What is your reading routine?

[Decicco]

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Hi- I'm a new derm resident (pgy-2) and just got my Bolognia. It is looks very intimidating sitting on my kitchen counter top haha. I am specifically interested in: how many hours a week do you read? When do you get these hours in? An hour a day? More? What are you actually doing during this time (just reading, highlighting, taking notes, annotating Jain/Galderma, etc)?

Any advice is dearly appreciated!

 

[asmallchild]

Hi- I'm a new derm resident (pgy-2) and just got my Bolognia. It is looks very intimidating sitting on my kitchen counter top haha. I am in a busy Derm program (7:30 - 5+) and am trying to decide on an approach to reading. I am specifically interested in: how many hours a week do you read? When do you get these hours in? An hour a day? More? What are you actually doing during this time (just reading, highlighting, taking notes, annotating Jain/Galderma, etc)?

Any advice is dearly appreciated!

That's part of the joy/misery of 1st year, relearning how to be a student again. In general, what worked for you in medical school will probably work for residency

I read about 10 hours/week as a 2nd year (admittedly a lot less as a 1st year which was clearly reflected on ITE scores), usually an hour day on weekdays and the rest on weekends. Other residents saved it solely for the weekdays or vice versa.

I'm a fan of just reading and re-reading as that worked for me in med school. Others feel the need to highlight (to the point where Bolognia looked more like a coloring book) or annotate in Galderma/Jain. Particularly for a large text liked Bolognia, I found it helpful to follow along with one of the aforementioned board studying guides since it allowed me to compartmentalize the lengthier format presented in Bolognia

 

[dermathalon]

You should look over other books like Andrews, Rooks, and Fitzpatrick (they just revamped this one). But best to pick one and stick to it in the end.

Yes, I meant Fitzpatrick...that what you get for watching a movie at the same time

 

[username456789]

You should look over other books like Andrews, Rooks, and Fitzgerald (they just revamped this one). But best to pick one and stick to it in the end.

Some programs have a reading schedule based on a single primary text (seems to usually be either Andrews or Bolognia). For some, this means weekly lectures they're supposed to be prepared for on that specific chapter. For others, it's just a rough outline. So the "flexibility" to peruse other texts may or may not be limited by program.

Rook's is a quick read, though. Should be able to get through it before Thanksgiving.

 

[DermViser]

You should look over other books like Andrews, Rooks, and Fitzgerald (they just revamped this one). But best to pick one and stick to it in the end.

You mean Fitzpatrick.
And Rook was an easy read - finished it in a month 😆😆

 

[username456789]

You mean Fitzpatrick.

I wondered why there were no questions about The Great Gatsby on the in-service exam.

 

[DermViser]

Hi- I'm a new derm resident (pgy-2) and just got my Bolognia. It is looks very intimidating sitting on my kitchen counter top haha. I am in a busy Derm program (7:30 - 5+) and am trying to decide on an approach to reading. I am specifically interested in: how many hours a week do you read? When do you get these hours in? An hour a day? More? What are you actually doing during this time (just reading, highlighting, taking notes, annotating Jain/Galderma, etc)?

Any advice is dearly appreciated!

Well if you see here:
http://www.dermatology.ucsf.edu/edu... Handbook updated June 14 2012.WEBVERSION.pdf
(i) On average, the curriculum requires residents to read one-two hours every night, or 150 to 200 pages of weekly reading.

 

[dermathalon]

You mean Fitzpatrick.
And Rook was an easy read - finished it in a month 😆😆

I wondered why there were no questions about The Great Gatsby on the in-service exam.

Haha...yes. I edited above. You didn't get the Gatsby questions on your exam?

I personally liked Rooks the most

 

[DermViser]

You should look over other books like Andrews, Rooks, and Fitzpatrick (they just revamped this one). But best to pick one and stick to it in the end.

Yes, I meant Fitzpatrick...that what you get for watching a movie at the same time

LOL! Were you actually watching the Great Gatsby?

 

[asmallchild]

Well if you see here:
http://www.dermatology.ucsf.edu/education_training/Residency Program/UCSF Dermatology Residency Handbook updated June 14 2012.WEBVERSION.pdf
(i) On average, the curriculum requires residents to read one-two hours every night, or 150 to 200 pages of weekly reading.

This is obviously resident-dependent but I would agree that's probably the bare minimum for competency.

 

[Decicco]

This is obviously resident-dependent but I would agree that's probably the bare minimum for competency.

Really? 200 pages/week is like getting through all of Bolognia in 10 weeks.

 

[asmallchild]

Really? 200 pages/week is like getting through all of Bolognia in 10 weeks.

I was referring to the recommendation on time (1-2 hours per day and probably more on weekends). You have to remember to tack on reading time/pages for conference, journal club, presentations, research, patients, and other subjects (you may not cover surgery in Bolognia until the end of the year but it would be poor form to show up for a surgical clinic with no background in surgery). Plus, I personally found Bolognia to be fairly lengthy and at times, wordy. There are tons of high yield charts and figures as well. Unless you are blessed with an eidetic memory, one read-through is unlikely to be sufficient. But hey, better than being in the hospital for 80+ hours right? 😉

 

[DermViser]

Really? 200 pages/week is like getting through all of Bolognia in 10 weeks.

