Let’s be honest — some medical concepts are less about understanding and more about surviving the exam. Blotting techniques fall exactly into that category. Southern, Northern, and Western blots are the kind of MCQ options that sneak into your test like a ninja in scrubs. You knew you read them once, but now all you can recall is static.
So here’s the trick I used back in my FCPS prep days — one that even Dr. Basit Khan still uses during his ward rounds (in between reminding interns that “clinical correlation is mandatory”):
🧠 Mnemonic: “SNoW DRoP”
| Blot Type | Detects |
|---|---|
| S = Southern | D = DNA 🧬 |
| N = Northern | R = RNA 🧾 |
| W = Western | P = Protein 🍗 |
🏥 Clinical Experience from Quetta
Just last week, we had a patient referred from Washuk with suspected Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Western blot? Absolutely essential to confirm the absence of dystrophin protein. When I explained the technique to the family, I kept it simple: “We’re testing for the body’s protein blueprint.” (Interns, however, got the full molecular lecture — sorry, not sorry.)
Dr. Bilal Chaudhary chimed in later in the day: “When you’ve got a kid with hypotonia and Gower’s sign, Western blot is your protein detective.” And he’s right — no gene talk, just pure protein presence.
At Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Hospital, you quickly learn that remembering stuff isn’t about being a genius — it’s about survival. Mnemonics like “SNoW DRoP” help you work smarter, not harder. Especially when your 36-hour shift ends with you trying to recall whether the HIV test is RNA or protein based. (It’s protein. Western blot. You’re welcome.)
Now go and DRoP this knowledge into your brain 🧠 before your next viva.
Happy learning, folks! 🙂
Dr. Aurangzaib Qambrani, MBBS, PLAB, MRCP-UK
General Medicine | Gastroenterology | Cardiac Care Unit
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Hospital, Quetta (Balochistan)
