Cytogenetics/Molecular Lectures

[KeratinPearls]

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I was wondering if anyone can suggest cytogenetics/molecular topics which would be high yield for the boards? I ask because I have to set up some lectures.

Thanks!

 

[GeoLeoX]

Real-time PCR
Capillary Electrophoresis/dideoxy sequencing/STRs
FISH
Molecular testing in carcinoma (EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, Oncotype, etc.)
Molecular hematopathology
Soft tissue tumors and translocations

etc.,

 

[sirenomelia]

I was given all kinds of warnings about MP on the boards but my CP exam had little to none- only some basic methodology questions, stringency, how heparin interferes with Taq, etc and two FISH spreads that were both obvious. Know basic/ obvious heme translocs- cmyc, 11:14, etc. AP had also very little. They ask every year about Oncotype dx- which patients should be tested. Know Lynch/Missmatch, KRAS, BRAF and lung tumor EGFR/ALK data. I felt like i memorized the long soft tissue tumor translocation list for nothing.

 

[mlw03]

for AP last year i remember having a few lymphoma and soft tissue translocations, mabye 3 or 4 total. not sure how you lecture on that - it's just brute force memorization.

 

[GeoLeoX]

I felt like i memorized the long soft tissue tumor translocation list for nothing.

Agreed. For the most part it seemed like they were trying to trick you into not looking at controls or seeing whether you even knew how to read a particular result, like bands on a gel or peaks on an electropherogram.

 

[Torsed]

It may be dumb but when I took the board, they would show a karyotype and you have to identify the translocation and then pick the right answer. It was pretty simple, but if you didn't memorize the stuff, it would prolly get you.

The also had some stupid chemical structure asking what drug of abuse it was. I think everyone picked PCP, but I don't think that was it (if I remember through the haze their component had two rings and PCP only has one). Oh well. I prolly lost that single question but won the war (at least for 10 years).