Highest Yield Info for New Clinical Students?

[MedStudent219]

Hey all!

I'm going to be starting rotations soon and I was wondering what would be the best sort of things to read up on before hand? I've obviously learnt up quite thoroughly on the basic sciences and what not (anat, physio, path, management, presentation etc. ). Some of the older students have said learning to interpret things like EKGs can be useful? Any recommended resources e.g. making a differential diagnosis, decision making that would be of benefit or would it just be no use without starting rotations?Any help would be highly appreciated! Thanks all.

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[crunchywhit]

What rotation are you starting on?

 

[MedStudent219]

What rotation are you starting on?

I'll be starting on OB GYN

 

[ortnakas]

OnlineMedEd

 

[wanderingorion]

Blueprints is a good resource if you have a little time beforehand to read some of it. Once the rotation started, I really didn't read any textbooks. Casefiles was useful for to learn about specific conditions with the snippets of time I had throughout the day

 

[mistafab]

I would recommend starting the obgyn zanki sub-deck.

 

[FindersFee5]

I actually found the Zanki ObGyn deck kinda useless. Blueprints was super useful, but can take a while to read through and learn it all. Labor and delivery was the thing that had the most new information from the first few years so I'll focus on that. Highest yield clinical stuff was learning how to interpret fetal heartrate strips/reassuring vs non-reassuring tracings. Also learn about different methods of induction of labor, contraindications for vaginal deliveries, and conceptual management for obstetric emergencies (postpartum hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, cord prolapse) - you won't be asked to do anything during these but can be asked questions about them. Understanding normal progression/stages of labor is helpful. Guidelines for management of GBS/preterm labor/PROM/PPROM were also good to know.

 

[MedStudent219]

Great, thank you so much for the assistance all! In addition to that, I'll be having an IM rotation straight afterwards. Any recommendations for that too? Appreciate all the information

 

[crunchywhit]

I think that starting on OB is nice in the sense that it somewhat of a self-contained discipline. Blueprints and Case Files are all that I used in terms of study content. I used them both, started blueprints the weekend before the rotation started. If you are time limited maybe look at cervical cancer screening, birth control methods w/ contraindications and efficacies, stages of labor, and normal pregnancy preventative care, (how often do you see a pregnant patient and what do you need to accomplish at each visit)
During the second half of the rotation I did UWORLD CK questions to prepare for the shelf.

 

[sliceofbread136]

In general for third year I would pick a short er book and start to get familiar with the differential for various chief complaints. I feel like that is the key first step to building clinical skills

 

[MedStudent219]

In general for third year I would pick a short er book and start to get familiar with the differential for various chief complaints. I feel like that is the key first step to building clinical skills

Any recommendation as to which one to use for differentials? Theres quite a few. Thanks!

 

[sliceofbread136]

Any recommendation as to which one to use for differentials? Theres quite a few. Thanks!

The one I use is for peds. For adults maybe try pocket em?

 

[FlowRate]

I can't remember if it was free or given to us by our rotation, but ACOG actually has a really great med-student education website. I used that to study for my shelf and it was the only shelf I did pretty well on way back then.

 

[NickNaylor]

I can't remember if it was free or given to us by our rotation, but ACOG actually has a really great med-student education website. I used that to study for my shelf and it was the only shelf I did pretty well on way back then.

I believe that resource is a paid resource that your institution can buy. We used the same thing and I similarly thought it was great.

 

[MedStudent219]

I can't remember if it was free or given to us by our rotation, but ACOG actually has a really great med-student education website. I used that to study for my shelf and it was the only shelf I did pretty well on way back then.

Spent some time looking and can't seem to find it. Could you provide a direct link to the education website? Thanks!

 

[operaman]

Lots of good info here especially re sources. I wanted to add one thing, more a general principle than a specific text:

For the wards, learn the most common stuff and learn it well. Yes you need to know the zebras for the shelf so make sure to learn those, but know the most common stuff in whatever rotation you’re on and know it well.

For IM, know CAP and HCAP, DM, CAD, COPD, CHF, and HTN and know then absolutely cold. Know the workup, bugs and drugs and latest evidence, guidelines, latest named trials, etc. We’re only talking a handful of conditions so it really isn’t that much to learn but it represents a massive portion of what you’ll see so you’ll really shine more often than not.

Lather rinse repeat for all your clerkships. Every field has ifs bread and butter so make sure you know those like you know your middle name. You’ll present better, write better notes, do better H&Ps because you’ll know what you’re looking for. You can’t learn an entire field in a few weeks but you can definitely learn the most common stuff.

 

[MedStudent219]

Bumping this, does anyone have any good resources for learning CXR and some of the other imaging modalities? Or any other high yield investigation interpretation? Any help is appreciated!!