Microbiology: Study strategy?

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PowderPhan

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Does anyone have any suggestions on how to approach this topic? I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and don't have the first clue as how to study micro efficiently or effectively for step 1.

Are the bugs and drugs in First Aid sufficient? Is it best just to stick to memorizing those? Or is it worth spending the time to go heavy into the review books like Microbiology Made Rediculously Simple or another text like Levinson's Review of Medical Microbiology and Immunology? What about Microcards?

If anyone feels like offering up their approach for this year's exam or experience in studying for it for previous exams it'd be much appreciated...


Dazed and very confused,

PP

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Doing a lot of practice questions will get you far in this subject. I thought that micro was the only subject to have a significant number of questions with the classic buzz-words (eg. classic clinical signs or geographic locations).

I would roughly estimate that FA has enough information to answer 2/3 to 3/4 of the micro questions on Step 1. Harder questions include selecting antibiotics in unique scenarios and molecular biology tie-ins with micro.

Micro was my last med school class so I didn't use a review book and I don't know what to recommend beyond FA.
 
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I recommend both CMMRS and Lange's Medical Micro & Immuno.

The former, for mnemonics and a little more "teaching" tone...the latter for definitiveness, conciseness, and excellent tables/explanations.
the immuno section alone makes lange worth it IMO...also the summaries of clinically relevant bugs are really well done
 
the immuno section alone makes lange worth it IMO...also the summaries of clinically relevant bugs are really well done

Are you guys talking about the review of micro/immuno or just Lange's micro/immuno?
 
Lange Review of Medical Microbiology and Immunology by Levinson

Thanks Taus. Jeebus also recommended this book for Immuno. Our school library didn't have it, so I've been using Kaplan's immuno and it is horrible. I think I'll pick up a copy of Lange's review and give it a shot.
 
Seems to have everything in it. Again, its RR so it is in outline format more or less. There are some useful flow charts and diagrams. It also has a good section on immunology. I think its one of the best in the RR series.
 
I've been studying for the past couple of weeks now, and I've found that the Lange Microbiology Review book is excellent. However, it goes really well for the Deja Review Microbiology as well. I've tried the Recall, didn't like that too much, and CMBMRS is fun but seems to be lacking on substance. The way to go is Lange as textbook, and deja review as last minute review.
 
I've been studying for the past couple of weeks now, and I've found that the Lange Microbiology Review book is excellent. However, it goes really well for the Deja Review Microbiology as well. I've tried the Recall, didn't like that too much, and CMBMRS is fun but seems to be lacking on substance. The way to go is Lange as textbook, and deja review as last minute review.
I think CMMRS is an excellent source for Micro for the subject board (if your school takes it like we do). But for class I agree it may lack some of the details you may need (actually it will probably have the details in the tables - some of which aren't always presented in the text - even though that goes against the point of getting the book in the first place). But in any case, it gives a very solid foundation that makes more dense sources like Lange (which I also recommend...esp for the Immuno section as another post said) a much faster read....Oh, except CMMRS does assume that you have already done the bacterial repro and doesn't go into the details of bacterial structure the way Lange does. But just as far as remembering what bug does what and how it presents, CMMRS is much better IMO.
 
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