Does anyone else NOT read the textbooks?

[Cholinergic]

I've been feeling sorta guilty about not buying nor reading books since anatomy ended and Biochem, Histo and Cell Bio started. If there's a topic I don't understand, I'll look it up, but I generally don't have time to read. (nor the will to read) Our school gives us notes and the lectures are online.

I started to panic as I looked in my FIrst Aid book and saw all the recommended board review books. Should I at least be reading those books if not the assigned texts? 😳

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[Taus]

I also have NEVER used a textbook for reading material that was presented in a class, unless I needed to clarify something that I didn't totally understand from class. This has been working very well for me and I see no need to change.

However, some people really get a lot out of reading texts and retain a lot of info that way. If that sounds like you, then by all means spend the time reading. Or, if you are not happy w/ your performance so far, text books may be a way to go.

If you already understand the material there is just not enough time in the day to read texts in my opinion.

 

[tigershark]

You'll feel guilty when you get your step 1 score back.

 

[SoCuteMD]

I personally prefer textbooks to lectures/lecture notes because I feel they are far better organized and help me retain the information better. However, many of my classmates never touch a textbook unless they need clarification on something. They seem to do fine. As far as boards go, if your school "teaches to the boards" you should be fine. If you've got lecturers who address esoteric topics during their lectures and leave the high-yield Step I information up to you, then you want to use something to prep you for the boards during the course, because studying for the boards will be a huge task if you haven't covered enough Step I information in class.

 

[Kazema]

I read Robbins for Pathology, but other than that I've never touched any of the textbooks.

I just feel that for the most part there are better ways to spend my time when studying than reading a textbook, but I think that's more a personal decision that anything.

 

[robotsonic]

I often did not read the textbook, as the lecture notes were all given to us and you could do very well on the exams by just reading the notes. Unfortunately, my school does not "teach to the boards" and so when I had to start studying for step 1, I really wished I had read more of the textbooks during classes. I think my school (although a top 25 and very good overall) neglected to teach us the basics in certain areas - like pharmacology and microbiology. The classmates I have spoken with all agree that we had to teach ourselves pharm and micro when we studied for step 1, and that kind of sucked.

As for the people in their first and second years who are saying to not read the textbooks, keep in mind that they haven't taken step 1 yet. The stuff tested on step 1 and 2 (I just took 2ck last week) is very important, and if you aren't getting it in your classes then you should make an effort to read the relevant textbooks. Ask a third or fourth year at your school what the weak areas of the school are - they will have taken step 1 and will know.

 

[rockit]

I use texts (mostly reviews) because the information is organized differently. It's nice to have complimentary sources of information. For example, I was ok in biochem, but it didn't click until I got a Lippincott. Good reviews are worth ten times more than their price.

 

[beastmaster]

I dont read books, but I consult them very frequently. I don't know too many people who can just open up a chapter in Robbins and read it like a novel whiel retaining relevant details. Retain much more by selectively reading sections while actively searching for an answer to a question or something purposeful like that.

 

[Taus]

I'll add to my previous post by saying that consulting the relevent review books during courses is a big help for me....also helps to keep the confidence about looming boards up.....I just never touch the thick/wordy textbooks (except Robbins)....

There's a big difference between reading the drawn out/detailed textbook when you already understand a topic vs. going over the relevent topic in a review book to make sure you understand all the major points. One can be a big waste of time....robbins included... but reading some topics that you don't understand in there is actually worthwhile IMO...

 

[OSUdoc08]

I've been feeling sorta guilty about not buying nor reading books since anatomy ended and Biochem, Histo and Cell Bio started. If there's a topic I don't understand, I'll look it up, but I generally don't have time to read. (nor the will to read) Our school gives us notes and the lectures are online.

I started to panic as I looked in my FIrst Aid book and saw all the recommended board review books. Should I at least be reading those books if not the assigned texts? 😳

I don't buy and/or read textbooks.

The notes and board review book review questions are good enough.

Don't waste your time.

(As opposed to college, where texbooks are primary sources, your notes are your primary sources in medical school. Only refer to textbooks if you need further explanations.)

