Physiology for FMGE
Overview
Physiology is a pre-clinical subject, and for most foreign medical graduates it was last studied in the first or second year of MBBS. By the time of the screening test conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), many mechanisms and normal values have faded. This page outlines the high-yield topics for FMGE Physiology, a practical way to study them again and a revision plan suited to a pass-or-fail licensing exam.
Why this subject matters
Physiology questions are usually short and concept-based: what happens to a value when a variable changes, which hormone acts at which site, or what a graph or tracing shows. Once the logic is clear, such questions can be answered quickly and reliably, which makes the subject a dependable source of marks.
Physiology is also the base for clinical reasoning. A vignette on shock, hyponatraemia, hypoxia or thyrotoxicosis is largely a physiology question in clinical dress, so a sound grasp here helps in medicine, surgery, paediatrics and obstetrics and gynaecology.
High-yield topics
- General and cell physiology: body fluid compartments, osmolality, transport across membranes, resting membrane potential, action potential and homeostasis.
- Blood: plasma proteins, red cell formation and indices, haemoglobin, blood groups, white cells and immunity, platelets and the coagulation cascade.
- Nerve and muscle: nerve fibre types and conduction, neuromuscular junction, excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal and smooth muscle, and muscle mechanics.
- Cardiovascular system: conduction system, cardiac cycle with pressure-volume changes, cardiac output and its regulation, blood pressure control, regional circulations and shock.
- Respiratory system: lung volumes and capacities, compliance and surfactant, gas exchange and transport, oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve, control of breathing and high-altitude adaptation.
- Renal physiology: glomerular filtration, clearance, tubular transport, concentration and dilution of urine, acid-base balance and micturition.
- Gastrointestinal system: salivary, gastric, pancreatic and biliary secretions, motility, digestion and absorption, and liver function.
- Endocrinology: hormone mechanisms, pituitary and hypothalamus, thyroid, adrenal, calcium and phosphate regulation, and insulin and glucose control.
- Reproductive physiology: the menstrual cycle, spermatogenesis, hormonal control of the gonads, pregnancy and lactation.
- Central nervous system: synapses and neurotransmitters, sensory pathways, motor control and reflexes, the autonomic nervous system, hypothalamus and limbic system, sleep and consciousness.
- Special senses: vision, hearing and the vestibular system.
- Applied topics: temperature regulation, exercise physiology and environmental physiology.
How to study this subject
Start with the topics that carry the most connected ideas, such as the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and endocrine systems, and understand the mechanism before memorising the number. A value is far easier to recall when you know why it is what it is.
- Draw the key graphs yourself: the cardiac cycle, the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve, the action potential and the pressure-volume loop.
- For each system, list the normal values in one table and note how they change in common clinical states.
- Study feedback loops as flow diagrams, writing what rises, what falls and what the body does in response.
- Link every topic to one clinical example, such as diabetes insipidus for urine concentration or pernicious anaemia for gastric secretion.
- Solve questions soon after finishing a system, so that weak areas show up while there is still time to repair them.
Revision strategy
Physiology revision works best in short, repeated cycles. After each system, condense it onto a single page of values, graphs and mechanisms, and revise from these sheets instead of re-reading the textbook.
Keep a running error log of wrong answers, noting whether the cause was a forgotten value, a confused mechanism or a misread graph. Revise numerical values and hormone actions more often, since they fade fastest and are asked most directly. In the final weeks, go through your sheets, repeat previous-year papers and attempt full-length mocks under timed conditions.
Preparation with PrepElephant
The PrepElephant app offers topic-wise previous-year questions, a structured question bank and full-length mock tests for FMGE, along with revision tools that bring your flagged questions back on schedule. These are practice and revision aids, and they work best alongside a standard physiology textbook and your own diagrams.
Recently updated Physiology notes
- Acid-Base Physiology FMGE Physiology notes on acid-base: normal values, Henderson-Hasselbalch, compensations, anion gap and Winter formula numbers NBE screening asks.
- Action Potential FMGE Physiology notes on action potential: threshold, phases, refractory periods, conduction velocities and nerve fibre classes with NBE-ready numbers.
- Autonomic Physiology FMGE Physiology notes on autonomic physiology: sympathetic and parasympathetic anatomy, receptors, neurotransmitters and organ effects for NBE.
- Blood Components Blood components for FMGE Physiology: plasma versus formed elements, cell counts with ranges, erythropoietin, ESR and fetal haemopoiesis shifts.
- Blood Groups Blood groups for FMGE Physiology: Landsteiner's law, ABO and Rh systems, Bombay group, cross-matching rules and anti-D prophylaxis doses.
- Blood Pressure Regulation FMGE Physiology notes on blood pressure regulation: baroreceptors, RAAS, CNS ischaemic response and the time-scale of each mechanism tested by NBE.
Study path: Physiology for FMGE
9 modules in a sensible teaching order. Begin with the Start here notes in each module, then work through the rest — or jump to the A–Z list.
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General, cell & applied physiology 1 note
Start here
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Nerve & muscle 6 notes
Start here
3 more in Nerve & muscle
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Blood & immunity 4 notes
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Cardiovascular physiology 9 notes
Start here
6 more in Cardiovascular physiology
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Respiratory physiology 4 notes
Start here
2 more in Respiratory physiology
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Renal physiology & acid–base 5 notes
Start here
3 more in Renal physiology & acid–base
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Gastrointestinal physiology 4 notes
Start here
2 more in Gastrointestinal physiology
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Endocrinology & reproduction 6 notes
Start here
3 more in Endocrinology & reproduction
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Neurophysiology & special senses 8 notes
Start here
5 more in Neurophysiology & special senses
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More topics 1 note
All Physiology topics for FMGE 48
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Frequently asked questions
Is Physiology important for the FMGE?
Yes. It is one of the pre-clinical subjects tested in the paper, and its questions tend to be short and concept-based. It also supports clinical subjects, where many vignettes depend on a physiological idea.
How do I revise Physiology after a long gap since first year?
Begin with the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and endocrine systems, since they connect most closely with clinical practice. Revise them with diagrams and graphs, then cover the remaining systems and use question practice early to find weak areas.
Do I need to memorise normal values for Physiology?
Yes, the common ones, such as lung volumes, glomerular filtration rate, cardiac output and blood pressure, should be known without hesitation. Learn them in tables along with the reasons they change, because that makes them easier to retain.
Are graph and diagram based questions asked in Physiology?
They can appear, for example on the cardiac cycle, the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve, lung volume tracings or the action potential. Practise reading each graph and be clear about what shifts it.
Which area of Physiology should I give the most time?
Give extra time to areas that are both frequently tested and conceptually demanding, such as renal physiology, cardiovascular physiology, respiration and endocrinology. Previous-year papers show which topics recur.
Should I study neurophysiology and special senses separately?
They are best studied in short sessions alongside other systems, since they are heavily pathway-based. Revise them with flow diagrams and tables.
Practise this in the PrepElephant app
Question banks, previous-year questions, mock tests and revision tools — for Physiology for FMGE. Free to start.