LOL! 😆Hadn't done the math but it's UCSF, so I'm definitely not surprised. Their residents are pretty busy.

 

[dermathalon]

LOL! Were you actually watching the Great Gatsby?

Believe it or not I was! I think it's funny that you guys picked up on it here. I think that's hilarious.

Let's not take this whole reading thing out of whack. 1st years read but remember to go to happy hour, hang out, and get to know each other too.

Rooks is easier to read and I agree that Bolognia can get tough to wade through the numerous (at times) details.

 

[DermViser]

Believe it or not I was! I think it's funny that you guys picked up on it here. I think that's hilarious.

Let's not take this whole reading thing out of whack. 1st years read but remember to go to happy hour, hang out, and get to know each other too.

Rooks is easier to read and I agree that Bolognia can get tough to wade through the numerous (at times) details.

I heard also from someone that Rook's is easier to read (can't remember why at the moment). The problem is that it is 4 volumes.

 

[username456789]

I heard also from someone that Rook's is easier to read (can't remember why at the moment). The problem is that it is 4 volumes.

I have actually considered using Rook as my primary source. Currently, my program is using Andrews, but I really dislike it. I thought I would like the condensed nature, but it's way too stream of conscious and the organization is lacking. I may just go back to Bolognia. Look is probably too long for me.

 

[DermViser]

I have actually considered using Rook as my primary source. Currently, my program is using Andrews, but I really dislike it. I thought I would like the condensed nature, but it's way too stream of conscious and the organization is lacking. I may just go back to Bolognia. Look is probably too long for me.

Yeah, that's the only drawback to Rook's is that it is way too long. The ones who I know who read it (it's more the Bible in Derm in Europe than the U.S.) said it was much easier to actually understand and retain bc it read well. I'm surprised you didn't like Andrews - I thought it was very good to just cut thru the nitty gritty when Bolognia can get tiring on you.

You might want to actually try what I believe is like the shortened version of Bolognia: http://www.amazon.com/Dermatology-E...2349&sr=8-2&keywords=Bolognia#customerReviews. Kind of how like Robbins in your pathology class had a Big Robbins, Medium Robbins, and Baby Robbins version.

I've been told by everyone to stay away from Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. Apparently since he died, the book has gone down quite a bit in quality. Some of our faculty still have the old editions of his book, before he died on their shelves as apparently it was that good.

 

[asmallchild]

Yeah, that's the only drawback to Rook's is that it is way too long. The ones who I know who read it (it's more the Bible in Derm in Europe than the U.S.) said it was much easier to actually understand and retain bc it read well. I'm surprised you didn't like Andrews - I thought it was very good to just cut thru the nitty gritty when Bolognia can get tiring on you.

You might want to actually try what I believe is like the shortened version of Bolognia: http://www.amazon.com/Dermatology-E...2349&sr=8-2&keywords=Bolognia#customerReviews. Kind of how like Robbins in your pathology class had a Big Robbins, Medium Robbins, and Baby Robbins version.

I've been told by everyone to stay away from Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. Apparently since he died, the book has gone down quite a bit in quality. Some of our faculty still have the old editions of his book, before he died on their shelves as apparently it was that good.

Many don't like Fitz because there's a ton of basic science in it. I actually preferred Fitz over Bolognia and Andrews. Didn't read enough of Rook to formulate an opinion there

 

[DermViser]

Many don't like Fitz because there's a ton of basic science in it. I actually preferred Fitz over Bolognia and Andrews. Didn't read enough of Rook to formulate an opinion there

What about Fitz made you prefer it over Bolognia or Andrews?

 

[asmallchild]

What about Fitz made you prefer it over Bolognia or Andrews?

I liked Fitz's consistent structure. In terms of sheer volume, I found it to be the best compromise between Andrews (too short for a 1st year, more helpful as a 3rd year) and Bolognia (just too wordy for me)

Basic science is never fun but I actually had a fair amount of it on my boards. I found Fitz to be particularly helpful in that regard

 

[DermViser]

I liked Fitz's consistent structure. In terms of sheer volume, I found it to be the best compromise between Andrews (too short for a 1st year, more helpful as a 3rd year) and Bolognia (just too wordy for me)

Basic science is never fun but I actually had a fair amount of it on my boards. I found Fitz to be particularly helpful in that regard

That's what I was afraid of. Andrews is definitely quite short - I don't think you even need a year for that book. I take it more as quick summaries. I'm fine with basic science, except in Derm, as you know, it can get obviously much more detailed and cumbersome - and much less intuitive.

I know some Derm programs have it where they do Andrews 1st year, Bolognia 2nd year, and Fitzpatrick the third year (in terms of their textbook chapter conferences. Not including of course, Spitz/Wolverton/Rapini Dermpath and then journal articles along with Galderma's binder. Hard not to get overwhelmed by resources overload.