 

[robotsonic]

Most people in the classes ahead of us that had 100% board pass rates on the USMLE & COMLEX didn't either.

The notes and board review book review questions are good enough.

Don't go by pass rates. Almost everyone passes. You will find that your three digit score means a lot - "just passing" is not all that difficult.

Board review books are fine, but sometimes reading a well-written textbook is necessary to actually understanding something. Board review books are most helpful when you have already learned the information. I'm not saying you should all read these texts cover-to-cover, I'm just saying that using a textbook to monitor whether you are learning everything you need to be learning can be very helpful.

 

[stoic]

so far i have not used the text books i bought at all. i use board review stuff to get info from a different angle if need be. honestly everything we need to know is the the notes they give us.

one time i tried to use my phys book to clarify some info. and in that moment, i realized why all the 2nd years were literally pointing and laughing at the 1st years as we bought that book. completely useless. the information was so dense and convoluted it was like a world expert on the topic was vomitting onto my face.

but hey, it will look good on a shelf in my office someday.

i've come to realize that most of our professors teach to the boards pretty directly. in fact, their notes tend to follow the same outline of the BRS and/or Kaplan board review books... so it's almost a waste of time to study from anything else.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Don't go by pass rates. Almost everyone passes. You will find that your three digit score means a lot - "just passing" is not all that difficult.

Board review books are fine, but sometimes reading a well-written textbook is necessary to actually understanding something. Board review books are most helpful when you have already learned the information. I'm not saying you should all read these texts cover-to-cover, I'm just saying that using a textbook to monitor whether you are learning everything you need to be learning can be very helpful.

Unless your school actually has good professors that explain it for you in their notes and lectures.

 

[robotsonic]

Unless your school actually has good professors that explain it for you in their notes and lectures.

True. At my school, there are some truly excellent physicians who teach incredibly well - I learned these subjects in depth without having to read any textbooks, and I knew them well enough that I didn't have to study them that much for step 1.

HOWEVER, this was certainly not true for every area of medicine and I really doubt that it is true for your school. If it is actually true for your school, then wow, everyone should go there. But I doubt it.

 

[OSUdoc08]

True. At my school, there are some truly excellent physicians who teach incredibly well - I learned these subjects in depth without having to read any textbooks, and I knew them well enough that I didn't have to study them that much for step 1.

HOWEVER, this was certainly not true for every area of medicine and I really doubt that it is true for your school. If it is actually true for your school, then wow, everyone should go there. But I doubt it.

It is for path, and that class is pretty much like a year-round board review course.

 

[SoCuteMD]

It is for path, and that class is pretty much like a year-round board review course.

Yes, well, not everyone has Goljan as their path professor. (I'm surprised, OSUdoc, you actually did not take this opportunity to remind everyone who your path prof is.)

The bottom line is that everyone learns differently. I find that unless I have a prof who has taken the time to write a textbook (in which case their course will often reflect the careful, well-considered organization of said textbook) lectures are often not as organized as textbooks. Since I learn in a very orderly, organized fashion, I am forced to use textbooks to lay down a general foundation before turning to lecture notes to fit in details in this original framework. If you can learn material thoroughly from lecture notes, go for it. One HMS student I met (no, I don't attend HMS) said that she felt a thorough read of a review book at the conclusion of a course helped solidify the knowledge needed for Step I and made reviewing for the boards much easier.

 

[dinesh]

I bought many textbooks first semester, thought that you "HAD TO HAVE THEM"..do or die.

I havent' used the immunology/micro B book at all, and my path books are collecting dust. Lecture notes seems sufficient, I glance at books for nice pictures on occasion.

 

[Paws]

I don't buy a 'textbook' really, but I do try and have one really excellent book for each organ system. Like "Essential Hematology" by Hoffbrand, for Heme and the Harvard Med school book of Cardiovascular Patholphysiology for cardio, Blumenfeld's "Neuroanatomy through Clinical cases", etc.

This way, I can know what is considered key by the mainstream people in the field. I learn the best I can from the book, do the best I can for the exam with the lecture notes but keep my eye on the boards and what will be crucial for them. I don't like the lecture notes we get alot of the time, and some of them are really not helpful. With a good book, I don't have to rely on a poor lecturer's notes and can learn what they were trying to say.

