Tutorial approach
Tutorials are two-way learning experiences. If a student does not properly prepare for a tutorial then they will not have the background information for the following discussion, and nor will it be possible for me to work out the areas of factual and conceptual weakness that should form the most productive areas for discussion. For this reason, unless there are clear and reasonable extenuating circumstances, students who have not prepared for tutorials will usually excluded from those tutorials for which they have not prepared.
It is necessary to read what you have written in order to find the areas that most need to be addressed, and also to be able to work on the way in which you are structuring and delivering the information in your essays. It is therefore necessary for essays to be handed in on the ante-penultimate day before the tutorial is scheduled. Work should either be delivered to the Department (note the Department, and not my pigeon hole in College) no later than 4 pm, providing me with two full evenings in which to read and assess the work before the tutorial. If work is ready before that time, then please hand it in early. Also, I am very happy (prefer) to receive essays by email.
Work handed in late (especially if more than once) will not normally be marked.
The single greatest failing in essays in examinations is a failure to address the question, or to fully address the question, and to needlessly waste time and effort on material that is not directly relevant. This type of thing in essays will be heavily penalized in essay marking - you have been warned!
Once the basic material and concepts have been mastered, the most important things to do are to relate what you are saying to specific evidence and studies which support what you are saying, and to directly relate what you are talking about to clinical situations and disease. The linking of evidence to a limited number of key citations (to primary literature - not to textbooks) shows an awareness of the experimental evidence particularly well. References in essays need only give the first author, the year, and if possible the Journal / source. The pursuit of aspects of essays in clinical sources, the Oxford Textbook of Medicine is one strongly recommended source, is also a good strategy - after all you are here because you want to become doctors, and it is important (and helpful for remembering things) to understand the use and relevance of what you are studying. These things in essays will be rewarded (by both me and the examiners!).
It is important for students to participate in tutorials - if you don't speak, then I can't know what you do and don't know. I will therefore tend to focus questions more upon those who are reticent to participate ... so speak up and have more control about when / what you get to talk about.
It is useful for students to build up a list of key references and a short summary of the most important facts / points that they support. Please be realistic. Unless you are superhuman you will not remember the details of hundreds of references, so focus upon a limited number of particularly important ones. If you do this, and you are feeling mutually supportive, you can exchange your lists with your tutorial group colleagues in the run-up to the exams.
Remember: The better you prepare, the more you will enjoy and get out of the tutorials!
Collections: Yes I do set Collections, and their format will reflect that of the final examination.