what books would you use to squeeze MS1 into a summer

[barelypassing]

This summer, I need to learn my school's MS1 curriculum, which is:

anatomy
biochem/mol bio
histo/cell bio
physiology
neuroanatomy
behavioral sciences

Pretty standard lineup. Should've learned it on the first time through, reasons why I didn't aren't important. I somehow managed to not fail any classes so the motivation is USMLE and also to be prepared for next year. I can only study weekday nights for about 7 weeks, although I should be able to put in a solid 6 hours a night + mass transit time.

I need some advice on how to plan my time. Here's what I was planning to do:

Anatomy: read all the blue boxes in Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy, referring to Netter's Clinical Anatomy as an atlus.

Biochem: nothing. wiki if necessary I guess

Histo: look at all the figures from Kierzenbaum's Histology and Cell Biology

Physiology: BRS physio + BRS physio: cases and problems

Neuroanatomy: what should I use? course book was Essential Neuroscience (Siegel) which was JUST HORRIBLE. I was thinking of the Made Ridiculously Simple neuro book + HY neuroanatomy + pretest neuroscience?

I got my act together before Behavioral Science so I don't need to study that.


What do you guys think of this? My retention from dissection is decent, but I stopped going to school events after anatomy, so there is basically no retention. I passed because I can remember almost everything I cram in a 12 hour session, but it's all gone after post-test celebrations. Are there better books for this situation?

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[WellWornLad]

If you're studying for Step 1, model your study time around that rather than your school's curriculum. Anatomy, for instance, is not exactly a high-yield step 1 subject. Cruise on over to the USMLE forum.

Anyway, I am sure that you're understating your lack of knowledge if you passed, and 2nd year is exponentially more important than first, both for step 1 and for medicine in general.

 

[Zweisamkeit]

This summer, I need to learn my school's MS1 curriculum, which is:

anatomy
biochem/mol bio
histo/cell bio
physiology
neuroanatomy
behavioral sciences

Wait. I'm confused. Why exactly do you want to go over alllllll this stuff again during the summer?

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Study first aid or goljan. Don't **** around with the whole curriculum. You won't get anything out of that. Do not even think about considering this course of action any longer.

 

[bydotte]

Study first aid or goljan. Don't **** around with the whole curriculum. You won't get anything out of that. Do not even think about considering this course of action any longer.

+1, maybe add BRS Phys.

 

[lildave2586]

Don't waste your time with Histo or Anatomy. I would do Physio, Biochem, then maybe Neuro (but don't review all of the material, most of it is a waste).

I like Goljan Rapid Review for Biochem, the questions in the back are great.

 

[barelypassing]

Don't waste your time with Histo or Anatomy. I would do Physio, Biochem, then maybe Neuro (but don't review all of the material, most of it is a waste).

I like Goljan Rapid Review for Biochem, the questions in the back are great.

Thanks for the advice. Makes more sense than what I was planning. I will need to use textbooks because it'll be like learning the material for the first time (I crammed by word association). The revised plan is:

Costanzo Physiology text
Blumfeld Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases

I really don't want to study biochem. Probably postpone it for march/april.

 

[asmallchild]

My Step 1 exam (perhaps an oddball) was nearly 80% pathophys.

The smartest use of your time would be to go through Goljan's RR Pathology. That'll give you a jump on your MS2 studies and prepare you the best for the Step 1. Both anatomy and biochem (nearly half my MS1) were very low yield test topics to study.

 

[bodonid]

biochem may seem low yield, but I think a little bit of biochem review would be better than fooling around with a neuroanatomy text.

 

[bodonid]

My Step 1 exam (perhaps an oddball) was nearly 80% pathophys.

The smartest use of your time would be to go through Goljan's RR Pathology. That'll give you a jump on your MS2 studies and prepare you the best for the Step 1. Both anatomy and biochem (nearly half my MS1) were very low yield test topics to study.

IS THIS TRUE???????

How can anyone get through RR Path before the class? It is in outline form! I don't understand. I can do Robbins faster than I can do Goljan, mostly because I don't understand what I'm reading in Goljan. Am I an idiot or what?

 

[Tiger26]

IS THIS TRUE???????

How can anyone get through RR Path before the class? It is in outline form! I don't understand. I can do Robbins faster than I can do Goljan, mostly because I don't understand what I'm reading in Goljan. Am I an idiot or what?

You have to listen to his audio to get a true sense of what's going on, but this book is absolute money.

I never went to class but just memorized and understood this book inside and out and I give it all the credit for rocking step 1 and looking like a genius on medicine right now for having a really solid sense of path.

I wouldn't do any first year stuff though--it's not worth your time. Even second year stuff is too much right now--enjoy your summer, it's your last one ever . . .