 

[cindy4443]

I stopped reading my text books my fourth day in medical school. I don't have the time. High pass (not honors though) in all my classes. Not reading hasn't hurt me.

 

[thackl]

Read them? I rarely buy them. Find what works best for you. I read NMS for Phys since most of our faculty did a terrible job. I'm considering the same for path (BRS, not Robins) for the same reason. For the most part, reading is a waste of time for me. I find it interesting, but little of the testable info is retained.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

I have not used a single textbook in medical school yet. PCOM has a scribe note service so I've been using the scribe notes and relevant review books to study for class exams. I used BRS for anatomy, Champe/Harvey's book for Biochem, class notes for immuno, CMMRS for micro, and I'm currently using BRS for Path (one of my favorite books), Physio, and Behavioral. HY for neuro and of course reading the relevant sections of FA.

I don't think it's necessarily correct to make blanket statements like "if you don't read textbooks, you'll be screwed on Step 1." The important point is to learn the material the first time around and review again when studying for Step 1.

Find the most efficient way to learn the material (maybe use textbooks if necessary) and incorporate relevant review books as you go along. When it comes time for Step 1 prep, you've at least read/annotated your review books once. This method is not something new. It's been going on for years. G'luck.

 

[robotsonic]

I don't think it's necessarily correct to make blanket statements like "if you don't read textbooks, you'll be screwed on Step 1."

This isn't what I was saying. It's getting kind of frustrating to respond to this thread. I was one of the students who didn't read textbooks and I did well on step 1. But that's not the point. For certain areas (pharm and micro) I wish that I had read a textbook (even Clinical Micro Made Ridiculously Simple) before I started studying for step 1. If your school teaches these subjects really well, then obviously you wouldn't need to do that. But there is no way that your school teaches every single subject incredibly well - there are going to be weak areas. And you might not even realize that they are weak areas until you start studying for step 1 and suddenly find that part of "first aid for step 1" seems really foreign. My classmates and I were kind of surprised by how little pharm we knew. Like I said before, ask a fourth year what your school is weak in, and then try to do a bit of extra reading in that area before you have to start studying for the boards, because at that point you don't want to be learning something for the first time - it should be review.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

This isn't what I was saying. It's getting kind of frustrating to respond to this thread. I was one of the students who didn't read textbooks and I did well on step 1. But that's not the point. For certain areas (pharm and micro) I wish that I had read a textbook (even Clinical Micro Made Ridiculously Simple) before I started studying for step 1. If your school teaches these subjects really well, then obviously you wouldn't need to do that. But there is no way that your school teaches every single subject incredibly well - there are going to be weak areas. And you might not even realize that they are weak areas until you start studying for step 1 and suddenly find that part of "first aid for step 1" seems really foreign. My classmates and I were kind of surprised by how little pharm we knew. Like I said before, ask a fourth year what your school is weak in, and then try to do a bit of extra reading in that area before you have to start studying for the boards, because at that point you don't want to be learning something for the first time - it should be review.

I agree with almost everything you said.

In reference to your above statement, isn't that the whole point of using review books early on:

1) You read your review books at least once during school
2) You annotate as necessary
3) You figure out what is HY for Step 1 while you're studying for class
4) You read up on anything HY not covered in class that's HY.

Which brings us back to what I said earlier. Learn it the 1st time around.

 

[robotsonic]

In reference to your above statement, isn't that the whole point of using review books early on:

Yes, you are right. That's a great point, actually. Although I never did it, I probably should have at least glanced through the review books during first and second years - it's a good way to discover your weaknesses.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

Yes, you are right. That's a great point, actually. Although I never did it, I probably should have at least glanced through the review books during first and second years - it's a good way to discover your weaknesses.

👍

 

[Cholinergic]

Thanks for the replies. So far, not reading the books has not hurt my grades/exam scores. But I plan to buy books for the subjects that I haven't studied in a while. I'm also going to attempt to use my FA book along with what we're studying to help focus my studies.