Tips to Perform Well in Microbiology Practical Exams

Microbiology for MBBS includes both a practical and theoretical approach. There are a certain set of challenges in the theoretical aspects of the subject. A student of Microbiology has to meticulously prepare for the theory part of the subject by putting in adequate effort to master the concepts of microbiology. They must find out any knowledge deficit that may lead to major misconceptions in understanding the bigger picture, especially about those concepts that are interrelated with other MBBS subjects. Preparing for practicals is another important task to do to get a clear picture of the subject. A few challenges related to Microbiology practical exams are-

  • Arriving at conclusions within the limited time frame
  • Planning and executing complex procedures that often involve the use of multiple equipment and steps
  • Arriving at the best possible outcomes despite external factors like environment, technical error, and cultural variations
  • Access to limited resources related to microbial culture and specialized equipment
  • Difficulty in interpreting data
  • Limited scope of growth and feedback

Important Topics for Microbiology Practical Exams:

  • Microscopy
  • Morphology of common bacteria
  • Bacterial growth curve
  • Laboratory diagnosis of bacterial infections
  • Specimen collection and transport
  • Gram staining
  • Viral infections- Laboratory diagnosis, microscopy, serology, cultivation, and molecular tests
  • Laboratory diagnosis of parasitic infections- Peripheral blood smear
  • Laboratory diagnosis of fungal infections- KOH mount, Gram stain (yeast), India ink, LPCB mount
  • Acid-fast staining
  • Antigen-antibody reaction (conventional)- Agglutination, and Precipitation
  • Antigen-Antibody reaction (newer) — ELISA, ELFA, CLIA, IFA, Western blot, Rapid methods
  • Stool microscopy
  • Hand hygiene and PPE
  • Sterilization and Disinfection
  • Sepsis, Rheumatic fever, Infective endocarditis
  • Enteric fever, Scrub Typhus, Brucellosis, Leptospirosis
  • HIV and Dengue
  • Malaria, Visceral leishmaniasis, Lymphatic filariasis
  • Dysentery (Shigellosis), diarrhea (NTS, cholera)
  • Intestinal amoebiasis, Giardiasis, Intestinal coccidian parasites
  • URTI (Beta-hemolytic Streptococci, Diphtheria)
  • Throat swab Gram staining
  • Sputum Acid fast stainingand certification
  • Influenza and COVID-19
  • Laboratory diagnosis of pyogenic meningitis
  • Laboratory diagnosis of UTI

Here are a few tips to overcome the challenges of Microbiology practical exam questions.

 

Review the outcomes of the experiment: After getting the review results, make sure to examine the outcomes thoroughly. If there is anything you can do to familiarise yourself with equipment, reagents, procedures, and more, do it. Proficiency in laboratory functions will help a student manage time and tasks effectively. With the workflow planned and managed properly, a student will achieve accuracy as well as desired outcomes within a reasonable amount of time.

 

Follow SOP: Every practical session should follow SOP, or Standard Operating Procedure, which mandates the safety protocols to be maintained during the class. Knowing the protocols beforehand, like proper handling of equipment, sterilization requisites, handling of hazardous materials, proper disposal techniques, etc. helps improve performance. A good online Microbiology course can help a student in this regard immensely. Gold-standard faculty makes a student acquainted with the procedures and also explains the importance of each of the safety measures.

 

Interpret results: Intricate observation and interpretation of observations and details are essential skills that determine the proficiency and expertise of a student. A good online Microbiology course in 2023, would provide a student with proper guidance to interpret the readings.

 

Follow a systematic approach: During microbiology practical classes, students can expect to come across a lot of data that needs to be analyzed and interpreted. Arriving at conclusions from experimental data, backing up the data and outcomes with concepts, facts, or clinical endings, and finally finding the implications - are some of the regular practices in a practical class or practical exam. Microbiology lab tests and answers are broadly based on the practices mentioned above.

 

Subscribing to a microbiology course online can help students overcome the challenges of the practicals, and ace the skills and knowledge required for scoring high in microbiology practicals. Good online courses demonstrate the techniques very well and in detail through recordings, live videos, demonstrations, and video lectures.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Surgical Instruments: A Guide for MBBS Students

Image
Below is a brief description of a few surgical instruments commonly used by doctors. A good surgery course would discuss these in detail. 1.       Scalpel : This instrument is pivotal for creating the initial incision, and cutting tissues and used for various other surgical procedures. This instrument consists blade and a handle. The blades are numbered as per the thickness of the blade.  2.       Surgical Scissors : Surgical scissors have multiple roles to play in surgery. It is used for cutting tissues, specimens, and dissections. The blade of the scissor has various shapes, like straight, as well as curved with different degrees of curvature. This instrument is used for cutting heavy and finer structures.  3.       Forceps : This instrument is the primary grasping tool, used for holding tissue or objects. The forceps may or may not have a tooth at their tip. There are a few types of forceps: locking forceps, non-locking forceps, grasping forceps, and thumb forceps. 4.       C
Read more

Tips to Ace Surgery in MBBS

Image
When you are in medical college, your days are challenging, to say the least. Medical students have a lot on their plate. From morning classes to making notes, group studies, memorizing hundreds of medical terms, preparing for exams, and trying to stick to a study schedule, medical students are constantly doing something. Now, add surgery to this list, and you have a whole new domain where students tend to struggle. For third-year medical students, surgery means constantly learning new and watching one surgery after another, and trying to understand every little detail of the processes being followed. During this period, students often find themselves overwhelmed with a packed routine with barely any time to study. So, how do students prepare for surgery exams amidst these challenging ward rotations? And more importantly, how do students get better at surgery? Read on to learn about some critical MBBS surgery tips that undergrads can use to excel in the field. Brace yourself for a r
Read more

Preparation Strategy to Study MRCOG Part 1 & 2

Image
Becoming a member of the MRCOG, the abbreviation for Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, is regarded as a significant milestone in the career graph of any aspiring obstetrician or gynecologist. A coveted membership like this is not easy at all. The MRCOG exam is divided into 3 segments to analyze an aspirant's competency in demonstrating the highest level of knowledge and skills in the field of gynecology and obstetrics. Usually, a solid preparation for MRCOG Part 1 and 2, takes a year and even more. Format of MRCOG Part 1 Exam The MRCOG Part 1 exam comprises two CBT papers. An aspirant has to attempt the two papers, which have 100 questions (Single Best Answers type) each. Each of the papers has a duration of 2.5 hours. Format of MRCOG Part 2 MRCOG Part 2 contains two CBT papers (computer-based tests). Each paper is given equal leverage. Each paper has 50 Single Best Answer questions and 50 Extended Matching Questions. The single best
Read more