1. Writing Workshop – session 1 [iBSc Infection & Immunity] Julian Ingle Thinking Writing j.ingle@qmul.ac.uk

2. Objectives for session 1

3. FREEWRITING What is freewriting? Why freewrite? How does it work?

4. What is freewriting? A kind of ‘automatic’ writing. Non-stop writing without editing. An exercise or strategy to help you write.

5. Why freewrite? It makes you more comfortable with the act of writing. It helps you bypass the "inner critic" who tells you you can't write. It can help you discover things to write about. It can indirectly improve your formal writing. It gets you started & builds your writing muscles.

6. How does it work? Write nonstop for a set period of time (10–20 minutes). Do not make corrections as you write. Keep writing, even if you have to write, "I don't know what to write." Write whatever comes into your mind. Do not judge or censor what you are writing.

7. Freewriting task Medical & scientific knowledge is recorded & constructed through writing; so too is the discipline. Freewrite for 5-10 mins on the following topic: ‘Most medical research, & therefore writing, is about confirming & enlarging existing beliefs, not in developing new ones.’

8. Peer review: exam writing Look at the following example exam question from Clinical Infection and Molecular Diagnostics module 2009/10: Describe the biology of MRSA and discuss control measures that can be used for this infection. How would you approach this essay? Prepare a rough plan

9. Organising the answer Model answer – key points: Describe the biology of MRSA 1. The biological basis of MR, 2. mecA gene, 3. adjacent to attB site on SCC, 4. integrates at orfX on SA chromosome, 5. no direct effect on virulence. Discuss control measures that can be used for this infection 1. Are MRSA infections worse than MSSA? evidence equivocal, 2. importance of screening, rapid screening by PCR, can the increased cost of PCR be justified by better management of carriers ? 3. Problems with false positives, likely to be an increased problem with increased screening, 4. ethical implications of universal screening, 5. is the focus on MRSA bacteraemia justified?