Using Casefiles

[Gullain Barre]

How do you guys usually use Casefiles? Do you just read through it, do the questions at the end of each case, and then move on?

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[KSDeacon]

How do you guys usually use Casefiles? Do you just read through it, do the questions at the end of each case, and then move on?

that's what i've been doing. i'm on my second pass through OBGYN right now...take my shelf on friday. not really sure how well it's going to go though...

 

[turkeyjerky]

What else would you do?

 

[RySerr21]

What else would you do?

some people like to read the cases as they seem them in the hospital/clinic. You obviously aren't going to see all of them so at some point you are going to just need to read them...but thats an approach ive seen classmates do. I personally just read through it.

 

[turkeyjerky]

some people like to read the cases as they seem them in the hospital/clinic. You obviously aren't going to see all of them so at some point you are going to just need to read them...but thats an approach ive seen classmates do. I personally just read through it.

That's a bad way of studying--these review books are just not sufficient for "reading up" on your patients. You need to read way more in depth than a few pages from casefiles or step up; you need to read the article on uptodate or emedicine, or find a good review article (if there's an nejm review on those are usually great). (I know you know this already; I'm writing this for others to read)

 

[Day man]

In addition to UTD and dynamed, the aafp has some pretty easy to read articles on the bread and butter outpatient stuff...I don't know if this is common knowledge but if I could redo my FM rotation (especially having it first) I would ditch all review books except pretest and just go through articles as I saw them (in addition to our FM cases online requirements). Just my 2 cents for anyone on FM early on.

 

[RySerr21]

That's a bad way of studying--these review books are just not sufficient for "reading up" on your patients. You need to read way more in depth than a few pages from casefiles or step up; you need to read the article on uptodate or emedicine, or find a good review article (if there's an nejm review on those are usually great). (I know you know this already; I'm writing this for others to read)

I'll let them know you disapprove of their study habits.

 

[KnuxNole]

I never knew "reading" on patients meant using actual articles either. I have never done that so far on any rotations. Guess now I know what attendings mean >_>

I've only read Step Up and Blueprints book(and I read up on psych patients with First Aid for psych).

 

[turkeyjerky]

I'll let them know you disapprove of their study habits.

I'm sure their attendings let them know on their evals

 

[ArcGurren]

Case Files along with seeing a case on the floors relating to the topic is a GREAT way of studying for some people, as it helps cement what they're seeing in relation to what they're studying. Obviously it's not going to help their management or treatment of that patient but that's not the bloody point.

Also UpToDate doesn't fly with some of my attendings as many consider it a "review source", though that's patent BS in my opinion.

 

[officedepot]

case files is a decent source for most rotations but you should also supplement with some sort of question source. If you want more detailed info or don't like the format of case files use stuff like first aid, step-up, etc.

No one method of studying is really better than any other. It's just a matter of how you learn best I think. Case files I feel like works for me and then I do lots of questions about 2-3 wks before the shelf. If I finish case files early I will start another book like first aid or step-up. I just am not a huge fan of trying to memorize lots of lists and tables. Sometimes it is necessary but usually in real life if you need a reference you can look that stuff up. Heck that's why they are there.

Also I think reading about your and your team's patients during the rotation is a good way of studying. Look up articles on emedicine for example. Things like that are a good supplement to what's in case files and you'll learn and retain more than you think.

 

[WolverineDoc13]

That's a bad way of studying--these review books are just not sufficient for "reading up" on your patients. You need to read way more in depth than a few pages from casefiles or step up; you need to read the article on uptodate or emedicine, or find a good review article (if there's an nejm review on those are usually great). (I know you know this already; I'm writing this for others to read)

I'm afraid I'll have to agree with turkeyjerky on this one. I felt case files was a good intro to come information, but it was way too basic for the floors! A fourth year suggested to read through case files at the beginning of the rotation in order to get a basic overview of diseases/presentations/etc, then supplement the information with Blueprints (or some other book) and a question source.

 

[DeadCactus]

For case files, I just read a case or two a day. To me, it was best used as a source of a few extra "patient encounters" to fill out things you may not have seen on your rotation. I preferred books with a more structured format for a foundation and up-to-date/articles for detailed looks at important pathologies...