Ct, mri, cxr

[thecalccobra]

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Exactly how much are we supposed to know in terms of radiology for Step 1? I suck at reading CT, particularly of the chest, and I feel like there is too much to master. Including chest, brain and abdomen, there are at least 200 slices of CT and MRI. Are we really expected to become radiology experts as 2nd year med students?

 

[MedFarmer]

watch the kaplan step 2 radiology videos (~2 hours long) and you will never need to look at the material again.

 

[Phloston]

I need help in this area too, and I just Googled Kaplan radiology videos for kicks, and came across this sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdB5qEXYYTU

I'm a bit blown away by how good this guy is, considering I normally despise Kaplan. How did you get a hold of the videos?

 

[MedFarmer]

Yea Dr Conrad Fischer is the best. FYI, I wouldn't watch any of the other step 2 videos other than radiology.

 

[gulmohr]

Step 1 in a couple of weeks and anatomy is scaring me s***less. Haven't been able to take any NBMEs (broke) but did take the Free 150 and the UWSAs. Scored 84%, 242 and 244 respectively. Lowest scores were in Gross Anatomy/Histo.

Am currently doing the Step 1 Anatomy Kaplan videos. Will those be enough?

Are the Step 2 Radiology videos mentioned integrated into all the Step 2 vidoes or are they separate?

Sorry about the crappy grammar and sentence structure. Bit of a panic.

 

[mayn]

Step 1 in a couple of weeks and anatomy is scaring me s***less. Haven't been able to take any NBMEs (broke) but did take the Free 150 and the UWSAs. Scored 84%, 242 and 244 respectively. Lowest scores were in Gross Anatomy/Histo.

Am currently doing the Step 1 Anatomy Kaplan videos. Will those be enough?

Are the Step 2 Radiology videos mentioned integrated into all the Step 2 vidoes or are they separate?

Sorry about the crappy grammar and sentence structure. Bit of a panic.

For scans: I've been randomly going over scans from this website when I am bored

http://www.med.wayne.edu/diagRadiology/Anatomy_Modules/Page1.html

It's got different sections, at different levels.. click on the numbers and it'll give you a quick ID of the structure.

The step 2 videos have a separate radiology section. They're pretty good. Since its step 2 videos, its all very clinical.. I would still spend some time going over xrays/CTs of abdomen/thorax/brain and ID different structures.. esp close to exam day.

I honestly believe the kaplan videos do a good job, but the anatomy guy dosent 'teach' anything.. he just talks, and assumes you already know everything. If you can follow him and pay attention, then stick with it.. he covers it all. A couple of weeks is good amount of time to hit you're weak areas, while also doing questions from everything else.

My exam is in a little over 2 weeks too, so I am in the same boat, only my weak area is biochem.

Some stuff off the top of my head that is super high yield that keeps coming up: brachial plexus and damage, direct Vs indirect hernias, different ligaments and what they contain (suspensory ligament of ovary, teres, median umbilial, medial umbilical, etc), most commonly damaged ligament on ankle inversion: talofibular.. scaphoid bone and its weird proximal (as opposed to distal) necrosis, ID carpal bones in xray, ID facial sinuses on xray, know all the reflex nerve roots, some nitpicky veins they like is great saphenous and its relation to the medial (not lateral) malleolus, portal hypertension signs and the different systemic/portal veins involved, most common watershed infarct area in intestines = splenic flexure, duodenal ulcer perforating and damaging gastroduodenal artery, list of retroperitoneal organs, lol.. that was a surprisingly quick paragraph.. I'll stop now.

 

[gulmohr]

Mayn, really, really appreciate your detailed reply and the reassurance.
Couldn't really find the Step 2 radiology videos anywhere so am just going to do the higher-yield bits from Kaplan Step 1 videos and supplement it with stuff from the imaging site you just mentioned.

Hope you fricking murder this exam.

 

[Alvarez13]

I had 1-2 head CTs on my exam and that was it. Don't kill yourself trying to be a radiologist for step 1 😀

 

[mayn]

Hope you fricking murder this exam.

Thanks! hope you kill it too.. esp the anatomy section.

I had 1-2 head CTs on my exam and that was it. Don't kill yourself trying to be a radiologist for step 1 😀

haha I understand.. I've heard of a few (though rare) nightmare exams with multiple CTs and MRIs.. so trying to have my bases covered.

