1

2012 ; 85 : 1



2


3



Editor in Chief:
Josh Nielsen
Assistant Editor:
James Tadjkarimi
Arts editor
extraordinaire:

Tom
Baddeley
Marketing editor:
Lucy Waite

Production editor:
Katie Lunn

C o n t e n t s
4 : Editorial
5 : Medchir Presidential Addresses
6-7 : Talking The Talk: Medical School Jargon
8-9 : The Long Road To Doctorhood
10-11 : Societies
12-13 : Book Reviews
14-15 : Electives 101
16 : The Dos and Donts of 1
st
Dissection
17 : Agony Aunties
18-19 : Glasgow Nights Out
20-21 : Family Planning
21 : MedChir Membership Form
22-23 : A Brief History Of Diabetes
24-27: Joshs Guide To Big Pharma
Cover photo of
Wolfson Medical
School, courtesy of
Zain Kapasi


4
Editorial
Hello and welcome, Freshers, to
Surgo the University of Glasgow
Medical Schools only, and therefore
best, magazine.

The official journal of the MedChir
society, Surgo was first published in
1935. Written by medical students, for
medical students, and free of
stockholders or investors, we enjoy
complete journalistic freedom, beholden
to no one but our readers and the truth,
which is more than the Daily Mail can
say.

This Freshers edition is designed
primarily as a guide to help you get to
grips with your new surroundings and
the fresh challenges of studying
medicine, and thus hopefully smooth
your transition from irresponsible youth
to slightly less irresponsible student
(post-grads notwithstanding). However,
Surgo is not just about studying
medicine, but also about the experience
of being a student, and issues of
relevance in that wider world you will
all too soon emerge into, squinting and
hung-over, to discover theyre handing
you a stethoscope and demanding you
fix this mans raised ASTs. So without
further ado, lets see what the Surgo

team have in store for you this issue:

Your faithful editor will be instructing
you to keep your hands inside the
vehicle at all times as I give you a
guided tour of the 5-6 years of your
medical course. If you stick around Ill
also give you a swift introduction to that
most infamous of businesses, the
pharmaceutical industry, and asking the
important question, are they really that
evil? (Yes, yes they are.)

Assistant editor James Danger
Tadjkarimi has his work cut out for him
first hell be providing you with a
handy guide to the terminology of the
medical school, then explaining the ins
and outs of electives in his Electives 101,
and finally taking a stroll down memory
lane with some 5th year students, to
extract anecdotes and sage advice for
your time at medical school.

Production Editor Katie Lunn will give
you the low down on what texts to burn
your loan on in her book review, and a
quick tour of Glasgow Unis many and
varied societies.

Marketing Editor Lucy Waite will be
leading you thoroughly astray in her
guide to Glasgow nights out. And for the
morning after, in case any of you missed
your sex ed classes in high school, shell
be giving a practical appraisal of
contraceptives in her family planning
guide.

And finally, Arts Editor Tom Baddeley
will be holding your hand and making
soft encouraging noises as he takes you
through the Dos And Dont of your First
Dissection, and later indulges the
history buff in us with A Brief History
Of Diabetes.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Surgo,
and that you have both a great Freshers
week and a great first year.

- Josh Nielsen, Surgo Editor 2012 - 2013



5
!"#$%&' )'"*&#"+,- ./0%&" 1/#2"*/+
Hello Freshers and welcome to Glasgow University!
You can forget all about past papers, personal statements and interview questions - youve
done the hard work and now its time to enjoy it. The University of Glasgows
MedicoChirurgical Society is one of Glasgows oldest societies, and for the past 210 years has
been providing entertainment and educational events, and generally keeping our med
students happy!
Last year was crammed with events kicking off the year with fun and games was the Integration night exclusively
for freshers, coconut shies and ball dresses at our brilliant annual MedChir Ball, and our infamous Beer Olympics
(with skills demonstrated to rival this summers events). Then it was time for everyone to get a taste of all our
medic sports teams at Sports Day, ready for our weekend trip to Edinburgh for the annual Scottish and Northern
Irish Medics Sports tournament (SNIMS). 2012 is our year to host SNIMS and the 600+ students from the other
unis, so keep your eyes peeled and your sports kit and fancy dress ready last time we hosted we won the
tournament and this year were set to repeat that!
The fun continued all year with our charity pubcrawl, fieldtrip to Leeds Uni, invasion of the Glasgow subway
system by scrubs-wearing medical students with our most successful Scrubby yet, and to round off the end of the
year, the Debates Chamber of the GUU was packed to the rafters to see the fantastic talents our students have to
offer at our annual MedChir Revue, with everything from singers, to comedy, to pole dancing!
In between the socialising we also have many events to get your brains ticking. This year we had talks from the ex-
chief superintendent head of crime specialist support about the logistics of major incidents, a Specialties Fair with
speakers from across Glasgow hospitals and not forgetting our yearly Curry and Neuro Skills night.
As you can see MedChir has something to suit everyone and we want nothing more than for you all to get stuck in
and enjoy everything on offer. There are also tonnes of other societies youll hear about later on get involved in
anything that interests you, its always a great way to meet people.
So well see you when it all begins at Integration Night, the start of the best five years of your life!
Congratulations! You have just overcome the biggest hurdle in becoming a doctor-
earning a place in medical school. The next 5 (or 6) years promise to be some of the
most memorable of your life as you begin your career within the medical profession and
get to know your classmates many of whom will become lifelong friends, colleagues (and
maybe more)!
Glasgow University Medical School has undergone some changes in recent years which
have been well received by your fellow students and Im confident that after your time here you will emerge as
confident and skilled young doctors who will continue to uphold the excellent professional reputation of
doctors trained here in Glasgow.
However, your time at University is not just about providing you with the necessary skills and knowledge to be a
competent doctor, but also about preparing yourselves for the demands and challenges of a lifelong career in
medicine. The role of MedChir, one of the oldest student societies in the University, is to provide a forum for
Glasgow University medical students to build and maintain links with postgraduate colleagues as well as a
platform for undergraduates to socialise and learn from fellow students at different stages of the course.
The Glasgow University Med Chir Society provides the ideal mix of social, sporting and educational activities to
enhance the extra-curricular experience of Glasgow University medical students. The committees of the past
few years deserve our congratulations and thanks in revitalising MedChir and I am sure this years committee
will also do a tremendous job in ensuring MedChir remains at the centre of the Glasgow University medical
student experience. However, this can only happen with your support and participation.
I am honoured to be asked to be the 2012 Honorary President and hope to be of some help in allowing the
committee to achieve their goals this year, but am also happy to be contacted by any student who feels I can be
of some help to them. I look forward to meeting you during the educational and some social (although I draw
the line at the Beer Olympics and Scrub Crawl) events in this coming year!