 

[username456789]

Yeah, that's the only drawback to Rook's is that it is way too long. The ones who I know who read it (it's more the Bible in Derm in Europe than the U.S.) said it was much easier to actually understand and retain bc it read well. I'm surprised you didn't like Andrews - I thought it was very good to just cut thru the nitty gritty when Bolognia can get tiring on you.

You might want to actually try what I believe is like the shortened version of Bolognia: http://www.amazon.com/Dermatology-E...2349&sr=8-2&keywords=Bolognia#customerReviews. Kind of how like Robbins in your pathology class had a Big Robbins, Medium Robbins, and Baby Robbins version.

I've been told by everyone to stay away from Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. Apparently since he died, the book has gone down quite a bit in quality. Some of our faculty still have the old editions of his book, before he died on their shelves as apparently it was that good.

I didn't like that Andrews seems to jump around a lot, with a less formal structure to it. I find that after reading an entire chapter, a lot tends not to stick. It's dense, obviously, but something about the structure doesn't help a ton. If that was my text as a first year, I think I'd feel lost.

Sometimes I need the basic science/pathophys, which is almost uniformly absent from Andrews. It at times is overdone in Bolognia, that's true. Bolognia is what I used my first year, and although it's a slow and tiring read at times, I ended up doing very well on the in-service (for whatever that's worth). I have heard from others that the real boards tend to be basic science heavy.

I feel like Bolognia first and second year, then Andrews as a third year would probably be closer to my ideal structure.

 

[DermViser]

I didn't like that Andrews seems to jump around a lot, with a less formal structure to it. I find that after reading an entire chapter, a lot tends not to stick. It's dense, obviously, but something about the structure doesn't help a ton. If that was my text as a first year, I think I'd feel lost.

Sometimes I need the basic science/pathophys, which is almost uniformly absent from Andrews. It at times is overdone in Bolognia, that's true. Bolognia is what I used my first year, and although it's a slow and tiring read at times, I ended up doing very well on the in-service (for whatever that's worth). I have heard from others that the real boards tend to be basic science heavy.

I feel like Bolognia first and second year, then Andrews as a third year would probably be closer to my ideal structure.

Yeah, Andrews has virtually no basic science, but I guess I expected that so it wasn't a problem for me. I liked the Habif Clinical Dermatology book but as you know that's not even close to enough. It's an excellent primer though. I figured the real boards would be basic science heavy - since that is probably test taker's weakest point by far so best for them to actually test on it extensively. That being said, only 0.5% of test-takers failed Derm boards this year, vs. much higher in previous years.

I know some people also use Anki cards or Quizlet to just ram the information in - taking advantage of spaced repetition.

 

[Decicco]

That being said, only 0.5% of test-takers failed Derm boards this year, vs. much higher in previous years.

That is extremely reassuring! It is about time the pass rate reflects the very high quality of dermatology residents as this field has become more competitive.

 

[DermViser]

That is extremely reassuring! It is about time the pass rate reflects the very high quality of dermatology residents as this field has become more competitive.

I was quite surprised myself actually. This year would have been an awesome year to take the boards with 99.5% of people passing it. The highest failure rate I've seen online (so far) was is in 2007 which it was 9.3% for first-time test takers: http://www.abderm.org/newsletter/ite_newsletter_feb_2010.pdf

 

[HeyyDoc]

I'm a prelim starting derm next year...what is one book/resource I can use now just to get familiar with common derm conditions and ease my transition in 6 months. I know everyone is going to say to do nothing this year but everyone also says PGY2 is the worst because nothing we've done so far prepares us for derm...any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated

 

[asmallchild]

I'm a prelim starting derm next year...what is one book/resource I can use now just to get familiar with common derm conditions and ease my transition in 6 months. I know everyone is going to say to do nothing this year but everyone also says PGY2 is the worst because nothing we've done so far prepares us for derm...any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated

You can always find out which textbook your program uses and browse through it

You've already hit the nail on the head though. The one silver lining about prelim year is that once your work is done, it's done. You can go home and relax. Derm is 3 years of doing work in clinic and doing even more reading at home afterwards. You'll have plenty of time to read, there really is no need to start early (and I would argue without seeing derm patients in clinic, without the pressure of having to know your stuff in weekly didactics, reading on your own is unlikely to provide a huge leg up as a PGY2)

 

[DermViser]

You can always find out which textbook your program uses and browse through it

You've already hit the nail on the head though. The one silver lining about prelim year is that once your work is done, it's done. You can go home and relax. Derm is 3 years of doing work in clinic and doing even more reading at home afterwards. You'll have plenty of time to read, there really is no need to start early (and I would argue without seeing derm patients in clinic, without the pressure of having to know your stuff in weekly didactics, reading on your own is unlikely to provide a huge leg up as a PGY2)

So true. The one thing that's different about Derm vs. a prelim IM, is that Derm faculty don't expect you to start spitting out DDx for lesions when you get there. You have 3 years and you have plenty of time to read esp. on the weekends. If you're that ansy and can't help yourself, get a Habif atlas or the bigger text since it reads well (I didn't like Fitzpatrick much for some reason) and you can slowly flip thru it. But don't buy a Bolognia or Andrews, esp. when your program will buy the book for you.