MBBS Enrichment Year 2018-19

BSc Neuroscience at University of Bristol Yan Tsz Hin Benedict MBBS III UID: 3035386843 STATISTICS The compulsory unit Concepts and Skills opened my eyes to a completely new discipline of statistics. Together with skills for reading and writing scientific papers, I was well equipped for the extensive unit readings and the research project in the spring semester. My favourite teaching activity in the unit was marking our peers’ writings, which offered us a great opportunity to learn from our peers. CARDIOLOGY The Heart in Health and Disease explored molecular events in the normal and diseased hearts. It not only supplemented the physiology and pathology I have learnt in CPRS block during MBBS year one, but also taught me new experimental techniques in electrophysiology. I particularly enjoyed listening to outstanding professors in the field talking about their own research findings, briefing us on the history of major discoveries in cardiac physiology. LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM Work-life balance is as important as acquiring knowledge this year. I am part of various student groups in Bristol including the choir church, an a cappella group, and a Hong Kong student Christian fellowship. This has gave me a sense of belonging and opportunities to fulfil my aspirations in this foreign city. More importantly, from these activities I realised our cultural differences in daily life and work, which, albeit large, is not at all a hurdle for me in mingling with local as well as other international students. RESEARCH PROJECT My project, titled Differential cholinergic sensitivity within the hippocampus , involved performing IHC on neurons to study the morphology of hippocampal CA1PCs, and matched it with its electrophysiological response on cholinergic modulation. I have come up with findings that challenged previous studies, summarised them in a 5,000- word dissertation and presented my work in front of professors and classmates. Weeks 1 – 2: Concepts and Skills Weeks 3 – 6: The Heart in Health and Disease Weeks 7 – 10: Synaptic Cell Biology Weeks 11 – 14: Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders Week 15 onwards: Research Project SYNAPATIC BIOLOGY In Synaptic Cell Biology , I was mesmerised by the close molecular interactions that paves the way to normal neuronal communication, and the rigor of experimental evidence in proving the existence and role of various proteins in the synapse. Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders was an amalgam of the clinical and biochemical perspectives to the diseases. I benefitted immensely from the latter in particular, which largely relied on animal models and empirical evidence historically. In a nutshell, it taught me other approaches to neuropsychiatric diseases on top of the clinical perspective that I have been accustomed to in the MBBS curriculum. NEUROLOGY & PSYCHIATRY Yan Tsz Hin Benedict 193