6
PBL - Problem Based Learning
For the next two years of your medical career youll be building on your knowledge with
Problem Based Learning, aka PBL. As a group of eight with the addition of a staff facilitator ,
youll spend four hours each week talking and drawing about different body systems and
various pathologies.
Hopefully youll have known a bit about PBL before you got here, as its a subject that tends to
divide many some of you will dig it, others not so much. To the systems credit, its great
way of getting to know your fellow students by frantically churning out everything you learnt the
night before; but like most things in life, you get out what you put in.
FRS - Fixed Resource Session
Many an hour of first year was enjoyed with
/squandered on these little gems. They can
unfortunately be quite variable and dependent on
subject matter. Some will involve reading from
posters and jotting down answers, and others will
be a bit more eccentric like dunking your arms in
iced buckets of water to check pain-threshold
(definitely one of the more fun ones).
Despite their inconsistence in interest, a high
proportion of exam questions are based on their
content, so you would be foolish to miss em.
VS - Vocational Studies
Vocational studies is Glasgows way of teaching you all the bits and bobs
needed to be a doctor that dont fall under the Science umbrella. That includes
bedside manner, communication skills, and visits to hospitals and GP practices so
you can adequately talk to patients without sounding like a socially awkward
robot.
Your VS tutor will guide you through the ups and downs of difficult patients, moral
and ethical dilemmas as well as teaching you how to take a decent history.
Thankfully you start honing your skills by talking to simulated patients a fancy
way of saying actors employed by the medical school to fake a gammy knee,
which takes some of the pressure off.
Assistant Editor James Tadjkarimi provides an introduction to the Smrgsbord of med school jargon


7
Coursework (Ok, pretty self-explanatory meaning, but youll still be talking about it)
No getting away from this one im afraid. Theres a pretty ample amount of coursework
in your first two years. All of it quite varied and arse-numbingly dull. But it does all
count towards your end of year grade so does hold importance.
You do tend to get quite long deadlines to complete most pieces, but that wont stop
many of you from starting the day before the deadline; pulling all-nighters with a
truckload of pro plus for company.
SSC - Student Selected Component
This is basically your chance to pick an area of medicine that youre really interested
in to find out more about. The med school gives you a pretty varied list of things to
choose from like paediatric anaesthetics or global health. Choose wisely padawans,
some of these SSCs will result in a bit of a holiday for a five week period with only a 4
hour week. Others may total 40, on top of massive essays. But bare in mind that there
are something that you might not get to focus on in future clinical years and it could
very well influence your career path. Another bonus is that you can propose your own
SSCs, so if theres something youre really interested in and you can find someone to
supervise a project- ask the med school, they may just let you do it.
Plenary
A wolf in sheeps clothing, this is just a fancy way of
saying a lecture. An hour of your life usually at
the worst possible time in the week - think 9 AM on
Friday morning after a debauched evening at the
HIVE. In first year they tend to focus on areas of
PBL that are a bit more difficult to grasp.
In third year, be prepared for one every weekday
at 4 pm, unless they change things up for future
years. I could be a bit more brutal about that fact;
but there arent enough swear words in the
universe.
SL Student Library
Formerly the Study Landscape, the name was recently changed to one which
actually made sense. Located on the first floor of the Wolfson Building (be careful, the
Wolfsons lifts count the basement car park as ground floor), and stocked with most of
the textbooks youll need for PBLs, coursework and exams, the SL is the place you will
spend the majority of your studying time (what used to be known as your social life).
There are rigid Downton Abbey-esque codes etiquette that you break at your peril,
such as not peeing in the printers, but as long as you show some basic consideration
for your fellow students youll avoid a telling off.


8
Year 1 The Honeymoon

First year is a euphoric and joyous time, a time to socialize
and make as many friends as possible, even if only for the
duration of a night. Enjoy it to the full, for never again, at
least in your medical career, will you be so free of real
responsibility. The subjects studied in first year are designed
to give you an introduction to the fundamentals of medicine,
and most of the topics you cover youll study in more depth
in later years. You will have the odd assessment, such as the
MILE, which attempts to give PBL scenarios a thrilling edge
by requiring you to complete one in 24 hours, but these are
all pretty straight forward, and as long as you remember
sometime in April that exams are on the horizon, youll do
just fine.
1st year - Exactly like this.
Year 2 Oh, So You Like Science Do You?

Time to get real. Youre doing medicine dammit, its not supposed to be easy,
and boy will you come to know it. In second year you can no longer cruise by
on a quick flick through Tortora and Fac Notes the morning before. Forget all
those nice friends you made in first year - in-depth biochemistry, histology and
physiology will be your new and unceasingly dull companions. On top that, as
well as written exams, 2
nd
year will also be your first encounter with a real
OSCE. Just make sure you turn up to the right hospital for it, as people have
been known to make mistakes with this in the past.

Your new best friend.
Year 3 Your Guess Is As Good As Mine

Here we enter unknown territories if this were Google Maps,
thered be nothing but dragons and a loading screen. Due to
decisions somewhere in the upper echelons of the medical school
hierarchy, the 3
rd
year was recently restructured to allow students to
begin their clinical phases midway through the year, in contrast to
previous years which left placements till 4
th
year. Whether this will
continue is unknown. In terms of curriculum however, 3
rd
year is a
welcome relief after the rigours of 2
nd
year, as the abstract science is
traded for a real clinical focus, giving you your first realistic glimpse
of the knowledge youll use day-to-day as a doctor.

