Year off from med school- how do I get back to the rotation game?

[Horcrux]

So I had a year off med school (right after 2nd year), all was well and I worked on few projects and publications.Now, when I intended to resume rotations, I am stuck in a situation over which I have no control (read financial and paperwork tussles).Result: more than a year spent off med school and feelin' like my medical knowledge is going stale.

I haven't done any rotations as yet- but I wanna start reading up the recommended books on core clerkships so that I feel confident and competent enough to go into rotations when I do, and be able to generate some decent evals.

Question is: how and where do I start to prepare? Do I just review second year materials or focus on reading up on the core clerkships? Which books to you suggest? It's been incredibly frustrating to not be able to start rotations when I wanted to, but even more worried to death about the fact that my med knowledge is rotting away.Any help is appreciated!

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[Horcrux]

Bump! Any helpful tips a kind soul can offer? That'd be great!

I am wading through Step-up to Medicine right now, and feel that's the way to go.What do you folks recommend?

 

[MilkmanAl]

I'd probably read a Step 2 review book. Step Up to Medicine certainly isn't a bad choice, either. As long as you get a little bit of review in, you should be okay.

 

[Valadi]

you took off after 2nd year. they expect you to know nothing clinically. just start your rotations with and read then

 

[Horcrux]

I'd probably read a Step 2 review book. Step Up to Medicine certainly isn't a bad choice, either. As long as you get a little bit of review in, you should be okay.

For Step 2 review- I am starting FA Step 2, how does that sound? STUM is cool,but a question back that tests from STUM would be cool too.Any recs for Q-banks?

 

[MilkmanAl]

To be perfectly honest with you, I don't think I would read or do anything at all to prepare. You'll leave behind the vast majority of stuff from the first two years, and by reading Step 2 stuff, you'll just be getting ahead. If that's your thing, fire away, but don't feel like you need to do it to be on a level playing field with the other students.

As for questions, UW is awesome and the only thing I'd use during the year and for Step studying. Again, though, I wouldn't do any of them before your rotations.