Hirap sa Bacte: Kapag Nagkakahalo-halo ang Organisms at Tests

Dear Doc Krizza-Almond · Studying & review

The student’s message

My reply

Hello, beshiecell!~

I think marami ang makakarelate sa sinabi mong struggle sa Bacte. And honestly, takot na takot din ako dyan bago ako mag-MTLE noon.

Common talaga na okay siya habang binabasa, pero pag practice exam na, nagkakahalo-halo na yung organisms, tests, and clues. Hindi naman ibig sabihin nun “zero knowledge” ang problem. Mas likely, kailangan pang ayusin yung retrieval system ng brain mo.

Retrieval means yung ability ng brain mo na kunin ulit yung information kapag kailangan mo na siyang gamitin.

Kaya minsan familiar siya habang nagbabasa ka, pero kapag exam na, hirap ilabas kasi hindi pa siya well-organized sa memory.

Una sa lahat, ask tayo help kay Lord. Aminin natin na di natin kaya. Tell the Lord honestly kung overwhelmed ka sa Bacte, then surrender the pressure to Him.

“Lord, please help me study with wisdom, clarity, and discipline. Help me not to panic, but to take the next faithful step. I surrender this review to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Please try the following tips:

Step 1: Study Bacte by groups

Start with the big lanes first, example:

• Gram-positive cocci
• Gram-positive bacilli
• Gram-negative cocci
• Gram-negative bacilli

Kapag naka-group sila, parang may “drawer” ang utak mo kung saan ilalagay yung organism. Mas madaling mag-isip kapag alam mo muna kung saang group siya belongs, bago mo alalahanin yung specific tests and clues.

Step 2: Use flowcharts or ID pathways.

Example:

Gram-positive cocci → catalase test
If catalase positive → Staphylococcus
If catalase negative → Streptococcus / Enterococcus

Then add the next tests:

coagulase, novobiocin, bacitracin, optochin, bile esculin, CAMP, etc.

Visual aids and flowcharts help you distinguish similar organisms. This matches how many exam questions are written: they give clues, then you identify the organism or the next test.

If you do not know how to create this, let me know. I can help you make one.

Step 3: After reading, answer questions agad.

Try this rhythm:

20–30 minutes review
then 10–20 practice questions
then check and list your mistakes

You may use our quiz bank for this.

Mas tumitibay ang memory kapag pinipilit mong kunin yung sagot from your brain, not just reread the notes. Reading gives familiarity, but questions reveal whether you can actually retrieve and apply.

Step 4: Use your Struggle/Error Notebook.

For every mistake, write:

Organism
Test/clue
Naka-confuse with
Correct distinction

Example:

Organism: Staphylococcus saprophyticus
Test/clue: novobiocin resistant
Naka-confuse with: Staphylococcus epidermidis
Correct distinction: S. epidermidis is novobiocin sensitive

This is error-based learning. Instead of just saying “mali ako,” you are training your brain to see the exact difference between confusing organisms.

Step 5: Repeat difficult organisms in spaced intervals.

Balikan mo yung confusing set after:

1 day
3 days
7 days

Mas okay ang repeated shorter review across days kaysa isang mahabang cramming session na mabilis ding makalimutan.

Doc Krizza-Almond

Originally shared in the comments on Facebook