Somewhere in there are the plans
for 3
rd
year
The Long Road To Doctor-hood
Your cartographic editor leads you through the 5-6 years of your medical course.


9
Intercal Make Mine A Double

Between 3
rd
and 4
th
year you have the option of applying
to do an intercalated degree, thus netting yourself a handy
extra BSc for your time at medical school. Intercal is an
opportunity for you to study something that interests
you, be it a clinical field like psychology or sports
medicine, or a more academic one such as Biomed or
Life Sciences. Though this may sound fun, the decision
to undertake an intercal should not be made lightly not
only is it another year of uni to pay for, the assessment
schedule can be a new level of academic intensity
altogether.
You, with your cool two degrees.
Year 4 Placements

Hopefully by this point youll have been acclimatized to the
realities of studying medicine, as from this point on the
going only gets tougher. 4
th
year consists of 5 week clinical
attachments all over the West of Scotland, often quite
some distance from the cosy West End, which means
staying in hospital accommodation unless you want a 2
hour commute each morning. On the bright side a lot of
the more remote hospitals give excellent teaching, which is
something youll definitely be in need of while fourth
years contains no exams, dont let it lull you into a false
sense of security, as the next exams you sit will be
Youll probably be back
here again.
Year 5 The End Is Nigh

Yep, Finals. Youll have a couple more
attachments, then a short revision period before
the apocalyptic exams later in the year. If theres
one reason not to burn your PBL notes on a
triumphant victory fire come results day, its this,
as you can be examined on almost anything from
the previous 5 years of study. After the main
exams are over, youll have a further 10-week
shadowing period, and then hey presto, youre a
doctor. That wasnt so bad now, was it?
Youll be like these guys! But much
more stressed and tired.


10
Glasgow Medico-chirurgical Society (MedChir)
Our very own MedChir... The University of Glasgow Medico-Chirurgical Society, AKA MedChir,
is one of Glasgow University's longest running societies and has been making Thursday nights
fun (and some Friday mornings fuzzy) since 1802. It's responsible for organising the biggest and
best social nights, educational events and sports teams for Glasgow medical students, and is an
amazing way of meeting like-minded folk from all years and relaxing after a hard weeks work.

If you already have a burning desire to specialise in something like Neurology or Anaesthetics these are
the societies for you - even if you just fancy finding out more about a certain specialty, these specialist
interest societies run regular lectures and clinical skills workshops where you can find out more about
careers and topical issues or just brush up on your clinical skills. If you dont see a society for
your favourite specialty why not get some pals together and set one up!
Societies
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Feeling charitable?
Glasgow Marrow
Glasgow Medics Against Violence Student Society
Students for Kids International Projects (SKIP) Glasgow
MedSIN
Red Cross
Sexpression Glasgow
Glasgow Straight Talk
Teddy Bear Hospital Glasgow

Glasgow Undergraduate Neuro Interest
Group (Glasgow Neuro)
Glasgow Oncology Society
Glasgow University Surgical Society (GUSS)
Glasgow University Psychiatry Interest
Group (GUPIG)
Glasgow University Cardiovascular Society
Glasgow University Paediatrics Society
Glasgow University GP Society (GUGPS)
Glasgow Orthopaedics and
Rheumatology Society (GORS)
Glasgow University Radiology
Interest Group (GURIG)
Glasgow University
Anaesthetics Society
Medical and Surgical
Emergencies Society
Glasgow University Mountain
Medicine Society


11
University Societies
As if that wasnt enough to keep you busy there are also hundreds of University societies open
to all students. Just head on down to the Freshers Fair. From Astronomy to Zero Carbon
Awareness- you will find a society for you! Some favourites include Chivalric Dreams, Students
of a Jane Austen Persuasion, or how about the QMU Whiskey Club- now youre in Scotland it
would be rude not too!

Interested? Head to the Freshers Fair!
To find out more about all the societies on offer head along to the Freshers Fairs both at the main
University building and the medical school during freshers week. You can also find all the SRC-affiliated
societies listed here: http://www.glasgowstudent.net/clubs. Most societies also have a facebook
page/group so get searching! Be sure to keep checking facebook and your emails once term begins as
most societies will hold introduction nights to welcome you to their society towards the beginning of
term.

Do you have an interest in journalism or writing in general?

Are you curious about the influence of the wider world on medicine, and vice versa?

Do you have an opinion or perspective you think should be heard?

Join the writing team at
Surgo!

Breath-taking (- Stephen Fry), Visionary ( - William Shatner) and The scalpel-sharp
edge of modern medical journalism ( - Alan Jardine) are all phrases that have never been
used in reference to Surgo, but perhaps YOU could be the one to change that!

If youre interested or want to know more,
e-mail Josh at surgo_editor@hotmail.com.

Carlsberg doesnt do magazines,
cause if we did, Surgo would put
us out of business in a week
Carlsberg guy
Reading Surgo got my sexy
back.
Justin Timberlake
NO. I will not answer one single
more question on the rumoured
relationship between myself and the
editor of Surgo. Transformers blah
blah blah Megan Fox



12
Book Reviews
With Production Editor Katie Lunn
One of the first things on your mind when you start med school is
probably what textbooks to buy. Actually its probably the last thing on
your mind but still, heres some info about textbooks that will come in
handy for you over the next 5-6 years. I have to admit that if I had to
recommend the best textbook of all, though somewhat controversial,
it would have to be... Wikipedia! Whether you agree with using
good old Dr Wikipedia or not its a good starting place when
researching new topics.
Principles of Anatomy and Physiology - Tortora
A fantastic book for first year as it introduces you nicely to the very basics of
anatomy and physiology. Organized by system rather than region, this allows you
to relate the anatomy to the function as you learn.

