review books and systems-based curricula

[CremasterFlash]

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hi all, I'm starting school in the fall and like the idea of annotating review book(s) while grinding through my classes. I haven't decided on which place yet, but the two most likely choices are both systems-based preclinical curricula.

so I have collected the following list of review books from your collective wisdom. but, it occurs to me that they are largely organized by discipline rather than system. will they still be useful?

Anatomy - BRS
Behavioral sci - BRS
Histology/Cell Bio - RR
Neuro - HY
Embryology - HY
Pathology - Goljan RR
Physiology - BRS
Biochem - Lippincott's Illustrated Review or RR
Pharmacology - Lippincott's Illustrated Review or BRS
Pharmcards - BRS or LWW
Immuno/Micro - Levinson Review of Medical Micro&Immuno
Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple
First Aid for Step 1 - I think this is systems-based actually.


Other books that you guys seem to recommend but have nothing to do with this post:

Iserson's Getting into a Residency: A Guide for Medical Students, Sixth Edition
Netter's Anatomy
Rohen's Photographic Anatomy Atlas.
Netter flashcards
Grant's Dissector
Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, Seventh Edition - read chapters as go through the subjects
Robbins Review of Pathology (question book)

soooo... anyone out there with an opinion on this? does the question make sense?

cf

 

[Dr Roboto]

so I have collected the following list of review books from your collective wisdom. but, it occurs to me that they are largely organized by discipline rather than system. will they still be useful

Of course. The books themselves may be subject based, but the chapters are systems based.

BRS Physio
1. Cardiovascular
2. Neurophysiology
3. Respiratory
4. GI
etc.

 

[njbmd]

hi all, I'm starting school in the fall and like the idea of annotating review book(s) while grinding through my classes. I haven't decided on which place yet, but the two most likely choices are both systems-based preclinical curricula.

so I have collected the following list of review books from your collective wisdom. but, it occurs to me that they are largely organized by discipline rather than system. will they still be useful?

Anatomy - BRS
Behavioral sci - BRS
Histology/Cell Bio - RR
Neuro - HY
Embryology - HY
Pathology - Goljan RR
Physiology - BRS
Biochem - Lippincott's Illustrated Review or RR
Pharmacology - Lippincott's Illustrated Review or BRS
Pharmcards - BRS or LWW
Immuno/Micro - Levinson Review of Medical Micro&Immuno
Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple
First Aid for Step 1 - I think this is systems-based actually.


Other books that you guys seem to recommend but have nothing to do with this post:

Iserson's Getting into a Residency: A Guide for Medical Students, Sixth Edition
Netter's Anatomy
Rohen's Photographic Anatomy Atlas.
Netter flashcards
Grant's Dissector
Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, Seventh Edition - read chapters as go through the subjects
Robbins Review of Pathology (question book)

soooo... anyone out there with an opinion on this? does the question make sense?

cf

Before you start amassing massive lists of books, get to where you are going and then figure out what you need. Review books are for review and coursework is for learning. You can't review what you haven't learned in the first place. These lists of books have been done very nicely in First Aid for Step I which is actually, the only book that is remotely useful during first or second year of medical school.

When you get to studying for Step I (at the completion of second year), you can choose one or two sources but likely one is enough. I have seen too many "gung-ho" first years with 20 to 30 review books tucked under their arms only to start struggling with their coursework. Chill out and master your coursework before you start to "review". Anything, including "annotating review books", that takes time away from your couse mastery is a huge waste of time that could be put to better use by efficient and complete coursework study.

The best resource of what you will need to "review" will actually be the upperclassmen at your school, especially the ones who are fresh from Step I.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

Before you start amassing massive lists of books, get to where you are going and then figure out what you need. Review books are for review and coursework is for learning. You can't review what you haven't learned in the first place. These lists of books have been done very nicely in First Aid for Step I which is actually, the only book that is remotely useful during first or second year of medical school.

When you get to studying for Step I (at the completion of second year), you can choose one or two sources but likely one is enough. I have seen too many "gung-ho" first years with 20 to 30 review books tucked under their arms only to start struggling with their coursework. Chill out and master your coursework before you start to "review". Anything, including "annotating review books", that takes time away from your couse mastery is a huge waste of time that could be put to better use by efficient and complete coursework study.

The best resource of what you will need to "review" will actually be the upperclassmen at your school, especially the ones who are fresh from Step I.

QFT.

And further, I would say 50% or so of that list is just not very good (at least according to conventional wisdom at my school).

Also, on the "annotating" thing - the vast majority of students only annotate First Aid. It would seem to me to be a huge waste of time to try and annotate all those little review books. And, when we give advice to 2nd years about studying for boards at our school, one of the biggest pieces of advice is to tell them to put that copy of FA they've been marking up for 2 years away and get a new one - because in all likelihood more than half the stuff they wrote in it is useless for boards, because at the time they didn't know what the "high yield" information was.

 

[nka1985]

Before you start amassing massive lists of books, get to where you are going and then figure out what you need. Review books are for review and coursework is for learning. You can't review what you haven't learned in the first place. These lists of books have been done very nicely in First Aid for Step I which is actually, the only book that is remotely useful during first or second year of medical school.

When you get to studying for Step I (at the completion of second year), you can choose one or two sources but likely one is enough. I have seen too many "gung-ho" first years with 20 to 30 review books tucked under their arms only to start struggling with their coursework. Chill out and master your coursework before you start to "review". Anything, including "annotating review books", that takes time away from your couse mastery is a huge waste of time that could be put to better use by efficient and complete coursework study.

The best resource of what you will need to "review" will actually be the upperclassmen at your school, especially the ones who are fresh from Step I.

So true. Our board review adviser always says that the best way you can prepare for boards is to master the material in each class-that way when board review approaches it truly is REVIEW and all the details come back quickly.

 

[Vonsmack]

I agree that you need to learn the coursework before you can "review". Obviously if you only used review books you would fail every test in med school. But there is nothing wrong with going through review books along with your coursework so you are familiar with the format, just don't waste too much time as it won't help that much. The only thing I would write in your review books are helpful pnemonics that helped you remember the material. Review books will be more useful second year as you try to remember all the phys/anatomy you forgot from first year.

 

[Bcblazer]

Alright, can someone please explain these acronymns:

BRS
RR
HY
LWW

I assume that FA is for "First Aid" as in "First Aid for Step 1." Correct me if I'm wrong.

BRS - Board Review Series
RR - Rapid Review
HY - High Yield
LWW - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 

[bodonid]

systems based schools' students still use these review books.

I annotate-(VEERRY briefly...) during classes too. It is a good idea because when you start studying for boards, you will already be comfortable with the books.

my opinion- hold off on buying the books until you start that class.
histology doesn't need a review book, imo.

Anatomy - BRS too long, but I found it otherwise useful. clinical boxes good.
Behavioral sci - BRS or HY, HY is more suitable for "review"
Histology/Cell Bio - RR or nothing?
Neuro - HY 👍 BRS is decent, but again too lengthy.
Embryology - HY dunno, I don't like embryo and I haven't attempted review. HY because its short, probably. BRS is impossibly dense for me.
Physiology - BRS 👍👍👍
Biochem - Lippincott's Illustrated Review or RR Most people use Lippincott, but I love Goljan.
Immuno/Micro - Levinson Review of Medical Micro&Immuno if you get CMMRS, I REALLY don't think you need this. If you need immuno review, get it after you take immunology. Most people don't, though.
Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple Own it, love it.
First Aid for Step 1 - I think this is systems-based actually. Indispensible.