Post M1 Summer: Pathoma vs. Physio

[redblue]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I really appreciate the discussion going on here, and I understand where both sides are coming from. I am already planning on doing a research project, but I would still like to do something for an hour or so every day. I start to feel physically sick when I veg out for more than a week. I think I'm leaning more towards Pathoma because there are more tangible landmarks than my reading Costanzo or BRS and not reading close enough and missing the concepts I've always missed. My school has immuno incorporated into first year, so I've covered all the normal systems and basic imuno by the end of first year. I might change my approach if the first chapter of Pathoma goes over my head though.

 

[redblue]

Just curious, how much do you have banked and mastered?

I started Firecracker towards the end of anatomy. At this point I have 300 topics out of 1122 banked. 64% mastered. I've noticed significant decline in what I learned earlier, but I'm not sure if it's because I didn't learn it well or if it's from knowledge decay over time. I'm leaning towards the former because neuro was a really weak subject for me, but I got lucky with multiple choice exams.

For an incoming M1, I don't think doing FC from day 1 of med school would be particularly fruitful because you'd just have a handful of cards every day for awhile. FC is also not great for anatomy, so I think it'd be best to start FC when you start physio and add in whatever biochem and embryo you've learned then (or over winter break)

 

[Venko]

Attractive librarian is the only valid reason in this list.

All joking aside, true confessions time: I did study between M1 and M2. It was a waste of time. I had no perspective and was doing it out of anxiety. Listen up, people: the sooner you learn to deal with the anxiety by enjoying your free time, the more content you will be. I used to judge myself by my academic success and the moment I tried to stop doing that, I became much happier. There are too many people who are like I was and treat med school like it's their life. I find that sad because I remember how it felt and it didn't feel good. These 8-10 weeks of vacation are truly your last extended break like that, so I would use it to visit as many family and old friends as possible, not worry about school, and simply relax.

You don't need to take a trip to Europe or self-actualize, but a vacation from studying isn't going to wipe everything from first year out of your brain or make you so far behind for second year that you'll score sub-200 on Step 1. The fact that the OP, and so many of these other folks, are even considering this is proof enough that they're motivated students. Reward yourselves with a break. Turn off your med school brain. Mine's been turned off since September and boy does it feel great.

It sounds like you've gained a lot of knowledge about yourself. I think its great you've discovered your path with balancing your responsibilities. For me and possibly for others, we do it differently. Neither is wrong, neither is more right. Just let people find their own way. I can't say this enough because your posts are written as though you are trying to convince people of your way…you don't need to convince. Just present the view and let people choose. Your personal experience or that of your associates is valuable but is not more valuable than others experiences or the student's own gut feelings. Come to peace with the idea that each person will find their own way.

I have gone further on this path than you in terms of years and for me, I have never found more joy in my career than when I read the material because it would be valuable to my patients and when I began building bridges between content areas. I love learning new things and relearning old things when I have new mental frameworks to apply them to. I grow stale when I don't study for extended periods of time and it is hard to regain my efficiency and motivations. I am extremely happy without shutting my brain off but rather keeping it running all the time. It works for me and has helped me get to where i am.

It won't work for everyone, but instead of telling people what to do, share your story as an optional pathway. Let them choose.

I like that the OP has come to a decision about what to do. a little research, a little studying, they are doing it for themselves; not for step 1, not for you, not for me…because it is right for them.

Thats a win for us all and for SDN in general.

 

[Snoopy2006]

I've been doing it for much of the year.. not that difficult or time consuming. Not every curriculum is the same.

What's the big deal if someone wants to study? Some people legitimately like learning this stuff.

I don't think it's a big deal if you want to study. But many, many intelligent people have tried to learn M2 material the summer before M2, and the vast majority felt it was a waste of time. If you feel you're much smarter than everyone else, then feel free to ignore advice from multiple posters. But in general, it's difficult to truly master and retain that material without the proper context and structure. Many try to learn pathology from skeleton review books, and the super ambitious ones try to learn via Robbins and get bogged down in minutiae. (Pathoma may be a good middle-of-the-road solution, but I have little exposure to it). If you want to study, it'd be far more useful to review M1 physiology and nail down concepts (especially in renal, pulm, and cardio physiology).

If you're dead set on getting ahead for M2 year, pharm is probably easier to learn on your own than pathophysiology. Nailing down some of the big classes of drugs (e.g. sympathomimetics) using Baby Katzung may be feasible.

 

[001100010010011]

Go through BRS physio if you haven't already, but do not start Pathoma.

You will not get any significant gains out of going through pathology during the summer. You won't be able to appreciate the nuances of things by going through Pathoma.

 

[redblue]

Go through BRS physio if you haven't already, but do not start Pathoma.

You will not get any significant gains out of going through pathology during the summer. You won't be able to appreciate the nuances of things by going through Pathoma.

That's fair. Other than BRS and Costanzo, are there other good physio resources? Our physio professors keep saying Costanzo has a lot of mistakes.

 

[Kaputt]

That's fair. Other than BRS and Costanzo, are there other good physio resources? Our physio professors keep saying Costanzo has a lot of mistakes.

Physio profs all hate the Costanzo book because it's a well-written, simple, and effective book. They want you to be reading some insanely detailed, low-yield, and pointlessly complicated physio text. While taking your physio block in med school you have to play the game, but once you're past that and boards are on the horizon, stick with Costanzo or BRS...they're the only physio books you'll ever need from here on out. Costanzo wrote both, and BRS is the cliff-notes version. Step 1 is not that difficult when it comes to physio and those review books hit everything.

 

[notbobtrustme]

I'm a type A dingus sometimes too. I didn't study one bit during M1 summer for a few reasons.

People with more experience and smarter than me told not to.

M1 is full of crazy low-yield details. Physio and biochem are the two highest yield subjects in M1 and even then, you don't know enough pathology to use physio and biochem properly.

Just relax, pound some beers and enjoy the last bit of time. If you want to do well on Step 1, know M2 year cold.