Colour Atlas of Human Anatomy - McMinns
Really useful anatomy book for using to prepare for/alongside your cadaver
dissections. It contains large pictures of cadaver dissections in excellent detail as
well as great surface anatomy to help you to orientate yourself around the body.
Extremely useful for anatomy.
First Year
Fundamentals of Anatomy & Physiology - Martini
A very user friendly book providing the basics of anatomy and physiology, some
copies come with an interactive CD and Atlas of the Human Body as well as the
textbook. People often switch between this and Tortora for first year, so check out
both to find your personal preference.


Clinical Medicine - Kumar and Clarke
If you only want to buy one book, this is a good one to go with! It is basically the
bible of pre-clinical medicine. Every disease imaginable is included and laid out in a
very comprehensive DASPITE (youll soon know what this stands for!) format.
Again includes an online resource which is much easier to search and includes
downloadable pictures and diagrams.


13
Second Year And Beyond
Oxford Handbook of Medical Sciences
Concentrates on the basic medical sciences starting with the general principles of cells and
metabolism, followed by chapters for each of the body systems. Each chapter is laid out in a
really comprehensive way following anatomy then function and finally clinical application.
Very good for revision also and it is small enough to fit easily in your bag!
Medical Embryology - Langmans
A great little embryology book, definitely worth a look during the dreaded child development block of 2
nd
year!
Includes a useful online resource with very good illustrations to help you understand developmental stages, plus
sections on abnormalities and genetics.
Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine (aka Cheese & Onion)
Once you have reached clinical years this is an amazing little book to carry with you on placement. It contains all
the clinically relevant information you need to know about most common presentations. Very useful for
reference on placement- also free copies are often given to students by MPS, MDDU etc. It is also great for
diagnosing yourself with everything from lupus to lymphoma whenever youre slightly under the weather.
Macleods Clinical Examination
Excellent book for clinical examinationss, but written by Edinburgh University staff so
aimed at their students. Some discrepancies with the way we are taught things in Glasgow
so its good for learning general examination skills in the first few years but can confuse
you for 3rd and final year OSCEs which expect you to perform the Glasgow way.

Human Physiology - Vanders
An excellent physiology textbook that, while not quite so beginner friendly as Tortora or
Martini, surpasses both in explaining in-depth physiology, and can be particularly useful
for some PBLs where youre struggling with the explanations in other textbooks.
! " # $ %
!"#$% '( )*+$, !,$"'+- !"!#$$%
Strongly recommended by the now-retired proessor o anatomy,
John Shaw Dunn, this textbook is a great place to start when studying
anatomy. It proides simpliied diagrams and photos o anatomical
dissections with succinct accompanying text. It is perhaps lacking in
detail, but it is more than adequate to meet the demands o irst year
anatomy. 1here are plenty o copies in the SL, so try it beore you
buy it!
)*+$, ./-%0'#'1- &'$()*
A one stop physiology book, brilliant or supporting your PBLs ater a
read o 1ortora or Martini. It is a detailed book which requires some
basic knowledge beore it is approached, or else it may just conuse
matters . Although the diagrams and photographs are lacking in the
quality demonstrated in other physiology texts, they are supported
well by the actual and inormatie text component o the book.
2$%03 $,4 5#0,03$# 6++*,'#'1- +)',-'$
A brilliant book, withbasic` being the key word here: immunology is a
complex topic that is touched upon in irst year and it is important to
use a textbook you ind easy to understand. 1his book works its way
up rom the immune cells to the lymphoid organs, to the types o im-
mune reactions that take place, hypersensitiity, transplantation, immu-
nodeiciency and much more. It also contains a handy and extensie
78$-9% !,$"'+- ('8 :"*4;,"%
1he explanations accompanying the high-quality diagrams are concise
and inormatie - the book tackles diicult topics and makes them
more easily understood.
Perhaps not as detailed as other anatomy textbooks, but the entire text
is well structured - it is diided into regions o the body - and each o
the sections connect well.
A great book or starting out with anatomy.
&'
Functional Histology Wheaters
For those times when you have to peer down a microscope and pretend to know what
the vague pink and purple blurs on the slide are, this gives a comprehensive guide to the
appearance of different tissues in different parts of the body, with well-labeled pictures
and even a brief bit of anatomy and physiology explaining the functions of the tissue to
help illustrate its appearance.


14
Electives 101

with Assistant-Editor James Tadjkarimi

Lets start by explaining exactly what an elective is for the more
gormless amongst us (dont worry, I didnt know what they were when I
started either.) Electives are clinical placements in whatever specialty
or area you choose. You are required to complete two, at the end of 3
rd

and 4
th
year, each lasting 4 weeks.
The purpose of an elective is for you to gain some experience in any aspect of the practice
of medicine that you may be particularly interested in and gives you a chance to do something
super specialized that the Glasgow curriculum may not be able to offer. If you can imagine going
somewhere and combining it with something medical you can probably do it - trips to the
Antarctic to study ECGs in depth, a scuba diving elective to Honduras and you can even study
space medicine at UCL London. Like I said, if you can imagine it you can probably do it.
So how do I go about organizing one I hear you cry? Fear not; Ive got a handful of golden
rules to make sure you plan your ideal elective.
1) Dont leave it till the last minute
This kind of goes without saying, if theres something you really want to do thats
probably quite popular; plan ahead, and when I say plan ahead I mean by months, or
even by a year if youre looking to do a popular elective like A&E in big South African
Hospitals. Im not saying you wont find anything if you do leave it till the last minute,
but its rare for elective opportunities to fall straight into your lap just like that.

2) Fortune favours the bold
Lets be honest, you may end up having to send emails by the bucket load out to a lot of
consultants that wont know who you are. Often youll get mixed responses like Im
busy that month or never contact me again, leading you all round the houses.
Perseverance is key here; if that consultant didnt seem keen just try a different one
and keep spamming accounts. I guarantee that eventually all the grovelling will pay
off big time.