 

[barelypassing]

You have to listen to his audio to get a true sense of what's going on, but this book is absolute money.

I never went to class but just memorized and understood this book inside and out and I give it all the credit for rocking step 1 and looking like a genius on medicine right now for having a really solid sense of path.

I wouldn't do any first year stuff though--it's not worth your time. Even second year stuff is too much right now--enjoy your summer, it's your last one ever . . .

MS1 = my summer break. Don't regret how I spent my time but now I gotta pay for it.

Got through about a fifth of Costanzo so far, I'm reasonably optimistic I can get through both books this summer. I think I'm going to add anatomy back to the study list. I know it's low yield but USMLE aside, isn't it going to important for the actual career after the test? Please shoot me down if I'm really wrong about this but I hate when people talk about, i.e., the brachial artery and I don't know which side of the arm it's on.

 

[Tiger26]

MS1 = my summer break. Don't regret how I spent my time but now I gotta pay for it.

Got through about a fifth of Costanzo so far, I'm reasonably optimistic I can get through both books this summer. I think I'm going to add anatomy back to the study list. I know it's low yield but USMLE aside, isn't it going to important for the actual career after the test? Please shoot me down if I'm really wrong about this but I hate when people talk about, i.e., the brachial artery and I don't know which side of the arm it's on.

Actually, yeah, you're pretty wrong about anatomy--it's low yield on boards AND in rotations. You really just have to know the big stuff--heart, lungs, liver circulation, kidneys, some common nerves (hand and arm, maybe lower extremity).

You have to know some stuff for surgery, but you just learn that the night before and you're fine

 

[lildave2586]

MS1 = my summer break. Don't regret how I spent my time but now I gotta pay for it.

Got through about a fifth of Costanzo so far, I'm reasonably optimistic I can get through both books this summer. I think I'm going to add anatomy back to the study list. I know it's low yield but USMLE aside, isn't it going to important for the actual career after the test? Please shoot me down if I'm really wrong about this but I hate when people talk about, i.e., the brachial artery and I don't know which side of the arm it's on.

I think it's good that your doing Physio, it's def going to come in handy when taking Path this year. You may want to consider taking a topical approach. For example, while Histo is extremely low yield, understanding some aspects of WBCs and RBCs may be worth your time in preparation for both Path and Immuno. In Biochem, understanding aspects of the various hemolytic anemias may be benificial for Path. This approach might streamline your studying, and will serve you well next semester. Maybe take some advice from your upperclassman on what would be good to know going into 2nd year.

 

[nlax30]

My recommendations:
- RR Path
- Some sort of physio review source (BRS, or even Costanzo Physio)
- If you really want to do anatomy then something like BRS anatomy
- At least do a little biochem review
- Neuro..... the Manter and Gatz clinical neurology book is a decent review. Review the major motor/sensory tracts, review cranial nerves (function, nuclei location, lesion manifestations, etc..), blood supply, and in general different types/locations of CNS lesions and how they would present.

If you can, try and get your hands on some kaplan step 1 review videos as they are pretty in depth with most topics, especially Pharm, Path, physio and biochem.

 

[osin83]

I think your best bet is to pick up a first aid and go over the sections for the first year subjects... youre gonna use it again to review for boards anyways.

You should also get UWorld for a month and do it all... great way to review everything and study for boards at same time

 

[Law2Doc]

This summer, I need to learn my school's MS1 curriculum, which is:

anatomy
biochem/mol bio
histo/cell bio
physiology
neuroanatomy
behavioral sciences
......

Other than biochem, it's all very low yield for the Step. Pick some board review book on biochem, read through it at a relaxing pace, and have a nice summer with the rest of your time. You will not gain any points on a step exam a year later on most of that stuff, and you do yourself no favors if you spread yourself thin on a lot of topics.

 

[runx]

You should also get UWorld for a month and do it all... great way to review everything and study for boards at same time

Would this "spoil" UW for next year? Or will the questions be mostly replaced with new ones by then? I like this idea... What about one of the other qbanks?

 

[Law2Doc]

Would this "spoil" UW for next year? Or will the questions be mostly replaced with new ones by then? I like this idea... What about one of the other qbanks?

Yes, you will use up the questions -- there tend to only be a handful of new questions a month, which is insignificant in a 2500 question database. I agree that exhausing another qbank might be preferable if you can afford it.

 

[PenguinHead]

To throw my advice out there, I would only read FA (minus the stuff you haven't done yet) and BRS phys, and use a question bank if you want.

If you don't understand something in FA then go to your texts, but it'd likely be a waste to spend all your time on text books.

Remember, most of the Step 1 material is from second year anyway.

 

[nkhan]

Good Advice