 

[Phloston]

most commonly damaged ligament on ankle inversion: talofibular.. scaphoid bone and its weird proximal (as opposed to distal) necrosis, ID carpal bones in xray, ID facial sinuses on xray, know all the reflex nerve roots, some nitpicky veins they like is great saphenous and its relation to the medial (not lateral) malleolus, portal hypertension signs and the different systemic/portal veins involved, most common watershed infarct area in intestines = splenic flexure, duodenal ulcer perforating and damaging gastroduodenal artery, list of retroperitoneal organs, lol.. that was a surprisingly quick paragraph.. I'll stop now.

ANTERIOR talofibular

POSTERIOR duodenal ulcer damages gastroduodenal; anterior perforates

---> But what are you saying about proximal vs distal scaphoid necrosis? Is that true that the proximal, but not distal, portion is more affected?

I'm pretty scared about anatomy too btw. In the end, it's our responsibility to master all of these areas, so there are really no excuses, but still, I actually do feel like there could be a 5-8-point swing having a heavy-anatomy vs heavy-strength-area test. But that goes for everyone I suppose.

 

[mayn]

---> But what are you saying about proximal vs distal scaphoid necrosis? Is that true that the proximal, but not distal, portion is more affected?

Yeah, the artery supplying the scaphoid kind of goes distal past the scaphoid, then kinda makes a U turn and supplies the distal portion first, and then eventually the proximal.
I was just writing down stuff as it came into my head, and this was in retrospect probably not 'super' hi yield. There was a usmlerx question on this though.
Here is an image of the blood supply to better visualize what I am talking about.
http://s9.postimage.org/46riw9aof/scaphoid_necro.jpg

ANTERIOR talofibular

POSTERIOR duodenal ulcer damages gastroduodenal; anterior perforates

Yep, thanks for elaborating. Again.. I was just naming random stuff for golmohr to look over.

 

[Phloston]

I've done USMLE Rx, but I don't recall that tidbit specifically. Maybe it was in one of the explanations.

The only scaphoid question I recall from Rx offhand, was that they simply wanted you to know that it looks perfectly fine on X-ray initially, but a couple weeks later is when you see the necrosis.

I've also seen that when the lunate (most commonly dislocated carpal bone) is dislocated, it's notably dislocated (i.e. you'll feel it through the skin). I just point that out because this was a differential once on a scaphoid injury question. I also do believe that was Rx.

 

[Old Style Nanny]

Yea Dr Conrad Fischer is the best. FYI, I wouldn't watch any of the other step 2 videos other than radiology.

Why not? I was hoping Fisher's MTB 2+3 and the Kaplan videos would take me through Step 2. Are you saying the rest of the videos are a waste of time?

 

[MedFarmer]

I just think most of step 2 stuff overlap with step 1 except for radiology and for the other subjects it is more worthwhile memorizing every detail of uworld step 1 and FA since it was higher yield but not complete. I had some uworld step 1 questions on my exam that weren't on FA but the questions I had that were step 2 were more management questions that you need to do step 2 questions to figure out. I had done all the nbmes, Kaplan, usmleRx, and uworld questions and there were about 2 questions not from from uworld but another bank that saved me big time for a question so I can't tell you what the best strategy is their questions are so random at times.

I was able to answer another question because I was curious about a synthetic ingredient in food and that knowledge became useful. I was able to replicate more than half my test and I think a lot of it can be figured out by knowing the other answers and having really good logic but I still think the test has a component that isn't knowledge based.

 

[Old Style Nanny]

I just think most of step 2 stuff overlap with step 1 except for radiology and for the other subjects it is more worthwhile memorizing every detail of uworld step 1 and FA since it was higher yield but not complete. I had some uworld step 1 questions on my exam that weren't on FA but the questions I had that were step 2 were more management questions that you need to do step 2 questions to figure out. I had done all the nbmes, Kaplan, usmleRx, and uworld questions and there were about 2 questions not from from uworld but another bank that saved me big time for a question so I can't tell you what the best strategy is their questions are so random at times.

I was able to answer another question because I was curious about a synthetic ingredient in food and that knowledge became useful. I was able to replicate more than half my test and I think a lot of it can be figured out by knowing the other answers and having really good logic but I still think the test has a component that isn't knowledge based.

Okay, so you basically meant not to watch any of the other Kaplan Step 2 videos for Step 1 exam. Step 2 CK is a different story altogether right?