15
3) Go abroad if you can
Many of you will end up doing your training in the UK, and once that point hits, long
holidays start to get quite sparse. Its not for everyone but I would argue that you can
probably learn quite a great deal culturally and medically on an elective abroad.
Students taking junior electives are encouraged to do so within the UK with senior
ones being done abroad. But that isnt set in stone, so if you really do want to go
abroad and can find a suitable opportunity, the med school rarely refuse.
6) Dont forget grants and bursaries
This really comes hand in hand with abroad electives. We all know travelling and
flights can be expensive, but dont let that discourage you entirely. On Vale there
are a fair few bursary opportunities that can slash your costs by up to 1000
pounds in some cases, and if you do some research there are plenty of others offered
by various specialty institutions across the UK. If you know what you want to do
early on in the year it would be well worth applying.
4) Use and abuse the elective reports
This is a really handy resource and starting point when deciding where you want to
go and what you want to do. It compiles a list of past elective reports from previous
students and gives you an idea of what yours could be like. Another benefit is that
they list their supervisors email addresses saving you from doing a lot of the
legwork.
5) If youve got a contact, abuse that too
Some of you may be from medical backgrounds, and all of you will be hob-knobbing
with dozens of other doctors over the course of your time at medical school. Every
doctor will have done an elective, so every one you meet is a potential contact! Its
called networking people, and its one of those life skills that will stand you in good
stead wherever your travels might take you.


16
Donts
Disrespect the specimens it is ok
to have a good look and handle them
because you are there to learn and
visualise the human body but if at any
moment you do something
inappropriate, you may be told to
leave the lab.
Run pretty self-explanatory. When a
dissection room is full of 1
st
year
medics, dentists or whoever all
carrying sharp equipment, accidents
happen when people hurry or panic.
Be selfish I know its exciting but
dissection groups are about 7-8
people so take it in turns so
everybody gets a fair chance.
Miss the anatomy feedback and
briefing lectures yes, they are
usually on Friday mornings, so the last
thing you want to go to after a night in
the Hive but they are a great way to
consolidate your learning and they
also have an interactive quiz to keep
you engaged.
Drink too much the night before
going to lectures with a hangover is
bad enough but being in a warm
room with lots of unusual smells and
sights can make even sober people
feel queasy. No one wants to be the
person to throw up in the anatomy
room!
Dos
Bring gloves, dissection kit and lab
coat you need to have a lab coat and
gloves to take part in the class and all
can be bought at the John Smith
bookshop in the Fraser Building. Most
people buy medical examination
gloves but others swear by rubber
washing up gloves because they offer
more protection and less of the
lingering smell. It is good to have your
own dissection kit because then you
dont have to borrow someone elses.
Expect to be shocked it is a weird
experience looking at dead
bodies. You might start off with an
objective viewpoint but some of the
cadavers have tattoos or painted nails,
reminding you that they are still human
beings they had lives, families and a
history.
Learn how to use the equipment
surprisingly, scalpels are designed to
cut body tissues so are very dangerous
when misused. Therefore pay attention
when the anatomist shows you how to
use the tools. If you need help, just ask!
Be gentle when dissecting the
equipment is very sharp and does more
than a good job at cutting so you only
need delicate movements. If you are
too rushed or heavy-handed, then
chances are that you will cut through
the organ you want to look at!


17
Agony Aunties
Kirsten Mitchell - FY1 at the Royal Infirmary, Glasgow
What was your best memory from medical school?
While doing a placement in A&E, I helped with the treatment of a patient who was a retired
cardiologist. I spent some time talking to him and he gave me advice for my future career. A week or so
later, I received a letter which had been sent to the hospital. It was from the retired cardiologist
thanking me for the help I had given him while he was in hospital. I was happy that my time and care
had been appreciated so much by a patient.
If you had once piece of advice for 1
st
years, what would it be?
In first year, all the new information you are learning can be very overwhelming! My advice would be to
stick to the basics of what you need to know. There is plenty of time to go into greater details of subjects
later in the curriculum. And most importantly make time to relax and do the things that you enjoy!
Gillian Higgins - FY1 at the RAH, Glasgow
What was your best memory from medical school?
Its difficult to think of just one! I loved the opportunities to travel that I had as a student. I spent my
senior elective doing paediatrics in Jamaica and it was incredible I met some lovely people who I am
still in touch with and thoroughly enjoyed the sun, sea and amazing food too!
Kirsty Weaver - FY1 at the Southern General, Glasgow
What was your best memory from medical school?
One of my stand out memories would have to be starring alongside friends in the SKIP naked
calendar. Nothing is quite so liberating as walking the aisles of the SL starkers.
If you had once piece of advice for 1
st
years, what would it be?
On a more serious note, 1
st
year can be really really daunting and the work involved in PBL
and the massive text books can be extremely overwhelming. The best piece of advice I can
think of is to just keep at it, it gets a lot easier! Dont feel bad for using simple textbooks like
Tortora and Crash Course, despite what people say they are all you need. It can be really
tempting to write everything from the textbooks down in fear of missing facts or if you dont
quite get it but try keeping your notes neat, short and non-babbly. It may seem like a lot more
effort but youll appreciate it when you come to revise and youre not swimming in paper trying
to find the facts that you want.
If you had once piece of advice for 1
st
years, what would it be?
Med school can be pretty stressful! But its important to remember that its a team game and that
youre never alone. Dont be afraid to ask for help; your peers, classmates and folk in the years above
you are at hand! Myself and a few friends worked to set the Medic families in motion and we hope
that this will help first years feel a bit more supported. PS, Have fun while you can, student life in
Glasgow is great, enjoy!


