Have you passed AP/CP boards???

[EAB]

If you have, what REVIEW books did you find helpfull, if any? I feel frustrated when people say, "oh, just read Rosai and Koneman and Henry and deMais....etc." Realistically, that's not going to happen, at least not with good retention. What is the highest yield review?

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[LADoc00]

If you have, what REVIEW books did you find helpfull, if any? I feel frustrated when people say, "oh, just read Rosai and Koneman and Henry and deMais....etc." Realistically, that's not going to happen, at least not with good retention. What is the highest yield review?

Essential of Anatomic Pathology, seriously this book is God-like.

 

[fab5]

Essential of Anatomic Pathology, seriously this book is God-like.

I was going to buy this book but found this review on amazon.com:

Billed as a overall review book for anatomic pathology, this book is a snore. I will say there are many chapters with useful summary tables and the information contained is for the most part up to date and accurate. However, the outline format is monotonous and laborious to read, there are no images, there is no index at the end, there are rarely percentages by immunohistochemical stains, and there is no use of bold or italics to highlight what is really important in the text. This book has the overall feeling of an amateur writing team which I suspect most residents and practicing pathologists will not find very useful.

Would appreciate your thoughts, LADoc00... Thanks very much!

 

[RyMcQ]

If you have, what REVIEW books did you find helpfull, if any?

Clinical Laboratory Pearls
Robbins

 

[deschutes]

I realize I'm not answering the "review book" question, but FWIW...

I have a handout from the CAP residents forum - "Almost Everything You Wanted to Know About Path Board Exams But Were Afraid To Ask" by Drs. Charles Abbott and Michelle Barry. They reported results on a Dec 2005 online survey sent to all individuals who passed ABP primary exams in '03, '04 and '05. Respondents n = 149.

For General AP, the top two were Robbins and Osler.
For Surg Path, Rosai and Sternberg.
For cytology, Baby Demay and the current Bethesda guidelines.

For general CP, Osler was waaay ahead followed by Henry and Clin Lab Pearls (Jones).
Blood bank - was kinda meh. Harmening which came out top was listed only 6 times. (I guess most people used Osler??) Petrides was listed 5 times.
Chem - 4 listed Christenson RH's Appleton & Lange's Outline Review of Clinical Chem
Hemepath - 19 for the WHO blue book
Molecular - the test area in which respondents most commonly expressed the sentiment "I wish I studied this more". 2 listed Diagnostic Molecular Path by Leonard.

It's a fairly large handout that our CAP Residents' Forum rep made copies of for us - go talk to yours for the rest There's like travel tips and what to expect in the exam etc.

 

[cytoborg]

I've heard others swear by that Essentials book, too. I looked through a copy and wasn't overly enthused, but everybody has their own study style.

Thanks, deschutes, for the useful info.

 

[PathOne]

Don't think there's a clear answer. I've never used the Essentials book, but it might work for some. Rosai will give you absolutely everything you'd ever need, but it's really more of a daily reference book, and would be a nightmare to read from cover to cover. Talk to attendings at your department, and look through different books to find the one that appeals best to you.

Same advice applies to most books in subspec. In e.g. Dermpath, I'd say that Weedon is THE reference textbook, while many preparing for boards prefer Lever's, and some go for McKee & Calonje.

 

[Matte Kudesai]

I've heard others swear by that Essentials book, too. I looked through a copy and wasn't overly enthused, but everybody has their own study style.

Thanks, deschutes, for the useful info.

I got the new Essentials CD. Its kind of nice with color pictures. It covers everything including forensics, molecular etc.

I also likeusing Haber, "differentials in surgical pathology" while using the cd-rom pictures that came with the Rosai book.

 

[Doctor B.]

I got the new Essentials CD. Its kind of nice with color pictures. It covers everything including forensics, molecular etc.

I also likeusing Haber, "differentials in surgical pathology" while using the cd-rom pictures that came with the Rosai book.

The 2nd edition of Essentials is greatly expanded over the previous edition and has images (black and white in the book; the same images are in color on the cd rom).

Our staff have particularly recommended the molecular genetics chapter for boards.

I will probably read some chapters from Essentials and all of Haber (Diff Dx in Surg Path). One of the residents I know who took boards swears by Haber.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I've heard others swear by that Essentials book, too. I looked through a copy and wasn't overly enthused, but everybody has their own study style.

I was not either. Recently checked out the book and it's just a bunch of lists. I would like to see pics as well or at least some morphologic descriptions of more of the disease entities to be tested.

