How to Prepare for Microbiology in MBBS?

Microbiology is the subject that deals with microscopic observations. That is, not only does this subject deal with the hundreds and thousands of microorganisms that exist in our world, but also with the infectious disease in order to deal with the etiology, pathogenesis, laboratory diagnosis, treatment and control of infections.

Given below are 10 tips for learning microbiology concepts in MBBS.

Tip 1: A student must attend all the lectures and practical sessions in order to have clarity over the subject. To learn and get the concepts clear, one should refer to standard textbooks and can enroll in good online microbiology courses. After one has finished learning a chapter, a student can dedicate a day to learning the long-form questions and answers related to the chapter. During this time, they can consult good books on microbiology, like the Apurba Sastry microbiology book, where the most important parts of a concept are covered under long format questions. 

Tip 2: Concepts on viruses and bacteria should be approached every other day of the week. Although it is not necessary to allocate an entire evening or morning to studying microbiology, an hour or two is simply enough.

Tip 3: On the day a student learns the concepts of microbiology, or practices MCQ questions, on those very days, studying forensics can prove to be extremely beneficial. Since forensics is a subject that extensively deals with toxicology, pediatrics, obstetrics, and microbiology, learning forensics while still retaining the concept of microbiology will immensely boost one's MBBS preparation.

Tip 4: In order to figure out microbiology important questions, a student can opt for one of these two methods, or if feasible, both of them. They can subscribe to a good online microbiology course and take notes from video lectures. The lectures never fail to mention the important questions in each chapter of microbiology. Next, students can refer to the best microbiology books that are available in the market and solve the questions that are given there.

Tip 5: After finishing a microbiology concept or chapter, get in the habit of quizzing yourself. Ask yourself quizzes spontaneously or have a set of quizzes ready beforehand. For example, if you already know the important topics in microbiology for NEET PG, you can prepare a questionnaire accordingly and attempt it as soon as you finish the chapter. This will help you analyze your level of understanding of the subject.

Tip 6: Refer to case studies for each and every concept. Case studies not only improve understanding of microbiology chapters, but also expand a student's perception of medical practices around the world, complications in specimens, types of abnormalities in the world of microorganisms, and more.

Tip 7: If a student is eyeing the NEET PG in microbiology, the preparation for the same should start during the MBBS years. The important topics in microbiology for NEET PG must be figured out first, followed by mastering the syllabus of NEET, one chapter or concept at a time. Since time management is extremely essential for cracking the NEET exam, a student must keep a record of the time he or she has used to memorize a concept, revise a concept, understand the explanatory answers, and do related activities, along with recording one's progress or score on a regular basis. 

Tip 8: Discuss doubts candidly with the microbiology faculty or sometimes with your seniors. Eminent microbiologists or specialist doctors are associated with online medical learning platforms. A gold standard faculty in microbiology, possesses years of experience and expertise, and hence can answer all queries of the aspirants without fail. Thus, discussing doubts, concepts, question patterns, wrong answers, common errors, etc. with gold standard faculty is better than doing poorly in the microbiology paper of the MBBS. 

Tip 9: Collect concise study notes as a supplement. The contribution of good notes on microbiology for boosting an MBBS student's preparation for the microbiology exam is undeniable. Good quality microbiology notes serve as the go-to reference guide for revising the concepts anytime. Diagrams, flowcharts, and other visual aids added to study notes reinforce all important information in the mind easily. This, in turn, makes it easy for an MBBS student to arrive at his or her own insight or formulate one's own interpretation.  

Tip 10: Lastly a student should never cease putting forth efforts to master the chapters of microbiology. Microbiology is never an easy subject in MBBS, but it is definitely one of the highest scoring ones.