18
With Marketing Editor Lucy Waite
Glasgow is an amazing city to be a student in and the ridiculously good choice of nightlife
(cringe but is there any other word for it?) is all the evidence you need. So here is your
comprehensive freshers guide to wheres best for a superbly steaming, but cheekily cheap,
night out...
Octopussy at The ARCHES is one of the biggest student
nights around and is usually full of first years. Really cool
venue with plenty of room for activities; bouncy castle, hot tub,
wedding chapel etc. The house vodka is cheap but weak so
worth avoiding.
Always a hilarious night, Bamboo has separate genre rooms
including an indie and R n B room. Friday night is ladys night with
free entry for all the girls and free for anyone before 11:30 with a
matric card. Sunday night is free with a matric card before 12 and
cheap drinks, a great warm up for PBL on Monday. If you quote
Pandas eat bamboo at the front desk you can sometimes get a promo
card making most drinks 1, worth a shot!
As Glasgow University Unions premier night club, THE HIVE is
where every respectable medical student should find themselves here
on a Thursday night, usually following a Medchir event with free
drinks and Hive entry. Cheap, cheap drinks - make sure to sample a
pint of fun and make your way to the top of that podium.
Nice N Sleazys is a great bar for a few drinks any day of the
week or to stick around for their club. Famously cheap and tasty
White Russians with a very cool atmosphere, and a properly
amazing jukebox.
A really good gig venue, the O2 ABC attracts lots of big names in
music. Clubbing wise Thursday nights are Jellybaby with big chart
tunes and the odd 90s pop classic. Friday goes a bit more indie and old
school with Propaganda, where youre guaranteed to know every song
played. Drink prices are alright and its worth getting guest list if
youre arriving before 11:30.


19
Tuesday nights Killer Kitsch is a great night at Buff Club, a
small club playing an eclectic mix of proper dance music with the
turntables downstairs providing swing, soul and funk to mix it
up. 1 drinks and 3 entry with a student card.
A totally different experience to a club, Flat 0/1 is
pretty much a really good flat party with crazy cheap
drinks (ok so this does include Frosty Jacks). First
and third Wednesday of every month is MILK with
decent guest DJs and 3 entry for students.
Dont believe the stigma! Ok so its not the classiest or coolest
but The Garage does play hilarious tunes that are
guaranteed to have you dancing, especially good for a girls
night and therefore for a boys night too.
Every Wednesday Glasgow Unis sports teams and societies join
up for a big night at OCoutures Lollapalooza with free entry
for all!
Underground in more ways than one, intimate is a bit of
an understatement for Sub Club but who doesnt like
banging on a sweaty roof when youre dancing? Once
voted 10
th
best club in the world it hosts big name DJs
mostly on the electro and dubstep scale. Wednesday night
is SubRosa, 3 entry with a student card and funky
electro music to get sweaty to.
Guaranteed to be jammed on a Monday for Heat; Viper provides
cheap drinks and free entry with guest list. Always playing
student anthems along with the latest chart tunes and youre
bound to see people you know.
Juicy Tuesdays at Kushion is always busy, a student
night with drinks from 1. Everyone needs to get a photo in
their hammocks before leaving first year.


20
WlLh S1l raLes soarlng ln Lhe under-23s lL ls our
responslblllLy as fuLure docLors Lo pracLlce whaL we
preach when lL comes Lo sexual healLh. Powever, we all
geL off Lo a bad sLarL wlLh hlgh-school sex educaLlon
bearlng a mlnlmal resemblance Lo 3%" 4&'5 6"7, 8//'.
So for all of you who slepL Lhrough Lhe condom on a
banana rlLual, Lhe followlng breakdown of avallable
conLracepLlon and servlces wlll see you Lhrough
lreshers Week and beyond...
!"# %&'(&)

Classlc and effecLlve. 1here ls no oLher way Lo proLecL yourself from S1ls and boLh glrls and boys have no
excuse noL Lo be equlpped. ?ou can plck up some freebles from your C or 1he Sandyford. As a conLracepLlve
lL ls 98 effecLlve, lower Lhan LhaL of oLher meLhods. 1he femedom ls anoLher opLlon buL has lower
effecLlveness due Lo mlsuse.
!"# *+,,
1he comblned plll ls mosL commonly used, women Lake one a day for 21
days followed by a 7 day break. 1here ls now a new progesLerone only
plll LhaL requlres only one dose a day as opposed Lo Lhree wlLh prevlous
forms, an opLlon for Lhose wlLh a famlly hlsLory of breasL or ovarlan
cancer. When used perfecLly Lhe lll ls exLremely effecLlve buL lf
organlsaLlon and memory are noL your sLrong polnLs, lL mlghL noL be Lhe
conLracepLlon for you.
!"# -).,/'0

8elng pushed as Lhe mosL effecLlve form of conLracepLlon aL Lhe
momenL by Lhe nPS, and lL aln'L a lle. 1he small (4x0.2cm), flexlble,
progesLerone conLalnlng Lube ls lnserLed under Lhe skln ln your upper
arm wlLh Lhe use of local anaesLheLlc and once Lhere ls effecLlve for 3
years. lL has been assoclaLed wlLh lrregular and heavy bleedlng as well
as amenorrhea ln a proporLlon of users buL can be removed lf Lhls
becomes an lssue. AdvanLage: feellng llke you're ln 1he MaLrlx.
!"# -'1#20+&'

Agaln progesLerone only, Lhe mosL popular verslon (uepo-provera) lasLs 3 monLhs. lL can Lake up Lo a year Lo
reLurn Lo ferLlllLy afLer sLopplng Lhe ln[ecLlons, a conslderaLlon for Lhose plannlng and noL avoldlng a famlly ln
Lhe near fuLure.
Family Planning
3 /,4& 5+0" 6/78#0+'9 :(+0&7 ;<2= >/+0#
!"#$%&"'() + ,-'&.$( .-/
01&)&./((23


21
So you want to get involved in MedChir? A one-off payment in first year
provides you with life membership for the society. This entitles you to discounts
for our annual ball, entry to our social nights (including free beverage), free entry
to educational talks and much much more!!

