Is this how pathology class is everywhere

[JackD]

I am in systems path 1 right now and I was reading my Robins book on neurological disorders. Going through it, they describe what feels like hundreds of disorders just involving the nervous system. Then I went through the class notes to see which conditions are going to be covered, and it is only about 30 that we need to know for the test. Normally I don't complain that I don't have enough to learn but it just seems like there is so much that we aren't covering. Is that how pathology classes are? Is the professor just trying to teach us stuff that will are most likely to encounter clinically and some diseases just aren't important to know? Or should we be learning every one of those conditions in the book and my professor is just under doing it?

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[VenusinFurs]

It's more important to know the common stuff than the rare stuff, especially at this level. I would not be concerned that your path class is not covering enough.

 

[Dr Hurly MD]

I am in systems path 1 right now and I was reading my Robins book on neurological disorders. Going through it, they describe what feels like hundreds of disorders just involving the nervous system. Then I went through the class notes to see which conditions are going to be covered, and it is only about 30 that we need to know for the test. Normally I don't complain that I don't have enough to learn but it just seems like there is so much that we aren't covering. Is that how pathology classes are? Is the professor just trying to teach us stuff that will are most likely to encounter clinically and some diseases just aren't important to know? Or should we be learning every one of those conditions in the book and my professor is just under doing it?

It would be impossible and insanely difficult exams to go over EVERY disease out there in just 4 months of Pathology class. The material for you MS-2s would bury you alive! You only need to grasp the HORSES (that is, the COMMON diseases encountered out there).

The ZEBRAS (that is, the rare atypical diseases) you will be lucky enough to see during your 3rd and 4th year, your Post grad training, and in your practice.

Or be like Dr. Gregory House, who is bored of the Horses and embaces only the Zebras in the wards (1 zebra per week too, since it takes him that long to solve the diagnosis that no other MD or DO physician in the United States can solve!)

 

[Raryn]

It would be impossible and insanely difficult exams to go over EVERY disease out there in just 4 months of Pathology class. The material for you MS-2s would bury you alive! You only need to grasp the HORSES (that is, the COMMON diseases encountered out there).

The ZEBRAS (that is, the rare atypical diseases) you will be lucky enough to see during your 3rd and 4th year, your Post grad training, and in your practice.

Or be like Dr. Gregory House, who is bored of the Horses and embaces only the Zebras in the wards (1 zebra per week too, since it takes him that long to solve the diagnosis that no other MD or DO physician in the United States can solve!)

You'd be surprised at how many of the diagnoses House makes (at least the ones that aren't totally fictional) are A. horses and B. would have been diagnosed with a simple lab test that would have likely been done in the ED before the patient even saw an attending.

 

[FSUseminoleEM1]

You'd be surprised at how many of the diagnoses House makes (at least the ones that aren't totally fictional) are A. horses and B. would have been diagnosed with a simple lab test that would have likely been done in the ED before the patient even saw an attending.

Not to derail this thread too much, but I've always wanted to watch just one episode with an MD or knowledgable student to call out the bs...just so I'd know how convoluted it all really is.

 

[JackD]

Not to derail this thread too much, but I've always wanted to watch just one episode with an MD or knowledgable student to call out the bs...just so I'd know how convoluted it all really is. .

My mom used to watch that show and she is only an RN and she could figure out what the diagnosis was for a ton of episodes right away. I don't really watch House but from what I have seen, there are quite a few episodes that have a laughably easy diagnosis to figure out.

 

[gravitywave]

Not to derail this thread too much, but I've always wanted to watch just one episode with an MD or knowledgable student to call out the bs...just so I'd know how convoluted it all really is.

i have been hoping for years now that the series finale will be exactly this.

 

[link2swim06]

Not to derail this thread too much, but I've always wanted to watch just one episode with an MD or knowledgable student to call out the bs...just so I'd know how convoluted it all really is.

Not to derail even further, but there are three MD "advisers" to House. I listened to an interview with one of them on radio rounds http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=868633

Basically the gist is the physician advisers give situations they or their colleagues have seen or read about. They dont go for accuracy in the characters (like House being able to be every specialty) but try to make the course of the disease reasonably accurate.

Interesting interview

 

[Dr Hurly MD]

Not to derail even further, but there are three MD "advisers" to House. I listened to an interview with one of them on radio rounds http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=868633

Basically the gist is the physician advisers give situations they or their colleagues have seen or read about. They dont go for accuracy in the characters (like House being able to be every specialty) but try to make the course of the disease reasonably accurate.

Interesting interview

At least HOUSE MD has actual reputable M.D. physicians from US medical schools who act as advisors to lend credence and accuracy to House's quest for 1 ZEBRA per week in the wards.

 

[VenusinFurs]

At least HOUSE MD has actual reputable M.D. physicians from US medical schools who act as advisors to lend credence and accuracy to House's quest for 1 ZEBRA per week in the wards.

As opposed to all the medical shows that have DOs or FMGs as advisors?

