Taking me FOREVER to get through RR Path Goljan

[golfman]

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7 weeks until my exam. I've gone through FA 2 times, have done about 80% Rx, 80% Uworld, and 45% Kaplan QBank questions.

I still only scored in the upper 220's on my last NBME.

So I figured I would start reading Goljan's RR Path book (I'd read about half of it during classes, but am going to read it all again).

BUT IT TAKES FOREVER for me to read this thing. It takes me about about an hour and 15 minutes to read 10 pages.

Am I just a super slow reader, or what?

 

[MilkmanAl]

"Only" in the 220's with 7 weeks left is pretty impressive, in my book.

Goljan is a tough read, there's no doubt about it. There's tons of info rushing at you, and the text is pretty tiny for such a large book. My reading speed is probably in the average to above-average range, and it takes me a good 5-6 minutes per page unless I really get into the zone or know the topic like the back of my hand and spend 4-ish per. I don't think 7/page is particularly terrible.

However, you might be able to use your time more effectively. Since it does take you awhile, you might consider limiting your reading to the margin notes and tables and only reading the text when you need clarification on the notes.

 

[kryptik]

Try to do a chapter a day that will be roughly 25 days, that will still give you plenty of time as you have 7 weeks

 

[username456789]

Yeah, 220's with 7 weeks left is pretty darn solid. Hell, most people don't get that long to study during their dedicated study period.

Goljan is a tough read, and I was a hater at first when I got it. I actually really like the book now and plan on using it more than I originally thought I would during my dedicated study period. Of course, as things go who knows whether I'll abandon that in favor of more FA time.

I guess it might not help you much now, but on my first run through each chapter (alongside our classes during that organ system) I highlighted key points/words/symptoms or underlined them with these fine tip colored pens I have (or, the all-important highlight-with-red-box-drawn-around-it for the really important things I want to jump out of the page at me). There was really no method to what gets highlighted vs underlined or whatever, and it probably looks like a crazy neon sign to some people, but I think it definitely helps to direct my reading and focus me more (since there aren't any bolded terms in that book generally). I feel like I have ADD, so it's tough for me to sit through and read a million lines of text when it all looks the same. Having a bunch of markings in my book might seem distracting to some, but it's what (I think) seems to work for me.

 

[badasshairday]

Goljan is tough. I take about an hour for 10-12 pages. The book is hard because it is all important info. I would be reading thinking a certain thing was not too important inthe pathogenesis of a disease or clinical finding; but I would then find out upon doing questions and getting them wrong that the info was right there in rr path. So don't worry if you read slow, just do it. It wil pay dividends in the end. Ther is no other book out there that integrates it all like goljan. Biochem, micro, even pharm...etc

 

[MilkmanAl]

Goljan is tough. I take about an hour for 10-12 pages. The book is hard because it is all important info. I would be reading thinking a certain thing was not too important inthe pathogenesis of a disease or clinical finding; but I would then find out upon doing questions and getting them wrong that the info was right there in rr path. So don't worry if you read slow, just do it. It wil pay dividends in the end. Ther is no other book out there that integrates it all like goljan. Biochem, micro, even pharm...etc

100% agree with this. Goljan impresses me more and more the deeper I get into my studying. It's an incredible resource.

 

[scowdeva]

Goljan is tough. I take about an hour for 10-12 pages. The book is hard because it is all important info. I would be reading thinking a certain thing was not too important inthe pathogenesis of a disease or clinical finding; but I would then find out upon doing questions and getting them wrong that the info was right there in rr path. So don't worry if you read slow, just do it. It wil pay dividends in the end. Ther is no other book out there that integrates it all like goljan. Biochem, micro, even pharm...etc

Feel the need to second (or I guess it's 'third') this...it takes me a looong time to go through the chapters, but if I take my time, and actively try and tie it all together it makes so much more sense!

The more questions I do, the more I see how great this massive book is at tying everything together that you need to know- I actually prefer it over First Aid system chapters for truly understanding vs. just memorizing.

 

[Guyton Killah]

Funny thing is that once you finish, you wont remember a thing. I can testify on that one, anytime. That's why some pips prefer BRS over RR. How about doing the transcripts, instead of the real book?

