BMS1031: Medical Biophysics

Note: Some of the assessment information below may not match the information given in the 2018 unit guide, as there were some last minute changes made.

4 x Moodle quizzes (2% each; 8% total)
The quizzes involved 8 multiple-choice and short answer questions in 55 minutes (with immediate feedback). You don't really need the 55 minutes, but they can be useful to recheck your answers or look through your notes to help you find the answer. Each quiz allowed 2 attempts, with your best score taken as your mark for that quiz. The quizzes were based on the topics of: fluids & energy (2); electrcity/bioelectricity; waves & optics). Non-assessed practise quizzes (which were similar in format to the actual quizzes) were also available for revision.

Practical work (25%)
There were various practical activities throughout semester. Physics lab work was worth 19% of the overall unit grade, while the physiology component was worth 6%.

There were two types of physics activities: experiments (13%), which involved experimental work, collecting data, and analysing the data; and tutorials (6%), which involved the completion of pre-lab exam style questions, which were then discussed and peer corrected in the first 10 minutes of class. Experimental work was assessed through the completion of a logbook, which contained all experimental data and analysis, which was handed in a week or so after the lab. Tutorials were assessed based on effort put into the questions and correction based on peer discussion. During the actual tutorials themselves, we were given the opportunity to complete a Moodle quiz of bonus questions, which were MCQs were either exam-level difficulty or above. Correct answering of these bonus questions contributed overall to a bonus 2% added to your overall grade.

There were three practical classes for physiology (1 cardiovascular, and 2 MEMPOT). The classes themselves generally involved working through a simulation of some sort and answering questions based on that. Assessment for these labs were in quiz format (either MCQ or short answer).

Question set (5%)
This was a take home problem set of about 4 questions on the fluids & energy topic. The questions were of exam difficulty, and gave a taste of the type of questions to be expected in the exam.

Fact sheet (10%)
This was a one-sided A4, scientific-style fact sheet on a topic related to one of the unit topics, where we were required to describe the physics and/or physiology principles related to that topic. I personally felt the rubric criteria was somewhat unforgiving, but maybe it was just me

BMS professional development module (2%)
This was a last minute addition to the assessment for BMS1031 . This is the first module (of five) in the BMS PDP program, and was moved from BMS1011 (for which I assume to simplify the sequence of modules for both double and single degree students). The assessment essentially involves the selection and description of two career-related experiences which you can complete by semester 2.

End of semester exam (50%)
The end of semester exam was 3 hours long, and examined all lecture material. The exam contained mostly short answer questions (minimal MCQs- 1 or 2), and was weighted approximately ~80% physics and ~20% physiology, which was consistent with the number of lectures given for each topic. A formula sheet containing several formulas from the physics topics was provided. Approved scientific calculators were permitted. Hurdle requirement of 50% (on the exam) to pass the unit.

This unit contains two parts: physics and physiology. The physics portion covers 1st year level physics, while the physiology portion essentially provides a grounding for later BMS units. I didn't do year 12 physics, but I heard that the physics content in this unit definitely goes above and beyond that of VCE physics. Given that, I think this unit provides a good introduction to physics, even for those who have had minimal previous physics exposure. The lectures were split into well-defined topics, with an effort made to apply biomedical principles to each topic:

• - Fluids & Energy. This was the largest topic, and covered key foundations in physics, including: motion, energy, and gases. This lecture series also contained two lectures on cardiovascular physics.
• - Electricity. 4 lectures on various topics on the foundations of electricity. There were also 3 lectures on bioelectricity (which was probably my favourite topic), covering how cells (especially neurons) communicate using electricity (setting membrane potential, action potentials, etc.). In my opinion, this part was probably the most difficult of the unit, so be sure to pay attention and seek clarification.
• - Waves & Optics. 3 lectures covering the basics of waves, sound, light rays, refraction/reflection, lenses, and human vision. This lecture series also included a lecture on bioimaging, which covered the different imaging methods used in biomedical science.
• - Radiation. A 3-lecture introduction to the different types of ionising radiation (X-rays, alpha, beta, gamma), how they are created and interact with matter, how their harmful effects can be minimised (dosimetry and protection), and how they are applied in medicine for treatments and imaging.

This unit provided a relatively detailed introduction to university physics. Probably one of the harder first year first semester BMS units, although personally I still found most of the lecture content to be somewhat interesting.

There were 3 streams for each lecture. The topic lecturer for each stream was either the same or varied.
- Prof. Kristian Helmerson [unit co-ordinator - physics] - Fluids & Energy
- Michael Ferguson - Fluids & Energy; Waves & Optics
- A/Prof. Chris Wright - Cardiovascular Physics
- Prof. German Valencia - Electricity
- Dr Agnieszka Gorecka - Electricity; Radiation
- Prof. Helena Parkington [unit co-ordinator - physiology] - Bioelectricity; Bioimaging

For the physics component, past exams from 2006 - 2016 (with answers) were made available. I highly recommend attempting as many of these as possible, as you will notice that past questions are often reused.

