Embryology, Histology

[cbrons]

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How high yield are the subjects of embryology and histology for Step 1? In particular, for embryology, I see "Human development and genetics" as a category of test items on the official Step 1 content listing, however all of the items under it pertain to things taught in our genetics course. Also, I have heard from a few that histology is very low yield. True or false? (The histology course at our school is very involved (with the justification that it forms the basis for M2 pathology)).

 

[cbrons]

Yay or nay

 

[Kaputt]

1. Embryology is virtually 100% birth defects and their mechanisms and/or causes. You will get embryology on your exam. Learn the congenital anomalies, TORCHES infections, and teratogens that are in FA. Answer choices are often descriptions of abnormalities or mechanisms so be sure you can differentiate similar ones from flowery descriptions. Embryo questions are forgiving if you put in a decent amount of time studying them (but don't go overboard or beyond FA + World).

2. Histology is extremely low yield and shouldn't be studied as a standalone subject. Histology only comes up when there is a picture of extremely classic histopathology (like granulomas or Reed-Sternberg cells). 9 times out of 10 the question doesn't actually rely on the picture to make the diagnosis or answer the question.