pathology

[medstu2]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I have heard this is the most important and most challenging medical course I will ever face. What's your take on it? What's the best way to study for it without giving up your social life? (My school uses Robbins for the textbook.)

 

[Law2Doc]

I have heard this is the most important and most challenging medical course I will ever face. What's your take on it? What's the best way to study for it without giving up your social life? (My school uses Robbins for the textbook.)

"Most important" probably depends on what you end up doing in medicine. All of the basic science year courses are important, but they are all just foundation for the clinical stuff. Everyone is going to have one that is more challenging to them personally -- for some it's path, for others it isn't. I wouldn't exalt path to anything other than another high yield course you need to conquer. Study for it as you would the other basic science year courses, but with more emphasis on images.

 

[ANCAdoc]

"All of the basic science year courses are important...

I can't disagree more.

 

[Law2Doc]

I can't disagree more.

Some you will use more than others. Some will appear on the boards more than others. But all give you a foundation on which to build.

 

[vicksx44]

Since you have the Robbins textbook, try to access the online case studies available via studentconsult. They're very helpful in integrating what you learned. I'm surprised that a lot of my classmates are not even aware of it.

 

[medstylee]

ugh, robbins is just too damn long-winded for medical school. it's a wonderful book, but the level of detail is just too much. luckily my school is really good at teaching us the high-yield stuff for path. but, when i do reference robbins, i always find that the purple text boxes are really helpful. for high yield stuff, a lot of people like goljan's rapid review. i personally like the BRS book. for path images, i really like wheater's histopathology. it's concise but the pictures are great and the text is really readable and not bogged down with detail (just have to get used the british spelling - "oesophagus!"). i've also found the youtube path videos by Washingtondeceit to be great. check them out if you haven't already heard about them. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=WashingtonDeceit

best of luck.

 

[dizzle69]

ugh, robbins is just too damn long-winded for medical school. it's a wonderful book, but the level of detail is just too much. luckily my school is really good at teaching us the high-yield stuff for path. but, when i do reference robbins, i always find that the purple text boxes are really helpful. for high yield stuff, a lot of people like goljan's rapid review. i personally like the BRS book. for path images, i really like wheater's histopathology. it's concise but the pictures are great and the text is really readable and not bogged down with detail (just have to get used the british spelling - "oesophagus!"). i've also found the youtube path videos by Washingtondeceit to be great. check them out if you haven't already heard about them. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=WashingtonDeceit

best of luck.

I take path next semester. Thank you for the resource. 👍

 

[Mayhem]

I wish I could help but you already shot down my answer i.e. giving up your social life. I pretty much lived in the library for 3 weeks before my exam. I was using the BRS early on because I thought the Robbins was an awful book filled with random useless detail but my teachers loved it and their exam questions mainly came from the hyper-details that only PhD's should know. Thankfully I was warned. BTW...it always help if you can get past papers or info from an upper year about how the exams are set. That saved me

 

[Amy B]

Baby Robbins is a better source than the huge path text book. I wish I had used it rather than trying to read the big Robbins text. Even Dr Goljan said he read cell injury in Robbins and was falling alsleep😉

Also make sure you get the Q & A book that Robbins put out. It is a great way to go over path as well as study for the boards.

 

[Tiger26]

Goljan and Rapid Review Path=way higher exam scores than Robbins or even our class notes


Actually, our micro class was much harder than path, and I've heard Pharm next semester makes path look like a joke.

 

[mjl1717]

I can't disagree more.

Hmmm...Funny, and you got guts!!

Ill just add : In this arena if you are a "Pathophysiology monster and or master".. That can get you out of many an academic and clinical quagmire!!
Not to mention that during rounds you'll be able to fold your arms and roll your eyes during official grilling...

 

[mm3781]

I second the above post. If you know your path and pathophys inside and out, you can pretty much reason through a lot of questions if you don't know the answer off the top of your head. Plus, it helps on Step1 as well. I know it seems ridiculous, but I can't tell you how many times it has saved my ass knowing path very well. That said, my vote is for big Robbins and a hiatus on the social life.