Frustrated with Laughing Your Way for boards prep

[DoctorWannaBe]

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I have been using Laughing Your Way and am finding a lot of incorrect information, contradictions from one chapter to the next, and inconsistencies between what Laughing teaches vs what the PREP questions teach (i.e. LYW says do not remove thyroglossal cysts, PREP says to remove them). It seems like everyone loves this book, but I have not cared for it at all and do not find most of the mnemonics helpful. Seeing as boards are only a few weeks away, I can't really start my studying over, but I'm wondering which resource is more likely to be accurate--Laughing or PREP? I'm going to spend the next couple of weeks doing questions, so should I just assume PREP is correct if there is a contradiction between what PREP says vs. what Laughing says? Should I buy First Aid or MedStudy and try to cram or just focus on PREP from now on?

 

[Cuthbert]

I have been using Laughing Your Way and am finding a lot of incorrect information, contradictions from one chapter to the next, and inconsistencies between what Laughing teaches vs what the PREP questions teach (i.e. LYW says do not remove thyroglossal cysts, PREP says to remove them). It seems like everyone loves this book, but I have not cared for it at all and do not find most of the mnemonics helpful. Seeing as boards are only a few weeks away, I can't really start my studying over, but I'm wondering which resource is more likely to be accurate--Laughing or PREP? I'm going to spend the next couple of weeks doing questions, so should I just assume PREP is correct if there is a contradiction between what PREP says vs. what Laughing says? Should I buy First Aid or MedStudy and try to cram or just focus on PREP from now on?

Removal of a thyroglossal cyst depends on whether there is any other functioning thyroid tissue in the body. So if there is no other thyroid tissue, you would not want to remove it.

Look, LYW is just telling you the minimal basics of high yield information for the test. Know it well and you will pass. You won't get every question right, but you will do well enough to pass.

PREP goes way overboard in my opinion. Sure, if you knew all of PREP cold, you might kill the test and then some. But PREP is information overload. What you need to do is pass; it doesn't matter by how much. LYW will get you there.

 

[michigangirl]

True. That. PREP is useful, but not high-yield in any way. know lyw old and u will pass.

Removal of a thyroglossal cyst depends on whether there is any other functioning thyroid tissue in the body. So if there is no other thyroid tissue, you would not want to remove it.

Look, LYW is just telling you the minimal basics of high yield information for the test. Know it well and you will pass. You won't get every question right, but you will do well enough to pass.

PREP goes way overboard in my opinion. Sure, if you knew all of PREP cold, you might kill the test and then some. But PREP is information overload. What you need to do is pass; it doesn't matter by how much. LYW will get you there.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

I used First Aid, not LYW, but I doubt either book is really better than the other as far as board preparation. Do the PREP questions and read the answers (though know that the actual board questions are very different from the PREP questions in style and length) and read one primary source and you will have enough to pass the boards. You can't and won't know everything and you don't need to to pass.

 

[Residency Pleas]

...(though know that the actual board questions are very different from the PREP questions in style and length)...

People say this a lot. Can anyone who has taken the boards elucidate exactly how the questions on the boards are different than those in PREP? Thanks!

 

[Stitch]

People say this a lot. Can anyone who has taken the boards elucidate exactly how the questions on the boards are different than those in PREP? Thanks!

They were a little shorter in terms of the question stem, but overall, I thought PREP was a decent representation of the questions and topics. I always tell people to read the WHOLE explanation/answer given for PREP questions because they will often use similar scenarios with slightly different wording to get a different answer.

 

[Cuthbert]

They were a little shorter in terms of the question stem, but overall, I thought PREP was a decent representation of the questions and topics. I always tell people to read the WHOLE explanation/answer given for PREP questions because they will often use similar scenarios with slightly different wording to get a different answer.

I would agree with Stitch. Questions are shorter and left me wanting more information on the patients. Very frustrating because they did not seem to fully represent clinical situations where you would get the entire picture by asking key questions. But as my boys learned in preschool: "You get what you get, you don't mind a bit." (I minded a whole lot however)

 

[Stitch]

And remember that the right answer on the Boards may not always be what you were taught to do in residency or even what you would do in real life. Don't argue. Just use PREP to understand what the Boards want and move on.

They aren't going to ask you about the latest article on the management of disease x. Instead whatever answer they're looking for has to be established and relatively non controversial. Lots of people talk themselves out of the 'right' answer by overcomplicating the question. Keep it as simple as you can (that doesn't mean it's easy!).

 

[SurfingDoctor]

They aren't going to ask you about the latest article on the management of disease x. Instead whatever answer they're looking for has to be established and relatively non controversial.

Yes, the boards (and sub-speciality boards) are typically 3 years behind in the latest and greatest, which is why it is useful to review PREP for >3 years old.

 

[DoctorWannaBe]

What is the format of the exam? I know there are two 3.5 hour blocks of questions, but are they all vignette-style with multiple choice questions? I've heard there are some matching questions, and Laughing mentions a picture section. Is there a separate picture section, or are the pictures just part of the vignette questions as they are in PREP?