How to approach Pathology?

[Jamaican MD]

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I'm trying to find the best way to approach Pathology. It's a lot of info, and the prof doesn't do a great job of organizing it.

I'm trying to create idea maps for the big concepts, but if there is a more useful method, I'd like to know. I'm really trying hard to avoid simply memorizing the info; I want to understand as much as I can. HELP!

Thanks 👍

 

[omarsaleh66]

I'm trying to find the best way to approach Pathology. It's a lot of info, and the prof doesn't do a great job of organizing it.

I'm trying to create idea maps for the big concepts, but if there is a more useful method, I'd like to know. I'm really trying hard to avoid simply memorizing the info; I want to understand as much as I can. HELP!

Thanks 👍

Hey there, what helps me is to 1) go to lecture

2) then maybe review the notes and paraphrase them into my own words (helps it stick)

3) then do questions from Webpath on the subject and some more from the Robbins Q book. (to make sure i really know it!!)

http://medlib.med.utah.edu/WebPath/webpath.html


4) later on, Ill try to use books like BRS path, Goljan RR, USMLE step 1 Secrets, Pathophys for Boards and Wards, and FA to fill in the holes

-I really like USMLE secrets by the way... it is pretty good for path
and I like the webpath site, and Robbins Q book alot too


5) I also listen to the Webprep path lectures for the respective subject while i do cardio; and that helps alot too sometimes


I dont have Robbins textbook so I dont know if thats a good thing or bad thing... but hey gluck, to summarize .. going over the lectures and doing questions afterwards helps it stick

disclaimer: I am taking path right now, so I am sure advice from a 3rd-4th year will be much better

 

[Mumpu]

The key to path is same as everything else -- learn to filter out the useless information. You need to know the name of the disease and how to diagnose it -- major histological buzzwords (e.g. owl-eye nucleus, basophilic stipling), major molecular buzzwords (e.g. brca), and the pathophysiology. I really liked Step-Up for Step 1. Supposedly it has some errors but the information is organized in a supreme and to-the-point way. Buzzwords for the Boards is also great. Start using these books right now, not in May.

Another useful skill is understanding medical nomenclature. Most path diseases are not named after dead guys (onc is the worst offender, renal is the best), so you can usually decipher the name to figure out what the disease is about and that means you have one less thing to memorize. E.g. cholelithiasis -- gall (chole) stone (lith) disease (iasis); meningitis -- meningial inflammation (itis). Look up the roots of medical terms in a medical dictionary whenever you come across them.

 

[Jamaican MD]

Thanks 🙂

Any more tips?

 

[ericdamiansean]

It'll also help if you read a review book before moving on to heavier patho books like Robbins

 

[Mumpu]

It'll help even more if you don't touch the heavier patho books. I used only handouts and Step 1 review materials (primarily qbank and PreTest... didn't even use the BRS book much). Ended up rocking Step 1 and came out with a really good fund of knowledge for MSIII and beyond. The key is to focus on remembering the important details, not on reading 25 pages of blah-blah-blah on every disease and forgetting it all 30 minutes later.

 

[CoronaBOY]

yeah, i agree...
might not be the same way as many others here, but i barely touch robbins...
big fat one... kinda regret buying one...
well...at least i use those for pictures 🙂

for path...memorize, memorize, memorize...
not much help, sorry

 

[Jamaican MD]

for path...memorize, memorize, memorize...
not much help, sorry

Yeah, I was afraid of that!