PATH: Little Robbins vs. Big Robbins

[JosephFaecesMD]

Which one is better?

Do you need the big Robbins (hardback) or will the Robbins Review book + BRS Pathology suffice?

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[Hurricane95]

I've heard little (aka "baby") robbins is like a high yield version of the big one, with references to page numbers in the big one. I'm not sure yet as I haven't bought either yet. Actually I'm planning on buying the baby robbins on amazon soon, and my school gives me access to an e-copy of big robbins for free through my school library webpage. There's also an "adolescent" robbins out there, which is somewhere between both. I think the little one doesn't have nearly as many pics as the big one, and brs has very few pics at all (the few they have are black and white too) so I think the big one is helpful for the visuals. After all, lots of path is very visual.

 

[DoctorFunk]

Baby Robbins and Goljan's Rapid Review Path. That way you can get the high yield facts from Robbins with page references to the full textbook if you need explanation, while still getting pictures in Rapid Review along with Goljan's ability to integrate the material across subjects. I've found it to be a great combo.

 

[njbmd]

Which one is better?

Do you need the big Robbins (hardback) or will the Robbins Review book + BRS Pathology suffice?

It depends on what you are attempting to do. If you are learning Pathology that is in class, then the text is your best bet. If you are reviewing Pathology for USMLE Step I, then a reveiw book is best. You can't review what you haven't learned in the first place. Review books in class initially look like a "short-cut" but turn out to actually take longer because you are constantly "filling-in" the gaps.

 

[Tired]

I own both. Little Robbins got me through Path just fine.

However, I will say that Big Robbins is one of only three books I have continued to reference through the rest of med school, and I'm very glad that I own it.

 

[vegetables]

I used the medium Robbins - Robbins Basic Pathology. It had great pictures plus all the essential info - for me it was an easier read (less wordy/dense) than Big Robbins but much more than little Robbins. I only used it and maybe supplemented w/ my roommates Big Robbins once or twice (or used my school's online version=free), and I did great. And my back thanked me for the lighter load!!

 

[Chulito]

I own both. Little Robbins got me through Path just fine.

However, I will say that Big Robbins is one of only three books I have continued to reference through the rest of med school, and I'm very glad that I own it.

What are the other two?

 

[RaaMD]

I've heard little (aka "baby") robbins is like a high yield version of the big one, with references to page numbers in the big one. I'm not sure yet as I haven't bought either yet. Actually I'm planning on buying the baby robbins on amazon soon, and my school gives me access to an e-copy of big robbins for free through my school library webpage. There's also an "adolescent" robbins out there, which is somewhere between both. I think the little one doesn't have nearly as many pics as the big one, and brs has very few pics at all (the few they have are black and white too) so I think the big one is helpful for the visuals. After all, lots of path is very visual.

I thought baby robbins was the Basic Path Book. Or is the Basic Path book the adolescent Robbins?

 

[vegetables]

I thought baby robbins was the Basic Path Book. Or is the Basic Path book the adolescent Robbins?

I thought when most people say "Baby Robbins" they meant the paperback version that can fit in a white coat pocket, and I'm guessing "adolescent" means the medium sized one I was talking about before...

 

[8o8o8o8]

I never actually bought Robbins as I also have full online access, however it is one of the few "books" I use. If you don't need it to be portable I would go with the full text (and as stated above if you're not reviewing for the boards). Although you will certainly pass path with baby/adolescent Robbins, the big book will come in handy during organ based classes in the future.

 

[Long Dong]

I'm going against the crowd here, but I say you can do without ether one. I actually bought big robbins and only opened it twice, granted my school doesn't have a dedicated path course, we are in organ systems. I just read goljan path review, listened to his lectures like 5 times while working out, and did thousands of path questions (robbins review, A&L, etc). I did get an * on the right on my step 1 score report for path, for those who don't know * on the right means you got all those questions right or almost all of them. Even if I read robbins I wouldn't have been able to retain most of it anyway.

 

[OB1🤙]

When I was a 2nd year, I bought the Big Robbins, opened it once, slammed it shut in disgust after attempting to study from it for ~10 minutes, and immediately sold it. It is way, way overkill IMO. I got by just fine with Baby Robbins + BRS + our school's online picture/slide database. Your mileage may vary with that technique, but it's doable if you aren't someone who freaks out because you don't have every last bit of minutiae available at your fingertips on demand.

More people might prefer the "medium" Robbins + BRS, that'd be dandy also.

 

[lord_jeebus]

Big Robbins is a classic.

Not everyone enjoys reading the classics.

 

[ranmyaku]

I enjoy reading Big Robbins. It's not that bad.

I am also partial to G&G and Cecil. With those three books you can answer just about any question you will encounter in Med School ( - anatomy). Maybe throw in a Phys text if you have never had it before.

 

[SeventhSon]

I enjoy reading Big Robbins. It's not that bad.

I am also partial to G&G and Cecil. With those three books you can answer just about any question you will encounter in Med School ( - anatomy). Maybe throw in a Phys text if you have never had it before.

G&G looks like a beast but is actually quite concise and well-written... it just has a huge scope of topics.

 

[lord_jeebus]

G&G looks like a beast but is actually quite concise and well-written... it just has a huge scope of topics.

SeventhSon, I had a little bit of doubt when I recommended UCSD to you last year. I worried that you might not like the style.

I was wrong. This school was made for you.