PHYS30001: Cardiovascular Health: Genes & Hormones

3 mid-semester tests (20% each), 3 assignments (2x 10%, 1x15%) (no exams!)

This subject is split into 3 themes, each with 10 lectures on assessable content, 1 Q&A session, and 1 mid-semester test during the 12th lecture slot (weeks 4, 8 and 12). I am going to mention the structure of the tutes below, since there were only 3 and each of them were run a different way.

Theme A: Blood Pressure – Causes and Consequences

Theme A covered blood pressure and looked at some aspects of cardiac disease. The lecturer was really great as he explained everything really well. It is a good idea to revise your 2nd year Physiology lectures on the Cardiovascular System and the Kidneys beforehand, as he does assume you remember the basics!

The tute for this theme was more of an opportunity to ask questions and clarify difficult areas, although the lecturer did go over some of the areas he could only touch on during the lectures. It’s also a good opportunity to ask any questions you have about the assignment.

The test for Theme A was 40 MCQs and a sample test was provided.

The assignment involved drawing up a flow-chart that outlined various cardiovascular responses to a particular situation. This assignment seemed straightforward, however over 100 people failed. I think this was mainly due to not going into the amount of detail he expected from us, but sadly this was not included in the instructions (as we were told to construct a 'simple' flow chart :/ ), so make sure you clarify with the lecturer exactly how much detail you need to go into.

Theme B: Perspective on the Heart

This theme covered cardiac cells and cardiac action potentials in detail. While I found the content interesting, I wasn't a big fan of the way the lectures were presented. For the first 15 minutes of the lecture, we were quizzed on the previous lecture, which isn't a bad thing, but it was done in a slightly intimidating way. If you do plan on attending these lectures in person, it's a good idea to revise the previous lecture and know what was covered, or else invest in an empty-lecture-seat costume in the hope that you won't have to stammer an impromptu answer into the microphone for the entire cohort to hear.

The tute was an opportunity to look more in depth at an article that we would write on for the assignment. During the tute, several PhD students presented a short talk on three articles. Based on these presentations, we had to choose which article we wanted to do for the assignment. It's a good idea to actually read the articles beforehand so you don't end up choosing one that is a bit more challenging than you expected (oops). After we chose our articles, we were then put into groups and had to dissect the main points of the article/come up with opposing views (depending on which group you were in).

The test for this section was also 40 MCQs but the questions were quite wordy which meant lots of reading which meant running out of time. Sample questions were also provided.

Theme C: Programming & Reprogramming

Theme C covered cardiovascular pregnancy adaptations and was probably my favourite theme. Many of the lectures overlapped with each other which made revision much easier. The lecturers for this theme were good and I can't find fault with them.

For the assignment, we selected one of 4 articles on LMS, so when we turned up to the tute, we just went to the group for the article we had chosen. We were given worksheets (which were helpful) and were made clear on what was expected of us in the assignment. For the assignment, we had to write both a lay summary and a scientific summary on the article (this is actually very similar to the assignment for the subject Frontiers in Physiology, so you do get a bit of practise that way). This is due during the exam period.

The MST was split into 25 MCQs and 25 extended MCQs. The test did cover some of the experimental results obtained from journal articles (these were referred to in some questions e.g. 'Blah and deBlah (2014) said that…') so make sure you know these.

Final thoughts

Overall, this was a good subject. It was very popular, with many people choosing it because there were no exams. However, it's important to keep up-to-date since you don't have swotvac to catch up if you fall behind, and to understand exactly what is expected of you in the assignments.

If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me

Yes, with screen capture

Various

Sample questions provided for Theme A and Theme B, none provided for Theme C

3/5

None, lecture notes are sufficient. Journal articles are provided as reference in case you need further clarification, but are not assessed. Silverthorn/lecture notes from 2nd year physiology may be useful for revision.

3x 1hr lectures per week, 3x 2hr tutorials during semester (1 for each theme)

2014, Semester 2

Assignment worth 10-15% and test worth 20% at the end of each Theme.

You can read the Handbook entry for subject content so I'll just talk about the assessments. Workload was pretty light throughout semester since there were only 10 lectures for each Theme so we could basically forget everything after the Theme test. For the Theme A test, 10 essay questions (1 question from each lecture) were uploaded onto the LMS prior to the test, and 3 of these will be examined. Many students leave test preparation to the last minute so many did not perform as well as expected (Class average H3). I recommend working in study groups for this and prepare early to maximise chances of getting good marks.

Theme B test was MCQ. Some sample questions were uploaded prior to test but that was it. Lots of memory work for this test so make sure you know your lectures well!

Theme C was a let down. They ran out of things to teach so they incorporated the renal/kidney system with the CVS with an emphasis on kidney development. The lectures were rushed and the last 2 lectures were examined in the same week as the test. Test was in short answer form and no practice questions were provided.

The assignments involved reviewing a journal article or responding to a Physiological problem. The more time you put in, the more likely you'll get a good mark.

The major downside for this subject is that there was no feedback for any of the assignments (except grades) and when feedback was requested, only a sentence of feedback was given with no opportunity for consultation.

I recommend this subject for anyone interested in pursuing a major in Physiology.

Yes, with screen capture.

Questions provided prior to Theme A test. Sample questions for Theme B test (MCQ). No questions provided for Theme C test.

2.5/5

Relevant research papers uploaded on LMS

Weekly 3 x 1 hour lectures and three 2-hour workshops throughout semester. Course was split into 3 Themes, each theme had around 10 lectures so there were weeks where there was just 1 lecture.

H2A