Prep for EM?
Started by cpb80
Really, you should relax, but if you're going to study anything it should probably be ACLS/PALS. Whatever you do, don't read House of God.
Is House of God based on experiences in the ER or written by an ER doc? Forgive me for not knowing, I just haven't read it nor will I for some time.
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I would definitely try to do some relaxing and take some time off, but I also can say for sure don't show up having not read or done anything medical for 3 months...you'll feel way behind.
The EKG book you mentioned is OK, Dubin's EKG book is a bit basic but good if you have minimal EKG exposure. If you're more advanced, try EKG's for the Emergency Physician by Mattu. ACLS and PALS are provided by most residencies and you do them the first few weeks of residency. check up on this with your residency.
Advice given to me and what I did that made me feel pretty good was getting a basic EM text (you may want to see if your program provides one, if not most if not all will reimburse you for purchase) like Tintinnali or Rosen's. Read a few chapters a week (a chapter a day was suggested to me, but of course that doesn't happen). Read up on the basics, like abdominal pain, chest pain, SOB, etc.
But definitely take some time off. Congrats!
The EKG book you mentioned is OK, Dubin's EKG book is a bit basic but good if you have minimal EKG exposure. If you're more advanced, try EKG's for the Emergency Physician by Mattu. ACLS and PALS are provided by most residencies and you do them the first few weeks of residency. check up on this with your residency.
Advice given to me and what I did that made me feel pretty good was getting a basic EM text (you may want to see if your program provides one, if not most if not all will reimburse you for purchase) like Tintinnali or Rosen's. Read a few chapters a week (a chapter a day was suggested to me, but of course that doesn't happen). Read up on the basics, like abdominal pain, chest pain, SOB, etc.
But definitely take some time off. Congrats!
It's not EM based. It's based on experiences of a medicine intern in the 70s. While it's more fiction that fact, it makes for a fun read.
I would highly recommend that you at least find a copy of the "Rules" from the book so you'll get the references that most of us will make.
Strange, I've been asking myself the same question; "What should I study with my time off?" - I've got five weeks of "medical school" left, and they're all vacation rotations. Suggestions on what to brush up on would be great - you can't drink beer all the time, y'know.
Unfortunately it'll probably end up having that effect. I just wrote that because I think it's not a good book, but it often gets recommended on these threads. If you're looking for misogynistic pessimism, you might as well read someone who actually writes well like Bukowski.
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hey, thanks for the advice thus far. what about EMRAP... or do we not have access to it yet b/c we're still students?
Another ? does anyone have the iphone, blackberry. what are your thoughts on a PDA vs smartphone, and what programs are most useful to EM??
Another ? does anyone have the iphone, blackberry. what are your thoughts on a PDA vs smartphone, and what programs are most useful to EM??
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Find which device you like best. I prefer the smartphone as it's just easier to have everything in one device and only carry one thing around.
PEPID is gonna be your best friend as an EM resident. Some programs (like mine) gives a free subscription to last for the whole residency. EMRA Abx guide is nice, otherwise just find some pharm resource you like (electronic vs paper) for quick med/dose look up.
I'm going to call EMRA to see if they can change my status to resident. Then we get access to EMrap.
Otherwise, I'm just just going to skim my EM secrets (already read it once before), review my dubin, and maybe buy my tintinalli, and see if I become smarter from looking at it on my bookshelf... Anything else?
Maybe study for step 3? I finish med school on Friday.... What do I do from April to July?! There's only so much time I can spend travelling.
Otherwise, I'm just just going to skim my EM secrets (already read it once before), review my dubin, and maybe buy my tintinalli, and see if I become smarter from looking at it on my bookshelf... Anything else?
Maybe study for step 3? I finish med school on Friday.... What do I do from April to July?! There's only so much time I can spend travelling.
Many, if not most, programs provide a copy of Tintinalli or Rosen. Check before you buy your own.
there's a book called 250 practice ekgs (number might be wrong). its a bunch of ekgs with chief complaint, and then you interpret them and the explanations are in the back. comes with a good tutorial in front. during my time off before residency, i'd come back from the gym in the morning, go through 10 in like 30 minutes or so, read the explanations and be done. kind of got me into a good pattern of reading ekgs the same way everytime.
i also read a little bit. sometimes medical stuff, sometimes not. i read a bunch of "the classics" just to see what was so classic about them. but it definitely kept the mind stimulated. i read some select stuff from the smaller version of tintinalli. you don't need to read everything, but its good to be at least familiar with some of the high yield stuff.....ACS, AAA's, strokes +/- tPA, sepsis, etc.
i don't recommend House of God yet. I read it 2 months ago (as 2nd year resident) and loved it! couldn't put it down. don't know how i would've felt reading it in your position.
but you want two books that will blow your mind....get Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights.
i also read a little bit. sometimes medical stuff, sometimes not. i read a bunch of "the classics" just to see what was so classic about them. but it definitely kept the mind stimulated. i read some select stuff from the smaller version of tintinalli. you don't need to read everything, but its good to be at least familiar with some of the high yield stuff.....ACS, AAA's, strokes +/- tPA, sepsis, etc.
i don't recommend House of God yet. I read it 2 months ago (as 2nd year resident) and loved it! couldn't put it down. don't know how i would've felt reading it in your position.
but you want two books that will blow your mind....get Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights.
- Let me know if that works out. If it does, I wanna get on that.
EMRAP.tv is free. I d-loaded four "episodes" today.
I just found a bunch of mini-cases at http://emspecialists.com/wordpress/. Each takes only 5 min to read and a has a couple practice questions at the end. Short and sweet.
*Snaps fingers* - I guess there's more than enough in the links already posted here to keep us busy until our programs' start dates.
Meanwhile, that sound you just heard was me dropping a lime into my Corona.
