MODA (PHARMACOLOGY)
Mechanisms of Drug Action
In MODA, you will learn how drugs work in the body, how we can explore their action in the laboratory, and how they can treat a range of medical conditions.
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In Michaelmas, you cover drug-receptor interactions, the peripheral nervous system, cardiovascular physiology, and renal physiology. Medics get extra lectures about the heart, while Vets study antihelmintic and ectoparasitic pharmacology.
In Lent, the lectures cover pharmacokinetics, general anaesthetics, chemotherapy, inflammation, and immunosuppression. Medics and Vets also have separate lecture series about neuropharmacology.
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There are 4 practicals across the year - 3 in Michaelmas and 1 in Lent.
These provide an introduction to the experimental basis of pharmacology by looking at how different drugs affect living tissue.
What resources should I use?
A key part of the MODA course is getting to grips with drug names, their uses and their side effects.
The SSMVS drive has some useful drug lists which have been taken from your lecture notes to help you condense down this information. Anki can be a really helpful way of learning these.
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There are also past exam papers and answers on the SSMVS drive which can be useful for the practical paper and the MCQs, as well as a set of model essay plans. As with all the subjects there are also lecture notes available on the MODA moodle page.
How is it examined?
For MODA, you will sit 3 exams at the end of easter term: an MCQ paper, a practical paper (which includes some data handling questions and some longer answer questions), and finally an essay paper.
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The essay paper will contribute 50% towards your tripos grade with the rest being made up by the practical paper and MCQs. 2nd MB is split only between the practical and MCQ papers.
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** PLEASE NOTE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS CORRECT AS OF JUNE 2023 BUT MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE **
** SEE THE MODA MOODLE PAGE FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION **