There are many options, and it really depends on the lecture and test style of the lectures AS WELL AS how you study.
For example, in my first year, all exams came from class lecture. But then I had to do my own preparation for the class shelves. My Second year was "know everything about everything and come to class if you want." Well, the lectures were 45 minutes each, with 15 minutes of wasted time between them, a drive to school, they didnt cover everything, and I had to read anyway. So what did I do? Learned everything on my own.
In this thread:
- Lectures
- Skeleton Book / Review Book
- Flesh Book / Reading Book
- Skin Book / Reference Book
- First Aid
- Qbanks / QBooks
- Review Materials
In general, the rhetoric goes something like this:
(1) Lectures. Lectures SHOULD BE the best resource for studying. If well-done and are relevant to step/shelf/class exam studying, you are best off going to lectures. However, this doesn't always pan out, and may not be best for you. Honestly, there were six of 160 people attending lecture towards the end of my 2nd year.
(2) Skeleton Book. The skeleton book is a review book, like a Goljan or Rapid review. There are two ways to use it. Read it first so you know what the topics you are going to read about actually are, allowing you to focus on the "important stuff" rather than trying to learn "everything." Alternatively, you can read it last, when you are trying to review all the material you learned in the final week before the exam.
(3) Flesh Book. The flesh book has some real meat in it. It has more than just the outline, but not all the skin, nerves, and hair that completes the person. This is a Medium Robbins or a Lange-Illustrated Biochemistry/Pharmacology. These are the books you are going to read through, take notes from, and build your own study guide. This is the book you spend the most time with, especially if you are teaching yourself and not going to class. This may be a supplement to class reading.
(4) Skin Book. The skin book is the reference guide. This is Harrison's, Big Robbins, Lehringer Biochemistry. You couldnt finish this book if you tried, even if you had two years. It is impractical, but has literally EVERY detail about everything known about what you are learning. Read this book when you want to know more details or the topic is too superficially covered in the Flesh Book.
(5) Question Book. A must have. It is the week of the exam use, to practice multiple choice questions and get some details you might have missed or forgot. You can use PreTEst -Subject, Robbins Qbook, Lange Qbook, Kaplan, UWorld, whatever. Do something to practice taking questions. This happens to also double as a Step Prep.
(6) First Aid. This is your life line (together with or without Goljan + Goljan Audio). Take notes in the FA as you move through your studying. Only highlights, important stuff, not every little detail.
(7) Review Materials. Piracy is illegal. Don't steal copyrighted material. That being said, GOljan Audio, Kaplan lectures, etc. are out there. I actually used Kaplan legit, and I learned more from them then I did from any lecture at my school. That is a sad realization, but the stuff I actually USE in my clinical years are things I took from the Kaplan lectures in Board prep, not the BS that got spouted at me in lecture.
My Suggestion for the non-class goer:
(1) Skeleton Book + Flesh Book mandatory
(2) Skin Book maybe, its expensive and you may never get to it
(3) If 1st year, you can slack on Qbooks and FA, if 2nd year its an absolute must for both Qbooks and FA
Read the skeleton book in a weekend, familiarize yourself with topics and vocabulary.
Read the flesh book for two weeks, taking notes either on your own or in the skeleton book.
ReRead Skeleton Book and Notes in the weekend before the third week
Do Qbook / Qbank in the third week, with the test on the friday of the third week.
Variations, timing, whatever, are clearly variable and well be determined on your program, course, and own study habits.
