2nd years-- what to keep from 1st year?

[closertofine]

So already in one year, I've accumulated a mini-library that's threatening to overtake my bedroom. Can anyone who's been through 2nd year and/or the boards let me know what you thought was good to keep from 1st year?

I do plan on keeping the course packets...and all the little review books I've picked up for free or almost free...but I'm thinking my big textbooks (e.g. biochem) are going to get sold. But how about more clinically relevant textbooks, like medical genetics, immuno, histo...not to mention that stack of anatomy stuff (Rohen atlas, etc.)?

Any input appreciated!

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[pikachu]

Course packets are trash. You can't use them for step 2 nor any other future courses (if they were anything like mine that is). The course packets have way too much detail, absolutely no indication of whether something is a high yield topic, and are filled with attendings' and PhDs' dead research horses (which are useful only to be further beaten on med school exams). The best review books to keep from first year are probably anything from the High Yield series, Lippincott's biochem review book, and Costanzo's physiology book (the little yellow one).

In terms of the massive texts, I spilled coffee all over Clinically Oriented Anatomy and ruined it, but never missed it. I did look at Netter's and Rohen's atlases a few times during surgery rotation (if you are interested in surgery you may want to keep your anatomy atlases). Guyton's Physiology is probably the best basic science text ever written, you can almost read it for fun (ok, not really). However it's the only first year basic science text that saw the light of day once I hit third year (it's great for renal and cardiac physiology/pathophys). I hung on to my histology atlas only because of how expensive it was. Now I'm trying to sell it and I can't get rid of it. I also wish I could sell my biochem textbook; probably the only basic science subject less "clinically relevant" than histology is biochem. At my school we combined microbiology and immunology so I have the Lange review text which includes both. For boards purposes this is probably all the immunology you need, so you may be able to get rid of the immuno textbook also.

 

[nutmegs]

think "how long would it take me to find this information on the internet?"
after familiarizing yourself with uptodate, emedicine, etc.

then, it will all go bye bye. all of my second year profs provided a 1 or 2 slide review of th pertinent first year material at the beginning of their lectures. ditch it unless you have a special attachment to the text.

 

[closertofine]

thanks to both of you...I appreciate it!

That idea about the internet occurred to me too...I guess I am still low-tech enough that it's hard for me to part with textbooks! But I'm sure I will...at least some of them

 

[Entei]

Keep your review books. Sell your textbooks to the unsuspecting first years. Build a bonfire with those useless course syllabii.

Most important thing to keep from first year, though, (in my opinion) is your enthusiasm. Second year sucks.

Good luck.