Just complete the slip below and send it in to the address below with a passport
sized photo (with your name & email on the back) and a cheque for 50
payable to MedChir Society.
?!"# %&+,@

1here are Lwo Lypes buL boLh are small 1-shaped devlces lnserLed lnLo Lhe womb vla Lhe vaglna and
cervlx. Copper ls Lhe acLlve componenL ln 1he lnLrauLerlne uevlce (luu) whlch lasLs 3 - 10 years
dependlng on Lhe Lype whlle 1he lnLrauLerlne SysLem (luS) releases progesLerone and lasLs 3 years.
lL's noL hard Lo lmaglne LhaL lnserLlng Lhe devlces ls uncomforLable and palnful ln some women so
conslder Lhls when maklng your cholce.
"# $%&%&'%$(
Lven lf Lhe conLracepLlon ls covered, condoms are Lhe only way Lo proLecL agalnsL Lhose
nasLy S1ls.
8oys - never presume LhaL your parLner ls uslng conLracepLlon.
?our C and local sexual healLh cllnlc are avallable Lo provlde supporL and lnformaLlon on any
lssues relaLlng Lo sexual healLh and famlly plannlng.
lf Lhlngs go wrong, emergency conLracepLlon ls avallable free from your C and sexual healLh
cllnlc plus some pharmacles.
)*% "+,-./#$- 01+23#4- 8un drop ln cllnlcs mosL days for sexual healLh checkups and
any conLracepLlve needs. More lnfo aL www.sandyford.org
GLASGOW MED- CHIR SOCIETY

Name:
Email:
Christiana Page, Flat 0/1, 19 Park Rd, Glasgow, G4 9JD
Id like to hear from the following sports teams:
Football (men) Football (women) Hockey Rugby Netball Running
Swimming Ultimate Frisbee Volleyball Tennis Basketball



22
5 6$7%/ 8729#$. #/3 A+/B#0#4 6#,,+0<4
9&,% 3/: ;<##"5"= > :"#&?- 0&+2>0/+2 05<="'- *,/'= ,"55"'@
Aretaeus of Cappadocia,
an observant fellow


23
Dr Banting and Dr Best,
with one of the test
subjects.



24
The pharmaceutical industry (or Big Pharma as it is sometimes referred to) has a
strange and somewhat convoluted relationship with the medical profession. Drugs are a
fundamental item in the modern doctors therapeutic arsenal - without them, the vast
majority of a doctors investigations would end in a consolatory Well, we cant do anything
about it, but at least you know WHY youre peeing blood now. For the medications and
analgesics they need, doctors depend on the pharmaceutical industry to research, test and
bring to market new products. But whereas medicine is traditionally an altruistic vocation,
the same has rarely been said of those who feel their calling lies in the shiny leather chair
of the CEO. While medicine has, for the most part, been socialized in the UK since the
founding of the NHS in 1948, the pharmaceutical industry remains just that an industry,
a business that is reliant on profit to sustain its existence.

Now, there is nothing wrong with this per se (unless youre a dirty Commie
1
),
because we live in a society which has decided that on the whole the profit motive is the
most efficient way of getting things done (i.e. we are all greedy capitalists, even those of us
who arent filthy rich bankers). Whats more, pharmaceuticals are one of the few hi-tech
industries the UK still excels in, and contributes a significant chunk to our economy. But
the difference in ethos between the two professions raises a troublesome conflict of
interest, which might be summed up (albeit simplistically) as this doctors prefer patients
to have what they need, while pharmaceuticals prefer them to have what they want.
Obviously there are a lot of caveats to that there are plenty of people who work in the
industry who are honest, dedicated people who have never sought to profit from the
exploitation of their positions and power, and there are plenty of times where a patient
gets the drug they need thanks to the innovation and efficiency of their work. But what is
best for the patient (or indeed the general public) is not always what is best for their
investors. When the two priorities do not overlap, it is to the benefit of Pharma for their
interest to win out.

Most medical schools, Glasgow included, do not include any education on the
pharmaceutical industry in their curriculum. Students first experience of such companies
therefore usually comes through meeting a drug rep at hospitals or GP practices, dispensing
free lunches or other gifts along with information on their latest product. Such encounters may
be pleasant, and even profitable for the student personally, if the consultants havent yet
finished all the M&S sandwich platters; but they are hardly an informed or balanced
position from which to assess entities that hold such a strong influence over the practice of
medicine. Accordingly, below are short profiles of some of Big Pharmas biggest names,
along with a description of the more infamous events in their histories - where pursuit of
profits won out over science, conscience, or both.
JOSHS GUIDE TO
BIG PHARMA
A student introduction to the pharmaceutical industry
1 Political affiliation of any kind has historically been associated with poor personal hygiene.
Its just one of those things.


25
Pfizer (USA)

Total Revenues 2009-2010: $48.29 billion
Famous Products: Lipitor (statin), Viagra, Chap Stick
Most Notorious For:
In 2009 Pfizer settled (for $75 million) charges that following an outbreak of
measles, cholera and meningitis in Kano, Nigeria in 1996, they administered an
experimental antibiotic called trovafloxacin to 100 children without legal or
ethical approval. The trial subsequently led to deaths, blindness and disability
amongst the children, and Pfizer were accused not only of faking approval from
the Nigerian Ethics Committee, but further hiring investigators to find evidence
of corruption on the Nigerian attorney general, and thereby persuade him to
drop the legal actions being pursued against the company. As part of their
eventual settlement in 2009, Pfizer specifically admitted no wrongdoing.
Trovafloxacin is not currently listed in the BNF, likely due to its severe
hepatoxicity.
Merck (USA)

Total Revenues 2009-2010: $23.85 billion
Famous Products: Claritin (anti-histamine), Gardasil (HPV vaccine)
Most Notorious For:
In 1999, Merck released Vioxx, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drug (NSAID), in the USA for the treatment of osteoarthritis, acute pain and
dysmenorrhoea, of which the first two uses were by far the most widely
prescribed. Merck marketed Vioxx with a massive publicity blitz, spending
hundreds of millions of dollars promoting it to both the public and doctors.
Unfortunately for Merck, a company-sponsored trial in 2000, intended
to show that Vioxx had a lower risk of gastro-intestinal problems than a
competitor, showed that it actually caused a quadrupled risk of heart attack
and stroke in patients taking it (imagine playing Russian Roulette. Then
imagine playing it three more times). But rather than investigating these
findings or withdrawing the drug, Merck claimed the trial merely showed
the protective effects of the competitor drug, and continued its marketing
blitz.
It was not until September 2004 that Merck voluntarily withdrew
Vioxx from the market, having withheld information on the safety of the
drug for 4 years. A study in The Lancet estimated that Vioxx caused
between 88,000 and 140,000 cases of serious heart disease in the US before
its withdrawal
2
. In the year before that withdrawal, in the US alone Vioxx
was taken by 2 million people and generated profits for Merck of $2.5
billion. Thousands of cases of litigation on behalf of patients who had taken
Vioxx remain ongoing.
2 As an interesting aside, this is far more morbidity and mortality than even your most
efficient local drug dealer has ever caused.


