How Did You Pass Pathophysiology??

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Can you please share what you did and how you did it, to pass this class.

Pattymac~

When you say re-write the notes, is it the notes that you take in class during a lecture. Or notes that you take from the text or a combination of both?

When I took patho many years ago, it was straight lecture, no study guides, no pre-prepared notes, no nothing. So I went to someone that was making really good grades and asked if I could watch her study. We went to the library and I watched as she copied her notes over and over again. Each time she did that she would pick up something that didn't make sense and research it. Then the next time she would add the information to the notes that she was re-writing. I started doing the same and what I realized is that after awhile the notes became very concise and contained only the truly relevant information. And, most importantly, I really knew the material. I made an A in the class along with only a handful of people. Up until that time I had a C. I am in grad school now and that is how I continue to study for my most difficult classes if they are lecture based. On average I would say I copy my notes about 4-5 times minimum. (I am making A's) But then I am a visual, tactile person and maybe that has something to do with it. I have tried recording the lecture, but I don't find that helpful. Try different things and find one that really works for you.
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Ditto!!!

This thread is helpful.
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I am now reading your post, alot of the information is here that I asked in the PM. Regarding the flashcards, do you make the flashcards off the study guide? Are you basically writing over on the flashcards or taking pieces of it out and onto a flash card. Can you elaborate with a possible example. THANKS

To the OP: You will be attending the same school where I am taking Patho now. I will send you a PM with some advice.

But for me, I have a B average in the class right now before any quizzes are factored into my grade. I study an average of 16 hours a week on Patho. This is what works for ME:

I do my study guide before class. I just skim over the material, fill out the study guide, do my pre-class quiz and then head off to class. I use a different color pen to add notes during lecture. I also do all the case studies the teacher provide with the lecture. After class, (maybe the next day or so), I'll go over the study guide again (with a fine tooth comb) and I'll reread the chapter again and highlight and underline things I need to grasp a concept on. I'll make up my note cards at this time. During this time, I'll also go to my dandy "Patho Made Incredibly Easy" book for a laymen's understanding. Now, after spending 6 hours or so doing this, I'll take my index cards I've made up to the gym with me and stay in the gym for about an hour just doing cardio. I spend 15 minutes at different machines and I just tune everything out (I also listen to my Ipod at this time) and I'll just keep going through my index cards until I've got it down pat. So, I knock out 2 birds with one stone, I work out and I study at the same time.

Then, the final step is I'll type my studyguide up and I'll type up what I had to fill out in different colors as well as highlight it. (I'm a very visual learner). I also add some things from the Made Easy book into my typed study guide. I'll print it and then take that to the gym with me and do cardio for an hour.

Finally, to make sure I really KNOW everything, I'll fill out a blank study guide from memory. If I can't recall something from memory, then I'll just focus on that concept alone. Again, back to the gym with index cards and/or study guide for an hour. This is just for ONE study guide. Normally, I'll spend about 2 days average on each study guide.

This has worked wonders for me.

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lol...how many times week do you workout??:monkeydance:

I am now reading your post, alot of the information is here that I asked in the PM. Regarding the flashcards, do you make the flashcards off the study guide? Are you basically writing over on the flashcards or taking pieces of it out and onto a flash card. Can you elaborate with a possible example. THANKS
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lol...how many times week do you workout??:monkeydance:

about 3-4 times a week. I have a very strict workout schedule because I knock out 2 birds with one stone! Plus, it's a good stress release!

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I found mindmapping to be very helpful plus think about ways to apply the science to real world diseases. (But then again I am a science geek.) If there is a study guide for the textbook I would buy and USE it. Some instructors use the study guide as a source for test questions.

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Can you give me an example of your mind-mapping technique?

I found mindmapping to be very helpful plus think about ways to apply the science to real world diseases. (But then again I am a science geek.) If there is a study guide for the textbook I would buy and USE it. Some instructors use the study guide as a source for test questions.
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Specializes in Critical Care: Cardiac, VAD, Transplant.

I just completed patho ! I put in many hours every week to succeed. I recorded lectures, reorganized lecture notes into a format that made sense to me, used diagrams to show how things linked together or affected something else. I kept the diagrams the entire semester and added to them as new information was presented. I also used notecards, which greatly helped me. I am a visual learner, so I could literally see the notecards in my head while taking exams. Lastly: one great professor told me once "If you really want to learn something, then teach it to someone else!" I ran study groups and people came. I would teach them from my reorganized notes so they could see the linkages. The more questions they asked me, the better I got to know the material.

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i already fnished my pathophysio last semester this year...prior taking up the subject i was starting reviewing my anatomy and physiology..pathophysiology is only the abnormalities of functions and the systems..once you know much of anatomy and physiology, pretty sure you won't find it hard to undestand pathophysio..rely on books that made it easy,simple and precise and lastly try to understand also the things in your own way and group disussions is a lot of help..goodluck!

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Specializes in pedi, pedi psych,dd, school ,home health.

I just finished an online patho class. I had powerpoints for each chapter, read the book and if i didnt understand i looked at the pp and my patho made easy book. If there was still a part i didnt understand i googled it and got more online resources. Good Luck!

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It helps to have a good lecturer too. I have found that the lectuer of this class needs to have taught it for years. I believe so many students are having problems with the content of this subject because of teaching methods. You go to school and get your masters or PhD and you come out a bonafide teacher! This is a huge misconception and why so many students fail this course.

Nursing schools may be short on staff but are doing students a terrible disservice by picking a staff member at random to teach this course. I did not pass this course the first time and several other students in my class didn't do as well either. I started to wonder why 1/3 of our class was failing and went on an investigation.

As students, we have rights too. A right to be taught by a lecturer who knows the material and didn't just have it plopped in her lap overnight. Also, my nursing friends who've been working in the field for years, all say that the way pathophys is taught is not used in the "real" world.

One university near me has revamped their pathophys course and made it so there's a clearer understanding of the disease process and not just a jumble of memorization. They made it a totally separate course. If you fail it the first time, you can retake it. Some schools will not allow students to continue with their nursing classes if they fail it and have to wait a long time to get back into needed classes. That's a waste of time and money for the student.

Since this class is causing so much stress and anxiety, I suggest that prior to taking it, a student should research who's teaching it and her experience with the subject matter; teaching style; test methods; if extra credit is offered; if she only offers the material and the test--no other source of learning in her class; ask other students about her as well. Word of mouth has saved a lot of students from taking a bad professer. I had some students give me a list of professors not to take, unfortunately the pathophys teacher was new and not listed. With any profession, including teaching, there are good apples and bad.

The way some of these classes are taught today, they've surely bypassed Florence Nightingale's original model of nursing.

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