As per BMS policy, no practise exams for the physiology component were provided, although some practise questions for each physiology topic (without answers) were made available via Moodle. In my opinion, these practise questions were not that similar to the actual exam questions, but still provided an opportunity to practise your application skills, which are important in physiology.

3.5 out of 5. This unit was structured quite well, with the practical classes aligning closely with lecture content, and assessments relatively well-paced throughout semester. However, I felt that there could have been more feedback for some assessments.

Yes, with screen capture.

Relevant chapters and review questions for both textbooks were provided for each physics lecture.

• - Recommended: Physics for Biosciences (1e) by Lazendic-Galloway for Monash University. This is a custom textbook designed for this unit. The topics follow the lecture content closely, but often goes into extra detail which was not required. This textbook is essentially a compilation of the relevant chapters from various texts (including Giancoli below).
• - Physics, principles with applications (6e) by Giancoli. This is the 'alternate' text for the physics section.

Per week: 2 x 1-hour lectorial, 1 x 2-hour practical

The lectures were listed as 'lectorials' in the timetable, but were really just standard lecture-format classes. There were 3 different streams, which I felt somewhat compromised the information given in each stream (for example, different lecturers may have taken different streams for the same topic).

The practical classes were held in the PACE studios, where you would be allocated to table groups of ~10 students. The practical activity varied by week, and I have described these in the assessment section.

PASS was also available for this unit (1 x 1-hour class per week), although I did not register for these.

Semester 1, 2018.
This unit is only available in Semester 1.

HD

This is a core (and therefore compulsory) unit in the Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences. It is partly paired with PHS1030, so you'll be sharing 2/3 lectures with them per week (labs are separate, and you'll be split up for a couple of lectures during Electricity, Radiation and Waves and Optics. They also aren't part of your physiology lectures).

This is an interesting unit for those who like physics and how it relate to the body/to medical practices. The lecturers aren't the best, and the content can be a bit tough (especially at the beginning) for those who have no background in physics. Reading the textbook and doing questions helps, but ultimately lectures are the best source of information.

The unit is co-handled by the School of Physics (represented by Professor Kris Helmerson) and the School of Physiology (represented by Professor Helena Parkington).

You will have 8 physics labs (buoyancy, fluid flow, forces in biomechanics, energy, centrifuges, electricity, optics and radiation) and 2 physiology labs (cardiovascular systems and membrane potentials). The labs are reasonable easy, and you work in groups of 3.

There are 4 online Moodle quizzes throughout the unit (Fluids/Energy, Electricity, Waves and Optics, Radiation). These can be a little tricky, but you get two attempts and they take the highest grade. There are non-assessed quizzes with similar question for each topic that you can take prior to the actual quizzes, as many times as you want.

Two assignments are set during the course:

• Question set - basically a worksheet.
• Factsheet - a research project on a topic that you select from a list. The report/poster that you create can only be a single-sided A4 paper.

As for lecturers:

• Associate Professor John Cashion (Fluids, Forces and Energy) - Fairly old, prone to pausing for pretty significant periods of time after asking a question (no-one ever answers). Decent lecturer otherwise, and will answer any question you have after the lecture.
• Dr. Jasmina Lazendic-Galloway (Fluids, Forces and Energy) - Good lecturer, has a slight accent but it's not a problem. Also happy to answer your questions after the lecture.
• Associate Professor Ross Young (Physiology - Cardiovascular Systems) - Good lecturer, bit of a weird sense of humour but gets the lecture material across in a effective manner. Will sometimes use a prop for demonstrations (i.e. balloon etc)
• Dr. Leo Cussen (Electricity/Radiation) - Okay lecturer, tends to gloss over some of the harder stuff but is very well-meaning and will stay back long after the lecture to answer questions in a helpful manner.
• Professor Helena Parkington (Physiology - Bioelectricity, Optics) - Good lecturer, but slightly insane. Has a fairly strong accent (Irish/Scottish? Not easily identifiable), and uses a lot of British colloquialisms. Not the most helpful of people (assumes a lot from you, won't post answers to the pre-exam prep questions she posts on Moodle). Will answer questions via email and the Moodle forum, but can be a little bit roundabout.
• Mr. Ali Moghimi (Waves and Optics) - Decent lecturer, but hard to understand. Has a very thick Arabic accent, and mispronounces words a bit. Will answer questions but not very patient.

The exam is decent. I found it quite easy (having no physics background whatsoever), as it was generally just applications of formulae (a formula sheet is provided). Only trick they put in is unit conversion; I recalled just after the exam that m³≠L . The exam is in two parts; Part A - Physics (116 marks, this may vary each year) and Part B - Physiology (24 marks, also subject to variation by year). The only real revision I did for the exam was past papers (for the physics component) and rewatched lectures (for physiology).

Some. Most relevant ones uploaded to Moodle page by course admins, others available by searching the online library database.

3.5/5

Yes, with screen capture

• Physics for Biosciences - Jasmina Lazendic-Galloway (custom book, contains sections from Physics by Giancoli and other books)
• Neuroscience - Exploring the Brain - Bear et al.

Not necessary to buy either, really - but Physics for Biosciences is extremely useful, especially for those who haven't done physics before.

Semester 1, 2013

D