26
Glaxo-Smith-Klein (UK)
Total Revenues 2009-2010: $44.65 billion
Famous Products: Ribena, Lucozade, Augmentin (antibiotic)
Most Notorious For:
The most recent Pharma scandal to hit headlines has been courtesy of Britains own
GSK. GSKs drug Avandia was marketed as a treatment for diabetics by making them
more sensitive to their own insulin, and was released May 1999 after receiving FDA
approval. In December 2000, GSK conducted a safety trial comparing the drug to a
competitor, the results of which showed potentially dangerous cardiovascular effects,
and prompted one GSK executive to state in an email that We would hope that these do
not see the light of day.
In 2001 FDA requested the study on the effects of Avandia on the heart. GSK
claimed the study showed no ill effects, and kept selling Avandia. In contrast, most of the
rest of the world claimed GSKs study was severely flawed. It wasnt till 2010 that the
United States Senate Finance Committee released a report accusing GSK of being aware
of the cardiac dangers but ignoring and suppressing the information. In November 2011,
it was announced GSK had agreed to settle criminal charges of withholding safety
information and illegal marketing with the US government, for $3 billion. Having been
sold for roughly 12 years, this was equivalent to about 3 years of Avandias sales profits.
No employees of GSK were criminally convicted for the charges.
Hoffman-La Roche (Switzerland)
Total Revenues 2009-2010: $44.26 billion
Famous Products: Valium, Herceptin (breast cancer drug)
Most Notorious For:
With the international spread of the H5N1 Bird-flu and H1N1 Swine-flu viruses in
the late 2000s, fears arose of a global pandemic. Roches antiviral drug oseltamivir,
marketed under the name Tamiflu, was shown in some of the companys trials to be
effective in stopping influenza viruses multiplication in the body.
Dozens of governments promptly bought millions of Tamiflu for stockpiling
against an outbreak the UK government alone spent 500 million on it. But a recent
report by the Cochrane group, an independent evidence-based research group that
evaluates research trials, found that much of the data on Tamiflus efficacy had been
manipulated by Roche. Some studies, which claimed to be independent, were in fact
written by companies paid to do so by Roche, and then passed onto academics to
sign their creditable names to it (a tactic known as ghostwriting). Worse, after
doing some statistical analysis of available results, the Cochrane group found that
there was a hole in their distribution, indicating that Roche was suppressing the
results of trials which had given unfavourable results.
Roche maintain that they gave the Cochrane group enough material to conduct
their evaluation, but have yet to provide a single full study report to the group. The
upshot of this? A drug, that governments world-wide have collectively spent billions
on, and that is to be first-line treatment in the event of a global pandemic, may not
actually work.



27
Novartis (Switzerland)

Total Revenues 2009-2010: $41.45 billion
Famous Products: Exjade (Iron chelator), Gleevec
(leukaemia drug)
Most Notorious For:
India is the heart of the worlds generic drug manufacturing an industry
that produces cheap versions of brand name drugs made by Big Pharma
companies once their patent life has expired. In 2006 Novartis launched a court
case against the Indian government that sought to limit the countrys generic
industry. Specifically, it challenged a law that allowed India to refuse to
recognize a patent if it was just for a reformulation of an older drug (a common
tactic of companies to extend the life span of their drugs by making a slight
change to the formula and calling it a different drug). This followed rejection of
Novartis patent application for its new cancer drug, imatinib mesylate, which
is merely a salt form of their older cancer drug imatinib.
The Indian law required new drugs to actually be new by requiring them to
involve an inventive step for patent protection. By stripping the patent
protection from branded drugs, it allows generic manufacturers to produce
similar compounds at a fraction of the price, thus creating a desperately needed
source of cheap medicines for HIV, cancer and other life threatening illnesses,
not only for Indias poor but for developing countries around the world.
On challenging the law itself, Novartis case was rejected by the Madras
High Court in 2007 as just an attempt by Novartis to limit competition with its own
drugs. Novartis decided to appeal the decision, and their case is currently
opening in the Indian Supreme Court. MSF and Oxfam, amongst other charities,
have mounted campaigns to oppose them.
Pharma may not always act in a way that is damaging or exploitative to others. But
the conflict is there, and its manifestations can be seen in transgressions and scandals like those
above. Part of the reason for this is just how much money is involved in the industry. Two
adages bear relevance here money is power, and power corrupts. Big Pharma is one of the
most profitable industries in the world. In 2009, for example, GlaxoSmithKlein reported total
revenues of $45.83 billion to put that in perspective, thats more than the 2011 Gross Domestic
Products of Albania, Sierra Leone, Niger, Malta, and Iceland combined. And GSK was only
the 4th most profitable of the Big Pharma companies that year.

Given all of this, I would advise the budding medical student that they would be wise
in all dealings with Big Pharma to keep in mind both their history and their motives. Then,
when you regard the inviting smile of the drug rep, you may remember to behave as you would
if an alligator offered you a foot massage with caution and a healthy dose of scepticism.

If you want to find out more about the issues discussed here, you can access most of this
information on Wikipedia, or check out the excellent book The Truth About The Drug
Companies: How They Deceive Us And What To Do About It by Marcia Angell.


28

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