This
is brief account of the various departments you
can find in the main building. All the departments
have well trained staff with minor exceptions. With
the changing syllabus, each of these departments
have a really busy schedule of seminars and presentations.
Teaching style and practicals differ with each department.
The
Department of ANATOMY: This the first
department that all the medical undergraduates
are ushered into. It's probably the biggest department
in the main building with separate labs for Dissection,
Histology and a few lecture halls. The staff are
a bit hard nosed to start but tend to get more
mellower as time passes by. The Dissection hall
brings to memory our golden days as First Year
Students. We still get a few students passing
off at the site os so many dead bodies and the
prospect of cutting them open. The lectures are
really good with the department. Among the First
M. B. B. S. subjects this is probably the toughest
to pass. For prospering in the exams you have
to be good at drawing diagrams along with some
text. Diagrams are the key to success here. Practicals
are easier but still you have to be well prepared
especially if there's a dissection practical.
Records are only there for Histology practicals.
Good drawing is necessary.
The
Department of BIOCHEMISTRY: Another one
of the departments where we have memories of spending
hours in the lab. Instead of dead bodies, we had
run some experiments on our own urine samples! Our
Vice Principal Dr. Sulekha is the Head of the Department.
The lectures by some of the senior faculty are excellent.
But then, since it's biochemistry, most of the students
get bored within a short time of the start of the
lecture. Can't blame the lecturers though. The exams
are relatively easy and this subject can get you
some high grades. Records are very important to
get you good practical marks.
The
Department of Physiology: The most liked
department by most of the students in the later
years. That's probably due to the subject. Physiology
is the kingpin of all the cool subjects of your
pre / para clinical life. Though the lecture hall
is small, the lectures are really classy. The labs
are divided into Experimental Physiology, Hematology
and Biophysics. The EP Lab is virtually extinct
now because of the ban on experimenting on animals.
Hematology labs bring memories of pricking yourself
with a lancet every other day. Altogether, this
deartment is fun. This is where real gold medallists
start their hunt. Records are multiple. They should
be kept in good order.
The
Department of Pharmacology: This is the
place where our second M. B. B. S. Begins. The lectures
are mind capturing when delivered by a set of Professors.
Otherwise, you can find enough time to catch up
with the lost sleep due to an HBO movie the other
day. The labs are pretty boring. Pharmacy classes
are not at all useful for the future. Here if you
work hard enough mugging up, you'll definitely get
a high grade. The records are just plain write up
work.
The
Department of Microbiology: Along with
Pharmacology, the department generally is dull.
The lectures are boring on most of the days. The
labs are even more hypnotic. I must admit that we
are learning some hard core basics of the laboratory
functions like Gram Staining and Zeihl Neilson Staining
here. You have to draw a lot of slides in the records.
The
Department of Pathology: This whole department
is located in a separate bulding. So it has it's
own class. The lectures are great. Practicals are
really intersting and you should put some time into
them. Pathology is the stepping stone to the Clinical
Subjects in our Curriculum. Like Physiology this
subject and the department are well liked in the
Departments. The deparment is another one where
Professors are a little bit on the rougher side.
But then that's because they have to work on hundreds
of specimens arriving from the hospitals each day.
There is a Clinical Pathology Section located in
the hospitals. There is a separate posting for this
too. In general, that posting is very underutilised
by the students. The record work in interesting
but a little time consuming.
The
Department of Forensic Medicine: The
lectures are interesting in this department. But
the practicals aren't so. From the post mortems
near the hospital to the demostration at the hall
(which might bring some interest to those who love
guns) it's all a big useless experience. The staff
are fun in the department. This is the easiest subject
to get good grades as there is just the one small
text book you need to learn. Records are a dull
drab experience.
The
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine: Nothing
can describe this department. In general the most
disliked by our fellow students. The lectures are
really boring. The practicals even more so. The
only worthwhile thing to remember about the Department
are the tours that it offers. During the various
postings based on SPM during the undergraduate years,
you get to visit a lot of very picturesque places
all across Thiruvananthapuram. The record work is
heavy. From the entrance point of view, this subject
is a gold mine.
Top