Is there such a wonderful book?

[sophiejane]

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I am thinking of a book...a dream book...where you can look up a pathway to a disease, with just the pathway, maybe a simple diagram, to jog your memory about the pathology of a particular disease.

For instance:

Inherited mutation in one allele of Rb gene--->2nd mutation in other allele--->E2 genes constitutively expressed--->hyperplasia--->dysplasia
--->Retinoblastoma

Then maybe some handy little factoids about risk factors for other diseases, tx options, etc

Seems like it would be perfect for the wards where this stuff needs to be on the tip of your tongue, or for board review.

Anyone know if something like this exists?

 

[8744]

I am thinking of a book...a dream book...where you can look up a pathway to a disease, with just the pathway, maybe a simple diagram, to jog your memory about the pathology of a particular disease.

For instance:

Inherited mutation in one allele of Rb gene--->2nd mutation in other allele--->E2 genes constitutively expressed--->hyperplasia--->dysplasia
--->Retinoblastoma

Then maybe some handy little factoids about risk factors for other diseases, tx options, etc

Seems like it would be perfect for the wards where this stuff needs to be on the tip of your tongue, or for board review.

Anyone know if something like this exists?

You do not need to know that kind of detail on the wards, at least not on my planet. But, if you are doing a surgery rotation get the Mont Reid Surgical Handbook. It is about $40.00, will fit into the pocket of your coat, and has everything in it you need to know about all kinds of surgery including the indications, underlying pathology, differentials, and even a chapter with most if not all of the medications you will encounter. Additionally, if you have some slack time, which everybody does occasionally, it is detailed enough and readable enough to study for your shelf exams or for Step 2.

For medicine, get the Washington Manual or the Intern Survival guide. Both are about $30 and cover 99.9% of everything you will encounter on medicine wards. Don't worry about the "Zebras."

Another good series of books which I swear by are the "At a Glance" series as in "Medicine At a Glance," "Obstetrics and Gynecology at a Glance," etc. They are too big to carry in your pocket but they are like "Five-minute Clincal Consult" with a little more pathophysiology and really nice pictures, graphics, and charts. I know we're supposed to be reading ponderous textbooks which strain under the weight of fascinating detail about the movements of electrons in cytochrome P450 but there are only 24 hours in the day.

If you knew everything in "Medicine at a Glance," simply presented as it is, you'd probably know more then 99% of all practicing internists.

 

[sophiejane]

Thanks--those are all great suggestions.

I guess I shouldn't have said wards, because I really was thinking of something that would help you remember mechanisms of diseases, which I guess will be more useful on boards. I just tend to remember things a lot better if I know how they work.

Thanks again though--I will keep that list for the future.

 

[8744]

Thanks--those are all great suggestions.

I guess I shouldn't have said wards, because I really was thinking of something that would help you remember mechanisms of diseases, which I guess will be more useful on boards. I just tend to remember things a lot better if I know how they work.

Thanks again though--I will keep that list for the future.

BRS Pathology and BRS Physiology. If you have a good handle on the material at the level of detail in these excellent review books you will do well on Step 1. Pay particular attention to the graphs and such because many Step 1 question present you with a simplified graph of, say, cardiac output and venous return and ask you to interpret it.

Conversely, many people say that BRS review book (also known as "Grid Books" although I don't know why) are not as useful for studying for course exams where you will be more likely to be tested on highly obscure but forgettable details.

 

[AlexRusso]

(also known as "Grid Books" although I don't know why)

called "grid books" b/c the cover has a grid on it. Covers look the same for the BRS series except for being different colors. Blue for physio Red for path gay blue for BS..etc

 

[sophiejane]

...not as useful for studying for course exams where you will be more likely to be tested on highly obscure but forgettable details.

Amen to that. Our pathology instructor is fond of telling us to "see the forest through the twigs" and "get the big picture" but the tests are full of those little twiggy details, like random names of proteins and factors.

I like the BRS books. I should dust them off again for 2nd year...