Surgery Shelf. Thoughts on Virgilio's over Pestano's as a text?

[phagocytosis41]

Hey all, OMS-3 going to take the surgery NBME shelf next month. While I will continue using UWORLD and use that as my 'main learning material' for most of the shelf exams (in addition to use the NBMEs to gauge my readiness for the shelf), I am a little ambivalent on what source to use to read for the surgery shelf. It is my understanding that while Pestano's is raved about by most medical students, it is a bit superficial and does not contain much info to really 'do well' on the surgery shelf. I get the point its easy to read on the ward during down times, but does anyone recommend Virgilio's over Pestanos? Many people say you should read Virgilio, because it is very thorough. I personally like thorough stuff, so I do not end up reading more resources just to get information I could have gotten from one main text.
I am reading Virgilio cover to cover and doing pretty well in terms of reading it, since I have about 8 weeks to read from it. Should I keep doing it or just switch to Pestano's?
Thanks.

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[BlueBleck]

My understanding is that if you finish devirg, you've covered pestana's. Also, I felt that OME surg = Pestana's audiofiles. So if you've done OME and devirg, you've basically covered pestana's twice.

When reviewing for the shelf, and seeing as how you seem to have a surplus of time, why not skim through pestana's. It can be done in a day, or a few hours if you've seen the content before.

Also, I personally felt like Uworld surg was lots of trivia and didn't match up with a lot of bigger picture surg stuff like emma holiday videos, so i dropped it early.

FWIW, I passed and surprisingly wasn't below a SD with emma holiday (2hrs), OME(a handful of hours), half of pestana's (half of a day) and 2 blocks of uworld. (my surg was brutal and first). But I take COMATs, not NBME. Good luck!

 

[ciestar]

Pestana’s is not super indepth. It was easy to carry around and read when you had time, though.

 

[libertyyne]

Dorian deck, amboss, uworld. I read a single chapter out of virgilios since it was required for a clinic, >99 percentile.,

 

[Sardonix]

As someone who didn't want to do surgery and whose main concern was not getting mauled by attendings, I put in the minimal effort for the COMAT by studying all the OME videos and then doing the ~120 or so COMBANK questions specific to surgery (I hate COMBANK, but it was free at the time). This was enough to get me the score I needed for H/HP for the rotation when combined with the studying I did to answer pimp questions. And again, let me emphasize, I suck at surgery.

 

[Gilakend]

Dorian deck, amboss, uworld. I read a single chapter out of virgilios since it was required for a clinic, >99 percentile.,

I've been following some of your posts for awhile since you've be killing your clerkships and just had 1 quick clarifying question.

When you say UWorld, amboss, and dorian are you doing ALL of them? For example, all of the UW questions, all of the dorian cards, and all the AMBOSS questions? I only ask because it seems some people have a hard time finishing just 1 of these so I wasn't sure (but maybe that is also why you're killing the game).

Congrats on the success so far!

 

[libertyyne]

I've been following some of your posts for awhile since you've be killing your clerkships and just had 1 quick clarifying question.

When you say UWorld, amboss, and dorian are you doing ALL of them? For example, all of the UW questions, all of the dorian cards, and all the AMBOSS questions? I only ask because it seems some people have a hard time finishing just 1 of these so I wasn't sure (but maybe that is also why you're killing the game).

Congrats on the success so far!

Yes, I have been doing all of them. I usually do all the cards in the first week of the rotation, then grind through amboss while maintaining cards. Last two weeks i lay off the cards and just go through uworld, and old nbmes fairly quickly. I have been doing them untimed, and timing has been an issue for me, but it works out. Its definately doable. I am not wasting my time with any videos like ome or holliday, nor am i gently perusing through a book like many classmates. Every moment of studying I am forcing my brain to retrive something, that method has been working.

 

[Gilakend]

Yes, I have been doing all of them. I usually do all the cards in the first week of the rotation, then grind through amboss while maintaining cards. Last two weeks i lay off the cards and just go through uworld, and old nbmes fairly quickly. I have been doing them untimed, and timing has been an issue for me, but it works out. Its definately doable. I am not wasting my time with any videos like ome or holliday, nor am i gently perusing through a book like many classmates. Every moment of studying I am forcing my brain to retrive something, that method has been working.

So when doing the Dorian cards, you aren't using OME or Emma first, you're just unsuspending and chugging along?

 

[libertyyne]

So when doing the Dorian cards, you aren't using OME or Emma first, you're just unsuspending and chugging along?

yup. I see most of the cards that are not guidelines are just extension of the preclinical information. If i have a quesiton i will just look it up, there are usually journal articles or wikipedia or even youtube video that will clarify something. The cards have enough context in them, and if they dont I just keep chugging until they dots connect. Sometimes the dots connect in clinic or on the wards.

 

[Gilakend]

yup. I see most of the cards that are not guidelines are just extension of the preclinical information. If i have a quesiton i will just look it up, there are usually journal articles or wikipedia or even youtube video that will clarify something. The cards have enough context in them, and if they dont I just keep chugging until they dots connect. Sometimes the dots connect in clinic or on the wards.

Just 1 more question for you: have you been including the UWorld and NBME cards in at the beginning of your rotation? Or do you save those as not to spoil the questions later?

 

[libertyyne]

Just 1 more question for you: have you been including the UWorld and NBME cards in at the beginning of your rotation? Or do you save those as not to spoil the questions later?

I try to not spoil them especially the nbme ones. But honestly I don't think it matters.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Yes, I have been doing all of them. I usually do all the cards in the first week of the rotation, then grind through amboss while maintaining cards. Last two weeks i lay off the cards and just go through uworld, and old nbmes fairly quickly. I have been doing them untimed, and timing has been an issue for me, but it works out. Its definately doable. I am not wasting my time with any videos like ome or holliday, nor am i gently perusing through a book like many classmates. Every moment of studying I am forcing my brain to retrive something, that method has been working.

Dude you’re a beast. I’m on surgery right now with shelf on Friday and I doubt I’ll get through uworld. My days are 5am-6pm and I just have no energy when I get home. Don’t see how you do it.

 

[libertyyne]

Dude you’re a beast. I’m on surgery right now with shelf on Friday and I doubt I’ll get through uworld. My days are 5am-6pm and I just have no energy when I get home. Don’t see how you do it.

one day off a week, grind through 200+ questions, overnight call is a little slow, grind through dorian. my days were mostly 5-6p as well with some longer days up till 10 p. Just keep at it, a block a day will help.

 

[Lilyhopeless]

I read Pestana just to answer the pimp questions. I did not find it was all that useful for the shelf at all. In my spare time, I did UWorld and it was more than enough. I did half the question bank and I am happy with the result.

Then again, I just want to pass surgery rotation with all my sanity attached.

 

[Ho0v-man]

one day off a week, grind through 200+ questions, overnight call is a little slow, grind through dorian. my days were mostly 5-6p as well with some longer days up till 10 p. Just keep at it, a block a day will help.