The Victorian Regional Committee have partnered with hospitals in Victoria to bring weekly First Part Teaching via Teams.

These sessions are a great opportunity for Victorian trainees to have access to more teaching from different hospital and benefit from a range of educators and knowledge and resource sharing.

Please use the Microsoft Teams link to enter the session, running every Tuesday 10:30am – 11:30am.
 
Tuesday 23rd December 2025: NO SESSION RUNNING

 Tuesday 30th December 2025: NO SESSION RUNNING

Tuesday 6th January 2026:

Topic: TBC

Questions:
1. Define basal metabolic rate and outline the factors that affect it (60% of marks). Outline the ways it may be measured (40% of Marks).
 2. Outline the daily nutritional requirements, including electrolytes, for a normal 70 kg adult.
 3. Outline the dose (10% marks), composition (60% marks) and side effects (30% marks) of total parenteral nutrition (TPN).
 4. Outline the dose (10% marks), composition (75% marks) and side effects (15% marks) of enteral feeds.
 5. Describe ketone bodies including their synthesis and metabolism.
 6, Outline the role of the liver in the metabolism of fat (1/3 of marks), carbohydrate (1/3 of marks) and proteins (1/3 of marks).
 7. Outline protein metabolism, including the effects of starvation.
 8. Describe the production and metabolism of lactate.
 9. Describe the physiology of the thyroid hormones

Tuesday 13th January 2026:

Topic: TBC

Questions:
1. Describe the different types of hypersensitivity reactions including an example of each.
 2. Classify antibiotics with respect to their mechanism of action (50% of marks). Outline the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance (50% of marks). Give specific examples of each.
 3. Classify bacteria according to the Gram stain system and the shape of the bacteria, and give two examples for each classification (40% of marks). Outline the different mechanisms of bacterial antibiotic resistance and an antibiotic for which that mechanism may apply (60% of marks).
 4. Compare the pharmacology of fluconazole and amphotericin
 5. Describe the immunology and drug treatment of anaphylaxis.
 6. Compare and contrast the innate and acquired immune responses
 7. Briefly outline the production and fate of Red Blood Cells (RBC) (40% of marks). Describe the breakdown of haemoglobin (Hb) (60% of marks).
 8. Outline the sequence of haemostatic events after injury to a blood vessel wall (50% of marks). Discuss the role of naturally occurring anticoagulants in preventing clot formation in-vivo (50% of marks).
 9. Outline the formation, structure, and function of the platelet.

Tuesday 20th January 2026:

Topic: TBC

Questions:
1. Describe the mechanisms by which heat is lost from the body (40% of marks). Outline the mechanisms by which normal body temperature is maintained and regulated. (60% of marks)
 2. Describe the methods of temperature measurement.
 3 Classify the oral hypoglycaemic drugs (20% marks); include their mechanism of action (40% marks) and their most significant side effects (40% marks).
 4. Outline the control of blood glucose.
 5. Outline the role of the hypothalamus.
 6. Describe the functions of the placenta (80% marks). Outline the determinants of placental blood flow (20% marks).
 7. Compare and contrast the physiological changes in the cardiovascular system in pregnancy at term and morbid obesity (BMI > 30).
 8. Outline the influence of pregnancy on pharmacokinetics.

Tuesday 27th January 2026:

Topic: TBC

Questions:
1. Outline the anatomical relations of the trachea relevant to performing a percutaneous tracheostomy
 2. Describe how the values for PaO2, PaCO2, pH and bicarbonate are determined on a blood gas sample.
 3. Explain the following components of an electrocardiogram (ECG) machine; electrodes, leads, amplifiers and filters. (70% of Marks) Outline methods employed to reduce artefact. (30% of Marks)
 4. Compare and contrast non-invasive oscillometric and invasive arterial blood pressure monitoring.
 5. Describe the principles of measurement of arterial haemoglobin oxygen saturation using a pulse oximeter (60% marks). Outline the limitations of this technique (40% marks).
 6. Outline the principles of measurement of end-tidal CO2 using infrared radiation (25% of Marks). Describe the potential sources of error when using this modality and how they may be mitigated (75% of Marks)
 7. Define and explain damping, resonance, critical damping and optimum damping.
 8. Describe the anatomy of the left subclavian vein.
 9. Describe the anatomy relevant to the insertion of an intercostal catheter

Tuesday 3rd February 2026:

Topic: TBC

Questions:
1. Explain the mechanisms of transport of substances across cell membranes including appropriate examples (75% marks). Outline the structure and function of the Na+/K+-ATPase pump (25% marks).
 2. Explain the mechanisms responsible for the cell resting membrane potential (60% of marks) and describe the Gibbs Donnan effect (40% of marks)
 3. How do chemical messengers in the extracellular fluid bring about changes in cell function? Give an example of a chemical messenger for each mechanism noted.
 4. What are receptors? (20% marks). Discuss the relationship between the properties of a drug and potential receptor response under the following headings: agonists, partial agonists, inverse agonists and antagonists (80% marks)
 5. Classify and describe adverse drug reactions with examples of each.
 6. Define bioavailability (10% of marks). Outline the factors which affect it (90% of marks).
 7. Define volume of distribution (15% of marks). Outline the factors affecting volume of distribution (60% of marks) and explain how it may be measured (25% of marks).
 8. Explain the difference and the clinical relevance, between zero and first order kinetics. (60% marks) Give an example that is relevant to intensive care practice. (40% marks)
 9. Classify and describe the mechanisms of drug interactions with examples.