Revi-SING with Dr Taufiq Rahman

Murray Edwards Fellow in Pharmacology, Dr Taufiq Rahman, has devised a unique new method to help students in natural sciences and medicine to revise difficult technical terms.

On his YouTube channel, Dr Taufiq is sharing original songs aimed at students needing to memorise the names, and mechanisms of action, of key pharmacological drugs.

By selecting a unique genre, style and melody for each track, Dr Taufiq has found a way to differentiate between compounds with deceptively similar names or properties, removing the usual points of confusion for students.

The idea first occurred to Dr Taufiq as he reflected on the areas where students needed the most support during the pharmacology course: 

“Throughout my 15 years of lecturing in pharmacology here, the most recurrent question I have received from the students is: 'how many drug names do we need to remember?'. They historically find this aspect of the course quite challenging. Though our main emphasis is on how different classes of drugs work, rather than memorising a huge list of their names, it has consistently struck me that students may need additional tools to aid their learning, or risk finishing pharmacology without remembering many drug names.”

Appreciating that many students find rote learning to be inefficient and overwhelming, Dr Taufiq considered how he might make the revision process feel less intimidating. 

“I am a huge lover of music, with a taste ranging from classical music to heavy metal. I, therefore, thought why don't I see if taking these mechanisms of action and turning them into songs might help my students? Listening to songs in the background of their day might make the learning process passive and enjoyable.”

We asked Dr Taufiq how he chose which genre of song to pair with a particular chemical compound. He laughed and shared: 

“It’s a bit random, to be frank, but mainly depends on what comes to my mind at that moment. I currently rely on AI to create the music, but I dabble in guitar and hope to become good enough yet to compose tracks with my own skill! My bias, therefore, remains more towards folk ballads, with some Celtic flavour coming from a blend of flute, violin, harmonica and guitar. I think this style ties in well with my aim to make revision a relaxing experience. I also share a few genres of the same song, in case different versions click better for different people.”

Dr Taufiq has found that the process of creating the songs has helped him to view his own subject in a new way, sharing that the process of writing lyrics is helping him to re-learn pharmacology anew! His message to students is to always get in touch and ask for help, as supervisors and lecturers care deeply about your success and enjoyment on the course:

“Students are always welcome to send me ideas or even criticism! Some students have already told me that they are liking the songs and appreciate my effort in this regard – which definitely inspires me to keep going. Even if this project helps just a few students, I would be very happy.” 

Visit https://www.youtube.com/@DrTsPharmTunes to listen to Dr Taufiq’s fantastic songs!