A Journey Through Medicine

[Correction]: In an MI (or other ischaemic heart disease), the zone of necrosis spreads from the subendocardium outwards towards and through the myocardium. Silent, but violent (not referencing Shaun's farts), hypertension is a key factor in the development of many pathologies affecting not only the cardiovascular system, but other organs such as the kidneys and brain. In this episode, Norm an...

"Atheroscrulosis"? "Atheroscilosis"? However Norm says it, the boys examine the core pathophysiology of atherosclerosis - a stealthy condition that silently threatens the health of our arteries. Join us as we embark on a captivating journey through the underlying mechanisms, risk factors, and consequences associated with this disease process. Note: This podcast episode does not...

The boys are joined by legend Ben Earner to discuss how the skin reacts to different offenders, but how it can also be prone to various autoimmune conditions. Inflammatory skin conditions can be a source of immense discomfort and distress, affecting millions of people worldwide. In this episode we explore some of the most common inflammatory skin conditions including eczema, psoriasis, infections,...

In this episode, we dive into the world of benign and malignant skin lesions, including the most dangerous of all, melanoma. Learn about the diverse clinical presentations and histology features for these conditions, and gain a deeper understanding of how to differentiate benign and malignant lesions. Content covered in this episode: - Macroscopic and microscopic differences between benign and mal...

[We forgot to mention that the stratum granulosum is the last layer of nucleated cells located deep to the stratum corneum/lucidum] Norm, Terence and Shaun start the systems component of MD1, looking at our body's largest organ and how it works! The skin is more than just a protective outer layer of our body. It is a complex organ with a myriad of functions, including regulating body temperatu...

The lads are joined by Michael who has over 10 years of nursing experience across Australia and the UK as they begin preparations for their upcoming OSCE. Both the history of the presenting complaint and comprehensive history are integral parts of medical practice, being skills clinicians use on a daily basis. Listen as Michael provides a solid example of these and Norm botches his attempt by laug...

The lads are joined by Jarrod as they put their recently acquired knowledge of gram-negative bacterial infections to the test by going through some case reports. Follow along and see if you can identify the most likely bacterial causes of the cases presented. FYI: This episode is MEANT to be HARD, so don't worry if you don't get all the answers! Shout-out to Ben Earner!

Norman struggles to pronounce various species names (all of them), as he, Terence, Jarrod and Shaun explore the pathogens that comprise the Gram-positive rods, as well as the types of infections they can cause. Shout - out to Ben Earner! Content covered in this episode: - Endospore formers: Bacillus and Clostridium - Non - endospore formers (eg Lactobacillus, Listeria, Cornybacterium, Actinomyces,...

In this episode the lads try to wrap their heads around some of the most common and clinically important bacteria as well as some of the infections they can cause. FUN FACT: Healthcare workers are consistently found to have some of the highest rates of Staph aureus carriage in the population. Shout-out to Ben Earner! Content covered in this episode: - How gram-positive cocci are classified (gram-s...

The lads are joined by pharmacist (and pharmacology expert) Claire to discuss how drugs go through our bodies and how certain substances can alter or maintain the balance in our autonomic nervous systems! (Trigger warning: mentions suicide.) Shout-out to Ben Earner! Things covered in this episode include: - The potential dangers of grapefruit juice in altering the metabolism of medications - An ov...

This episode is all about how our skeletal muscles can take us from point A to point B! Norm, Shaun and Terence are joined by fellow medical student Jasper, who has a honours degree in skeletal muscle physiology to talk about how these voluntary muscles can contract and what molecules are involved.  Shout-out to Ben Earner! FUN FACT: The ryanodine receptor is activated by caffeine and no one...

Norm, Shaun and Terence are joined by fellow medical student Natalie, who has a PhD in immunology, to discuss innate and adaptive immunity. Natalie studied the regulation of the innate immune system in preterm neonates, focusing on toll-like receptors and how their expression can regulate the transcription of various genes associated with inflammation.  Shout-out to Ben Earner!  Content...

On this episode, Norman, Shaun and Terence talk about the fundamentals of pathology! We explain how cells adapt and change in response to different stimuli as well as what happens to a cell once it is irreversibly injured. These concepts cover the basics of many clinical conditions that we will be covering through this podcast.  Shoutout to Ben Earner! Topics covered in this episode includes:...

[CORRECTION: The brachialis muscle in the arm is innervated by the musculocutaneous nerve on the medial part and the radial nerve on the lateral part.) Shaun, Norman and Terence extend themselves and try to leg it through the anatomy of the limbs! We talk about how to learn anatomy more effectively by memorising as little as possible.  Thanks again to Ben Earner for being a legend! Conce...

Norman and Terence teach Shaun about the thorax and abdomen, regions of the body containing some of our most important organs.  Thanks again to Ben Earner for helping out with the editing of this episode! Content covered in this episode:  Thorax - The regions of the mediastinum  - Anatomy of the lungs, ribs, diaphragm, heart and associated vessels  - Nerves of the region includ...

Nearly everything in your body is governed by action potentials. In this episode, Norman, Shaun and Terence are joined by Jenny as they discuss the basic physiology behind how humans move, feel, talk, and do pretty much everything. They also introduce the study of pharmacodynamics, a branch of pharmacology encompassing the effect of drugs on the body.  We would all like to thank Ben Earner fo...

Norm hosts a mini game show where Shaun, Terence and newbie Jarrod test their knowledge of some pathological jargon. Terence explains how Viagra works to introduce smooth muscle dilation and intracellular signalling cascades. Finally, the boys continue the conversation on human development, in particularly what the three unique embryological layers (ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm) end up forming...

Norman and Shaun are joined by embryology wizard Terence as they try to make sense of the first few weeks of human development. Topics covered in this episode include: zygote formation, cleavage, implantation, formation of a bilaminar disk, gastrulation, neurulation, lateral folding, head-tail folding and the development of the diaphragm and body cavities. 

Norm and Shaun talk about the idea behind A Journey Through Medicine and their first week in MD1. Update: HELEN WILCOX is the name of our MD program coordinator (sorry Helen, and Helen)