts largely in a co-ordinated manner throughout the control of knee extension.

vastus lateralis- It is a powerful extensor of the knee joint. It is crucial in walking, running, jumping and squatting.

Taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vince Disel SG

Veins of the anterior thigh-- As the superficial circumflex iliac vein courses down from the superior to the inferior of the thigh, it hits the femoral vein and the femoral vein branches into the lateral femoral cutaneous vein and the great saphenous vein.

Nerves of the anterior thigh-- Beginning from the superior of the thigh, the ilioinguinal nerve starts near the pubic region . And lateral to it, is the anterior femoral cutaneous nerve. The saphenous vein connects from the great saphenous vein and courses down to become the sural nerve.

Vince Disel SG

At the Quadriceps of the thigh, medial to the pubis is the graciius, lateral to it is the adductor brevis( superficial to this is the adductor longus).

Vince Disel SG

On a more non-medically based topic:

EDITORIAL by Australian Doctor Chief Political Correspondent Paul Smith

FEW issues generate as much anguished debate as the way medical students are selected.

The issue has made headlines again because there are rumblings of revolution. The battery of assessments developed in the past 30 years to choose our future doctors seem under threat. The University of Queensland school of medicine is scrapping face-to-face interviews this year, claiming they are useless at identifying likely drop-outs or future stars. And the University of Sydney has launched a review of its own selection process, hinting darkly about adopting the idea of a lucky dip system where candidates’names are plucked from a hat.

The importance of the interviews and the tests — UMAT and GAMSAT — are often sold on two arguments. First, they identify the clever kids who would make good doctors. It’s claimed that without them medical schools would be swamped by academic nerds, each with the social skills of a house brick.

And then there is the equity argument. They mitigate the academic disadvantages of teenagers denied the privileges of a paid-for education.

But there remain serious questions.

The interview and testing process has spawned a parasite industry — the numerous coaching colleges that claim to offer students who can afford their fees an increased chance of selection. This claim is hotly debated. The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) — the guardian of UMAT and GAMSAT —insists that you cannot be coached for the exams; that the colleges are ripping off students. The colleges say you can, and judged by their popularity, students agree.

And then there is the ever-present issue about the objectivity of the tests themselves.

UMAT, a psychometric test, is routinely rubbished because it claims to judge not just intellectual aptitude but the more nebulous concept of a caring and sharing personality —applicants’ so-called emotional IQ. Take this sample UMAT question:

Bob ’ s wife, Mary, has been in hospital recovering from a heart attack. The doctor informs Bob that she is now well enough to return home, although she will need to ‘ take things easy for a while ’ .

Bob: “ I ’ m glad she can come home now, doctor, but I ’ m not sure I can look after Mary by myself. We live on our own. ”

Doctor: “ It ’ s natural to feel a little anxious, but the best thing for Mary will be to be back in her own environ ment. ”

In his response the doctor has:

A. Not realised that Bob is concerned.

B Not really dealt with Bob ’ s concerns.

C. Responded to Bob ’ s con cerns effectively.

D Made Bob feel bad about being concerned.

The correct answer is B, but what do the answers to fatuous questions such as this really say about the person a 17-year-old is now and the doctor they will become a decade later?

Three years ago Australian Doctor asked ACER for the evidence proving the validity of the ‘Understanding Others’section of the test. No was the answer. It feared the test preparation industry could exploit the results. ACER’s reluctance to subject to public scrutiny evidence that the test works seems disturbing for a so-called academic institution with an obvious vested interest.

So why bother with these assessments at all if the interviews don’t work well and the suspicion is that UMAT/GAMSAT couldn’t distinguish between Dr Kildare and Dr Crippen?

Candidates for medical school are extremely bright. The personality traits needed across the medical profession are so broad that you no doubt need the science nerds to become the pathologists and those who can muster a smile at the sight of a heart-sink patient to become GPs.

Does this mean a medical student lottery system is needed? They are used at some Dutch universities, with apparent success. And in terms of social equity, a lottery is fairer than selecting on straight academic scores, where going to an expensive school may provide an unmerited advantage.

Blind chance in other words. Until there is robust, published evidence about the reliability of the selection processes being used, the current system seems justified by blind pretence.

From: australiandoctor.com.au

Vince Disel SG

A quiz:

Whats the largest organ of the body? Why do people have food allergies? Is fever beneficial to the human immune system? Can adults break down lactose in milk?

These are pretty interesting questions. Try to find their answers, you would be suprised!