FA Q&A Microbiology - bombing it!

[bomgd3]

Has anyone else used FA Q&A? I did well on my UW Micro questions (~80% first pass) but I'm somehow bombing the FA Q&A microbiology questions. Usually I find the FA questions to be very easy compared to UW. Has anyone else tried them? What did you think?

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[Phloston]

I posted a brief review of FA Q&A about a month ago: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=912135

In terms of micro though, the Microcards actually made micro my strongest subject. Those cards are brilliant. Combined with FA and QBank info, micro is solidified. If you're too close to your exam to deal with the Microcards, skip the vignette cards and just memorize the tree-algorithms that are in there. Once again, they're brilliant.

 

[bomgd3]

I posted a brief review of FA Q&A about a month ago: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=912135

In terms of micro though, the Microcards actually made micro my strongest subject. Those cards are brilliant. Combined with FA and QBank info, micro is solidified. If you're too close to your exam to deal with the Microcards, skip the vignette cards and just memorize the tree-algorithms that are in there. Once again, they're brilliant.

Good call, microcards helped get me through my school's micro unit. I have less than 2 weeks til my test so I'll look through those at the end if I have time. Did you feel FA Q&A micro was overly picky at times? I just had a wacky question about a diabetic with cholecystitis who develops pseudomonal sepsis, which you all had to figure out with the history!

 

[Chirurg]

I posted a brief review of FA Q&A about a month ago: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=912135

In terms of micro though, the Microcards actually made micro my strongest subject. Those cards are brilliant. Combined with FA and QBank info, micro is solidified. If you're too close to your exam to deal with the Microcards, skip the vignette cards and just memorize the tree-algorithms that are in there. Once again, they're brilliant.

I know you've mentioned this before, but was this lippincott's microcards?

 

[Phloston]

Good call, microcards helped get me through my school's micro unit. I have less than 2 weeks til my test so I'll look through those at the end if I have time. Did you feel FA Q&A micro was overly picky at times? I just had a wacky question about a diabetic with cholecystitis who develops pseudomonal sepsis, which you all had to figure out with the history!

Pseudomonas in a diabetic pt is just something to be very familiar with, regardless as to whether it's cholecystitis. When you think Pseudomonas, think water/swimmers, burns and diabetics immediately.

I've seen over and over again:

- swimmers with malignant otitis externa
- burn pts with pyocyanin pigment-producing infections
- diabetics with a variety of non-lactose-fermenting, gram negative bacillus infections (implying Pseudomonas)

 

[Phloston]

I know you've mentioned this before, but was this lippincott's microcards?

These are what I used:

http://www.amazon.com/Microcards-Review-Cards-Medical-Students/dp/0781769248

Keep in mind, there's a newer edition out now, but these were still what I went through. There are a few organisms that are left out (e.g. Burkholderia, HACEK endocarditides, Bartonella), so perhaps they're in the newer edition.

There are also a couple inconsistencies on their RNA viruses tree-algorithm, such as listing delta virus as icosahedral when FA says helical, and arena/bunya viruses aren't mentioned as circular.

 

[bomgd3]

Pseudomonas in a diabetic pt is just something to be very familiar with, regardless as to whether it's cholecystitis. When you think Pseudomonas, think water/swimmers, burns and diabetics immediately.

I've seen over and over again:

- swimmers with malignant otitis externa
- burn pts with pyocyanin pigment-producing infections
- diabetics with a variety of non-lactose-fermenting, gram negative bacillus infections (implying Pseudomonas)

Hmm.. I don't remember ever hearing/reading that DM-pseudo association, except for the BE PSEUDO mnemonic with diabetic osteomyelitis. Thanks!

 

[Phloston]

Hmm.. I don't remember ever hearing/reading that. Thanks!

That's always how the process works. There's stuff you'll pick up while studying where you'll say, "I've never heard of that before, ever." Then after a while, you'll see it over and over and eventually be like, "how had I not known that earlier? Who was I?" Lol, yeah..

 

[pipe dream]

Pseudomonas in a diabetic pt is just something to be very familiar with, regardless as to whether it's cholecystitis. When you think Pseudomonas, think water/swimmers, burns and diabetics immediately.

I've seen over and over again:

- swimmers with malignant otitis externa
- burn pts with pyocyanin pigment-producing infections
- diabetics with a variety of non-lactose-fermenting, gram negative bacillus infections (implying Pseudomonas)

And cystic fibrosis.

 

[HelpPleaseMD]

and relaxing in a hot tub lol

 

[Phloston]

And cystic fibrosis.

and relaxing in a hot tub lol

Yeah, good points, guys.

There are quite a few out there.

 

[MrBeauregard]

Be sure you can recognize ecthyma gangrenosum in both a textual explanation and visually, especially in the context of a septic patient and not simply osteomyelitis.

 

[Kaputt]

And cystic fibrosis.

and relaxing in a hot tub lol

...and patients on ventilators or really any inpatient with pneumonia. Probably the most important one to remember. In the ICU you always give an antipseudomonal in empiric therapy for pneumonia.

 

[Phloston]

Be sure you can recognize ecthyma gangrenosum in both a textual explanation and visually, especially in the context of a septic patient and not simply osteomyelitis.

Nice.