Outline the physiology of pancreatic secretion (80% of marks) and outline the pharmacology of octreotide (20% of marks).
An outline of exocrine function should have included the sources of secretions, secretions involved in the digestion of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, the roles of trypsin inhibitors and bicarbonate secretion and the regulation of enzyme and bicarbonate secretion.” Knowledge of endocrine physiology was good whereas the depth of knowledge regarding exocrine function was generally shallow with many errors. Only some general facts around the pharmacology of octreotide were required to pass this section of the question. Responses revealed limited knowledge and contained many errors
The physiology of pancreatic secretion is a tough chunk of endocrine lore to parse, to say nothing of the tasks of summarising "some general facts around the pharmacology of octreotide" in fifty words (as that's the most you can be expected to write in two minutes, which is what you have for a 20% SAQ fraction). What are "some general facts", anyway, i.e of the many possible facts which are general, and which would the examiners have valued more than others? Would it have been valuable to squander those two minutes describing its molecular weight, amino acid structure or receptor families? In short, this SAQ asks more than can possibly be scribbled in the time provided, and it is rather surprising that 38% of the candidates scored a pass (one wonders which of their carpal bones they cracked). Still, let's have a go at a model answer:
Physiology of pancreatic secretion:
Pharmacology of octreotide:
Cade, Jennifer E., and James Hanison. "The pancreas." Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine 18.10 (2017): 527-531.
Owyang, Chung, and John A. Williams. "Pancreatic secretion." Yamada's Textbook of Gastroenterology (2015): 450-473.
Susan, Bonner-Weir. "Endocrine pancreas." (2004): 675-680.
Lamberts, Steven WJ, et al. "Octreotide." New England Journal of Medicine 334.4 (1996): 246-254.