Pharmacology - how to attack it?

[The Angriest Bird]

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I have 10 days now for Spring Break and I want to devote them to my favorite topic (YEAH RIGHT) pharmacology!

Just some quick questions for those who have gone through the process.

1. Is there a "drug list" for Step I pharmacology?
The thing is, if I don't know a drug, I ain't gonna get the question right. Is there a list of drugs required to know for Step I? I know it's not going to be 100% comprehensive, but at least 95% is cool. I don't mind if it has 1000 drugs.

2. I do have time to make my own flash cards. Should I?
My study for second-year pharm is pretty much flash card - based. And I actually enjoy making my own flash cards for Step I. I'm just wondering if it's a good way to study. Are commercial flash cards much better? I know there are BRS and Lippincott, which one do you prefer?

3. First Aid + Rapid Review = enough?
Those will be the books I'm using. Plus question banks.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
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[DwyaneWade]

With either Kirby's Final Smash,Cook Kirby, or a bat.










No, but seriously, if you know everything in First Aid and you get Road Map Pharm I have heard you will be in good shape.

 

[SoCuteMD]

I collected my flashcards from 2nd year pharm and studied from those. As it's been almost a year since I took the boards, I don't want to give too much specific advice but I think autonomic drugs are very important. For all but one drug on my step 1, First Aid was perfectly sufficient. Know the big adverse effects in addition to mechanisms of action and contraindications.

Lots of to you

 

[zedx]

I used FA and Lippencott's Pharm (especially their diagrams) and that pretty much covered everything I saw on the exam. I've never used Road Map Pharm but as for Lippencott's it has a number of diagrams that also show (in almost the same format) on the NBMEs.

 

[DwyaneWade]

I used FA and Lippencott's Pharm (especially their diagrams) and that pretty much covered everything I saw on the exam. I've never used Road Map Pharm but as for Lippencott's it has a number of diagrams that also show (in almost the same format) on the NBMEs.

To each their own. I can't stand pharmacology but I like Roadmap because it is small, concise, and the chapters are short enough I can motivate myself to get through one in a stretch.

 

[buenomd]

I don't know how to delete my message, as you can see I'm new to this forum

 

[Terpskins99]

I collected my flashcards from 2nd year pharm and studied from those. As it's been almost a year since I took the boards, I don't want to give too much specific advice but I think autonomic drugs are very important. For all but one drug on my step 1, First Aid was perfectly sufficient. Know the big adverse effects in addition to mechanisms of action and contraindications.

Lots of to you

I concur with this. First Aid is enough. The pharm on my USMLE was very straight forward with a heavy emphasis on side effects (particularly chemo... and at least one question about which part of the cell cycle it worked).

 

[Lacuna]

I used BRS pharm and FA. In the end, there really wasn't that much pharm on my step 1. I would estimate about 10% of my test was pharm. That said, do not spend too much time memorizing the minutiae of each drug. Learning the key indications and well-known adverse reactions should be fine. BRS pharm is a great resource for the class but it is bit too detailed for boards.

 

[AFDuck]

Anyone used the BRS Pharm flash cards? I saw a friend's and they look pretty simplistic, but I was thinking that those quick facts might be pretty high yield. Thoughts?

 

[Risa]

Anyone used the BRS Pharm flash cards? I saw a friend's and they look pretty simplistic, but I was thinking that those quick facts might be pretty high yield. Thoughts?

Can't speak with any real authority since I'm not taking the test for another 3 weeks, but I'm using the BRS cards and I like them a lot. Pharm is too overwhelming for me to even think about using more comprehensive cards. As I go along, I've been writing the FA facts for any given drug onto the relevant BRS card, and that's just about as much as I can handle. In a perfect world, sure, I'd go for more detail, but you have to be realistic about what's right for you! Good luck

 

[mudphudwannabe]

I'll second (third, fourth..?) the opinion that "FA is enough." What I did was just review the pharmacology of each organ system as I was studying that system. Then the uses and mechanisms of action fall into place, and help reinforce your pathophys concepts.

 

[doctorE2010]

Any other pharm flash cards that people would recommend besides BRS? I learn pharm best from flash cards so I'd like to get some good ones...SOON!