 

[dude1344]

My biggest beef with House is every physician on his staff is a neurosurgeon, orthopedic surgeon, internist, urologist, radiologist, dermatologist, general surgeon, pediatrician, vascular surgeon, cardiologist, infectious disease, neurologist, ob/gyn, and master lockpick in one.

 

[JackD]

My biggest beef with House is every physician on his staff is a neurosurgeon, orthopedic surgeon, internist, urologist, radiologist, dermatologist, general surgeon, pediatrician, vascular surgeon, cardiologist, infectious disease, neurologist, ob/gyn, and master lockpick in one.

That and the defibrillator as an all purpose bring-the-dead-back-to-life machine. If someone dies, just shock them several dozen times and they should come back with no ill effects.

 

[pkwraith]

Not to derail this thread too much, but I've always wanted to watch just one episode with an MD or knowledgable student to call out the bs...just so I'd know how convoluted it all really is.

You should find this exactly what you're looking for:

http://www.politedissent.com/house_pd.html

It reviews all the House episodes

 

[Morsetlis]

Haven't watched a single episode since starting.

It's gonna be a present to myself to spend an entire week watching House after graduating.

 

[GladifImakeit]

Personally I'm a fan of Grey's Anatomy. That's how I justify everything on the wards. " I saw it on Grey's...." They have medical advisers too and sometimes post case files on their website. You also often learn what not to do.

(referring of course to the medicine and not the sex)

 

[JackD]

Well just a bit of an update on the pathology concerns that I had. I talked to the professor today and he said that the lecture he had posted about neuropathology was one of four, so i may have jumped the gun a little bit. He said by the time we are done with all of the pathology courses, we should end up going over a vast majority of the conditions in the textbook. He said we aren't going to go over every single one, since some are exceedingly rare and we won't have to know every single detail of every condition but most will be covered eventually.

So I guess I got what I wanted but it is also a bit overwhelming to think about. God, I am insecure this week.

 

[NTF]

I am in systems path 1 right now and I was reading my Robins book on neurological disorders. Going through it, they describe what feels like hundreds of disorders just involving the nervous system. Then I went through the class notes to see which conditions are going to be covered, and it is only about 30 that we need to know for the test. Normally I don't complain that I don't have enough to learn but it just seems like there is so much that we aren't covering. Is that how pathology classes are? Is the professor just trying to teach us stuff that will are most likely to encounter clinically and some diseases just aren't important to know? Or should we be learning every one of those conditions in the book and my professor is just under doing it?

I'd use Robbins as a reference, but follow along in Goljan RR Path. If your course isn't covering something in Goljan then read that section of Robbins. I don't know how people have the time to use Robbins a a primary text.

 

[JackD]

I'd use Robbins as a reference, but follow along in Goljan RR Path. If your course isn't covering something in Goljan then read that section of Robbins. I don't know how people have the time to use Robbins a a primary text.

Is it more straight forward than Robins? I like Robins but it does get horribly bogged down in details, at times.

 

[futuredoctor10]

^ Yes Rapid Review is more straight forward than Robbins, and also has more clinical points with less details on histopathology and gross path for instance.

 

[NTF]

Is it more straight forward than Robins? I like Robins but it does get horribly bogged down in details, at times.

A lot of people will follow along in Goljan RR Path and FA during M1/M2 and annotate as they go along. I'd also be diligent about saving review material (slides, charts, diagrams etc) or board review books you found helpful. Step1 review goes a lot easier when you're using materials that you already have familiarity with.

Some people have a fetish about Robbins but it's overkill in my opinion.

 

[SpecterGT260]

You'd be surprised at how many of the diagnoses House makes (at least the ones that aren't totally fictional) are A. horses and B. would have been diagnosed with a simple lab test that would have likely been done in the ED before the patient even saw an attending.

This. I dated an upper class med student last year and it was hilarious how quickly she would call out the diagnosis in house. IRL House is a terrible diagnostician lol.

 

[colbgw02]

I am in systems path 1 right now and I was reading my Robins book on neurological disorders. Going through it, they describe what feels like hundreds of disorders just involving the nervous system. Then I went through the class notes to see which conditions are going to be covered, and it is only about 30 that we need to know for the test. Normally I don't complain that I don't have enough to learn but it just seems like there is so much that we aren't covering. Is that how pathology classes are? Is the professor just trying to teach us stuff that will are most likely to encounter clinically and some diseases just aren't important to know? Or should we be learning every one of those conditions in the book and my professor is just under doing it?

I hope you are on scholarship, because if you're paying for your medical education, then you are seriously being ripped off.

 

[Brachyury]

Don't trust anyone who says you should use RR path: Pathoma >>>>RR and Goljan audio

 

[hetal]

I bet you are luckier then me just because my teachers knowledge is not enough to alow us to ask question ....my professor is so insecure that he does not alow us to ask question ...lol life story of Caribbean medical school

 

[hetal]

agree with u pathoma does not cover enough

 

[link2swim06]

agree with u pathoma does not cover enough

Really, so does that mean you know everything in pathoma and are looking for more information... because if I actually knew every single thing in that book I would have missed few questions?

I mean yes RR has more info, but its basically impossible to know it cold. However, knowing pathoma cold is very plausible.