 

[Matte Kudesai]

I was not either. Recently checked out the book and it's just a bunch of lists. I would like to see pics as well or at least some morphologic descriptions of more of the disease entities to be tested.

The CD-Rom has color Pictures

 

[Doctor B.]

I was not either. Recently checked out the book and it's just a bunch of lists. I would like to see pics as well or at least some morphologic descriptions of more of the disease entities to be tested.

You probably looked at the 1st edition. The 2nd has black and white pics in the book and a cd rom with color versions of the same picture.

I think it's a good book if you like high yield lists of things, sort of like the BRS books from medical school.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

You probably looked at the 1st edition. The 2nd has black and white pics in the book and a cd rom with color versions of the same picture.

I think it's a good book if you like high yield lists of things, sort of like the BRS books from medical school.

Yo wasup Doctor B...haven't seen you in a long time. Yeah, it was the first edition...the book I saw was kinda beaten up.

 

[deschutes]

I did a quick search of the forum history but am not turning up any answers:

Are there sample questions (apart from old RISE exams) that would be helpful in preparing for boards?

I know there's a Henry question book for CP, but haven't heard of any others.

 

[DrBloodmoney]

the 2nd volume of essentials has images.

 

[pathdawg]

You want to pass the AP/CP? Here is what you do:

1. Press as much glass as you possibly can. Honestly, there is no substitute for looking at slides and gaining experience.
2. Read Robbins, cover to cover.
3. Read Rosai, especially the ovary and testis chapters.
4. Read DeMay.
5. Memorize Bethesda.
6. Read McClatchy (yes, its brutal, but you'll retain more than you think)
7. Read the AABB Standards.
8. Look at the micro pictures in Koneman.
9. Get a good gross atlas. They love to test on gross pictures on AP.
10. Go to Osler. Go over their slides and read their notes.

This is how to pass this bear of a test. Unfortunately, there is no substitute for putting in serious study time.

 

[RyMcQ]

You want to pass the AP/CP? Here is what you do:

1. Press as much glass as you possibly can. Honestly, there is no substitute for looking at slides and gaining experience.
2. Read Robbins, cover to cover.
3. Read Rosai, especially the ovary and testis chapters.
4. Read DeMay.
5. Memorize Bethesda.
6. Read McClatchy (yes, its brutal, but you'll retain more than you think)
7. Read the AABB Standards.
8. Look at the micro pictures in Koneman.
9. Get a good gross atlas. They love to test on gross pictures on AP.
10. Go to Osler. Go over their slides and read their notes.

This is how to pass this bear of a test. Unfortunately, there is no substitute for putting in serious study time.

I agree that if you do these ten things, you will pass AP/CP boards. But this list is total overkill, unless you meant to do those things over a 4-year residency.

If you are in a decent training program and you read about all your tough cases and didn't just coast through residency, then I think you'll be set with a little review. Reading the first 11 chapters of Robbins, memorizing the things you know will show up on boards (translocations, blood bank numbers, etc.), and taking practice tests were the most helpful things.

I don't remember a single gross image on boards. Maybe there was one seminoma or something.

 

[Doctor B.]

Check it:

Anatomic Pathology Board Review --comes out May 18, just in time for those of us taking boards in June.

Also, Henry has a Review Manual with questions.

I'm going to pick both of these up soon.

 

[Doctor B.]

Yo wasup Doctor B...haven't seen you in a long time. Yeah, it was the first edition...the book I saw was kinda beaten up.

What up? I've been cranking through the Notes De Osler so I haven't had much time to post. Hope all is well.

 

[gungho]

6. Read McClatchy (yes, its brutal, but you'll retain more than you think)
8. Look at the micro pictures in Koneman.
QUOTE]
McClatchy? I'm drawing a blank-know I've heard of this but can't remember-title, please?
Koneman-not familiar with-another title please?

 

[pathdawg]

I agree that if you do these ten things, you will pass AP/CP boards. But this list is total overkill, unless you meant to do those things over a 4-year residency.

If you are in a decent training program and you read about all your tough cases and didn't just coast through residency, then I think you'll be set with a little review. Reading the first 11 chapters of Robbins, memorizing the things you know will show up on boards (translocations, blood bank numbers, etc.), and taking practice tests were the most helpful things.

I don't remember a single gross image on boards. Maybe there was one seminoma or something.

I did those things over my four year residency and especially (and more intensely) over the last year before I took the test.

Maybe the boards have changed, but when I took it (a few years ago now) there were many gross images on the AP.

btw, for whomever asked, McClatchy is a CP textbook similar to Henry. Koneman is a microbiology text.