 

[HTxFrog]

Goljan may not be the easiest read in the world, but its still an outline so you should probably be reading it a little faster than that. Try putting a clock on yourself and making your goal 20 pages in an hour or something. When I time myself and set a goal like that I end up going a lot faster b/c I don't tend to drift off thinking about one thing in the book or looking up a picture or erythema nodosum or something like that. Works for me anyways

 

[badasshairday]

Goljan may not be the easiest read in the world, but its still an outline so you should probably be reading it a little faster than that. Try putting a clock on yourself and making your goal 20 pages in an hour or something. When I time myself and set a goal like that I end up going a lot faster b/c I don't tend to drift off thinking about one thing in the book or looking up a picture or erythema nodosum or something like that. Works for me anyways

Great tip.

Also don't worry about the margin notes until after you read the chapter. Going through the margin notes after reading the chapters solidifies concepts/knowledge. Or just read the whole book, then do the margin notes.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I find it helpful to have done a decent amount of practice questions - I prefer 2 blocks or so - before reading Goljan. That way, stuff you know or saw will pop out, and it's a lot easier to integrate the new info into what you already have learned. I then go do more questions and tend to remember things in the reading that I otherwise would have spaced out.

 

[badasshairday]

That is a good idea too, Al.

I definitely will do the timer thing though. I have noticed that if do practice questions untimed, I take FOREVER to get through them. Once I put the pressure of the timer, I go much faster. Hopefully this works for reading as well! I'm trying to do 6 hours of UWORLD and 6 hours of reading per day for dedicated prep!

 

[RapidReview]

That is a good idea too, Al.

I definitely will do the timer thing though. I have noticed that if do practice questions untimed, I take FOREVER to get through them. Once I put the pressure of the timer, I go much faster. Hopefully this works for reading as well! I'm trying to do 6 hours of UWORLD and 6 hours of reading per day for dedicated prep!

good luck - i will be joining you on Monday! Path shelf tomorrow then nbme 6 on Sunday. when are you taking the exam?

 

[turkeyjerky]

Funny thing is that once you finish, you wont remember a thing. I can testify on that one, anytime. That's why some pips prefer BRS over RR. How about doing the transcripts, instead of the real book?

tis better to haver learned and lost then to have never learned at all

 

[FullTiltMD]

Would you guys say there are some chapters that are more important in terms of USMLE than others? During the year I read probably 15-16 of the 25 chapters and left out some such as nutrition and environmental path. Reading chapters a 2nd or 3rd time around is much quicker and so during my study period I was considering just rereading ones I have already done. Any thoughts?

 

[badasshairday]

good luck - i will be joining you on Monday! Path shelf tomorrow then nbme 6 on Sunday. when are you taking the exam?

June 18! Good luck to you too! This is gonna be intense. 😱

 

[scowdeva]

I find it helpful to have done a decent amount of practice questions - I prefer 2 blocks or so - before reading Goljan. That way, stuff you know or saw will pop out, and it's a lot easier to integrate the new info into what you already have learned. I then go do more questions and tend to remember things in the reading that I otherwise would have spaced out.

This is my strategy also (do some questions, see what basic concepts I don't know, then go back to 2x as many questions after I've done the section in FA, RR, and BRS physio). If you learn by doing questions, I would definitely suggest you give this a try! Just trying to read it through wouldn't be nearly as beneficial as reinforcing the important points with questions, or listening to the Goljan audio (which I am also a fan of, since I learn well when I hear something opposed to just seeing it in print).

 

[DoctaJMa]

This is my strategy also (do some questions, see what basic concepts I don't know, then go back to 2x as many questions after I've done the section in FA, RR, and BRS physio). If you learn by doing questions, I would definitely suggest you give this a try! Just trying to read it through wouldn't be nearly as beneficial as reinforcing the important points with questions, or listening to the Goljan audio (which I am also a fan of, since I learn well when I hear something opposed to just seeing it in print).

Im so jealous people have Goljan audio...i cant find it anywhere...and according to the SDN policy it is an illegal recording and I am NOT allowed to ask where to get it...so I am just going to say again I am jealous people have it haha