Just started PGY2 and trying to cram in some studying in between clinical duties. I am starting with "essentials of clinical radiation oncology" . How much in depth should I memorize all these studies in this book? There are so many for prostate! Do I need to know study design, specific numbers for outcomes for every single study? Is that what they expect on boards?
Studying tips/advice
- Thread starter metview
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Focus pgy2 and 3 on learning all the treatment paradigms. That’s ultimately what’s most essential to know. Once you’re solid on that you can worry about learning the studies well
Those are things the boards can ask you. You can practice spitting out these numbers when you see patients in consults to help you learn the data. For instance, if you have a high-risk prostate cancer consult coming up, you look up the treatment paradigm, and a take a look at the numbers from studies like, BFFS, 5 and 10-yr OS, toxicity. Patients will often ask "what are my chances of beating this" or "what are my chances of getting erectile dysfunction" and these numbers can give you something to go off of and are fair game for testing. May also come in handy for tumor boards.
There are a lot of studies for prostate cancer, because CaP is such a spectrum from very-low risk, to very-high risk, node positive, metastatic and post-op and so many modalities to treat with. But, hopefully at your institution, you will also encounter a lot of prostate cancer patients, which will give you more opportunities to learn while seeing patients. As opposed to seminoma, which seems to be commonly tested as well, but I only saw patients in the metastatic setting as a resident. Also, for that particular book, some sections are better than others at highlighting the important studies. Prostate was good overall, but the endometrial section had a few lower yield studies included.
There are a lot of studies for prostate cancer, because CaP is such a spectrum from very-low risk, to very-high risk, node positive, metastatic and post-op and so many modalities to treat with. But, hopefully at your institution, you will also encounter a lot of prostate cancer patients, which will give you more opportunities to learn while seeing patients. As opposed to seminoma, which seems to be commonly tested as well, but I only saw patients in the metastatic setting as a resident. Also, for that particular book, some sections are better than others at highlighting the important studies. Prostate was good overall, but the endometrial section had a few lower yield studies included.
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Agree - best way to learn is to use your patients. If you're seeing an ES-SCLC patient the next day - use that as an opportunity to review the controversies in this disease. PCI - look at the Slotman trial and the new Japanese data. Then in terms of thoracic RT - look at the Slotman trial and the Jeremic trial. Then you explain to the patient why or why not you don't want to do X, and it will help you remember it well.
Then when you see the question about the Japanese PCI trial on in-service in Feb - it will be a total joke.
Then when you see the question about the Japanese PCI trial on in-service in Feb - it will be a total joke.
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Agree with other posts - focus on learning on an individual patient basis. PGY-2 is to learn anatomy, work-up, staging, basic treatment paradigms. Basically your goal is to know NCCN guidelines (the decision-tree part) clinically, while learning basics of contouring and treatment planning, along with basics of on-treatment management (what do you need to ask for each subsite, how can you help patients get through treatment, etc.)
PGY-3 is when knowing studies should start to come into play, IMO. If you happen to read up on something as you're reading for a consult, then OK. Even on follow-ups know what the indication was for the treatment the patient got (if there was one that you would be able to justify on boards). Ask lots of questions for anything you can't find through your resources (essentials is great). The in-depth discussion of NCCN guidelines is a good start for basics of trial data.
You're going to be overwhelmed at least for the first 3-6 months. That's OK, that's normal. Learn something new everyday if you can.
PGY-3 is when knowing studies should start to come into play, IMO. If you happen to read up on something as you're reading for a consult, then OK. Even on follow-ups know what the indication was for the treatment the patient got (if there was one that you would be able to justify on boards). Ask lots of questions for anything you can't find through your resources (essentials is great). The in-depth discussion of NCCN guidelines is a good start for basics of trial data.
You're going to be overwhelmed at least for the first 3-6 months. That's OK, that's normal. Learn something new everyday if you can.
During residency, one of my attendings made me justify every treatment I delivered by citing the literature that supported it. While this only covered a small fraction of the literature I would end up learning, it provided me with a strong foundation. It's always easier to remember studies when you can associate them with a case that you treated personally. Aside from that, drilling randoncquestions.com was also helpful.
