Physiology

 

BRS Physiology

• "Covers all that phys that FA leaves out”
• "You definitely need to know your physiology inside & out.  I got this book and went torough it for each section 1st year and then again during 2nd year b/c you have got to know it cold by Step 1."
• “A terrific synopsis of all the physiology you need- a big topic on the USMLE.”
• “Good to master this book before actual boards studying. It's quite long, and a good background in physiology is essential, in my opinion.”
• “Great book. I also used Kaplan, especially for Endocrine (simpler, more focused). I heard a lot of talk about pathophysiology. Frankly, these two resources prepared me for anything that might be called that way. I didn't use any specific book for that, but I never felt like I was indeed missing anything."

Rapid Review Physiology

• "Similar to the other rapid review books, there is a lot of information.  The BRS book it more simplified, but if you want details, definitely go with this book.  For me, I needed a more thorough review so this book was key."
• "Honestly, this is the best book i've read in medical school. Clear, concise explanations of every important topic in physiology. I wish I would have had this during the course."
• "Personally i think i preferred brs physio to this one, but if you like the bullet point format of RR, then this would be your pick. not a bad book at all."
• "I definitely think BRS is better, its good to get as much physio prep as you can though!"

Lange USMLE Road Map: Physiology

• "The way he writes sometimes is confusing, hard to understand."
• "This book is so plagued by errors that I wonder whether the author knows even the basics of physiology."

USMLE Step 1 Score Estimator

A group of folks (including some engineers) got together to create this website tool to help future medical students gauge how they are doing during their Step 1 preparation.  
 

This tool provides an estimated USMLE Step 1 score based on several commonly used test preparation measures. 


The estimated score is based on mathematical regression models derived from data gleaned from all available resources, including academic journal publications, other websites, USMLE forums, and (most importantly) anonymous score submissions.


Find more information here:
http://www.medfriends.org/step1_estimator/index.htm

FREE Android Apps for Medical Students

There are some cool (FREE) Android apps available at Amazon, below are some of my favorites...

PubMed Abstracts  

PubMed is a service of the National Library of Medicine, featuring over 19 million citations from MEDLINE and other life science journals for biomedical articles dating back to the 1950s. PubMed Abstracts features a streamlined interface that makes searching these articles a snap. Save time by accessing previous searches, and bookmark specific articles for later reference. You can even view PDF files of the original articles.

Human Body Facts

You have microscopic creatures lurking in your eyelashes. Now that I have your attention, isn't the human body fascinating? With the Human Body Facts app, you can tap through flashcards of interesting facts about the human body and get to know yourself a little better.

Star the facts you find the most interesting for later reflection. Share interesting tidbits with your friends via SMS or e-mail. For instance, if your friends don't know that the human brain feels like a ripe avocado, maybe they should.  

Prognosis: Your Diagnosis

Want to get the gist of a clinical case study in 2-3 minutes? Prognosis : Your Diagnosis lets you investigate, deduce and diagnose complex clinical cases within minutes with a fun, interactive cartoon-style narrative. Prognosis : Your Diagnosis is specially designed for doctors, medical students and nurses and each case helps individuals learn and recall two or three key clinical points that can be applied in practice.

Modeled after real life patients and based on current management guidelines, the content has been checked by a panel of expert medical experts. Follow each case through five separate steps: History, Examine, Investigate, Manage, and Finish. Use your best judgment to select relevant investigations and proper management options, receive and evaluation when the case is complete. New cases are added each week on Saturdays.

More Step 1 Resource Reviews!

Here is a link to a pdf created by Wayne State w/ more suggested resources -- GOOD LUCK!!!

Check out this site by USMLE Advice as well- lots of good tips. 

How to Compete in the Residency Match Program: Book Reviews

The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match

 What is inside?
* Who are the decision-makers and what do they care about? Chapter 2 summarizes the data, specific to each field, on the relative importance of USMLE scores, AOA status, number of honors grades, research experience, and other criteria.
* One study of recommendation letters found that key information, such as interpersonal communication skills and cognitive knowledge, was often lacking. What can you do to help your letter writers write the best possible letter?
* A survey of program directors was performed to determine the most important aspects of a personal statement.
* In one study, 1/3 of applicants were actually ranked lower following the interview. Another study found that 14% of interviews resulted in unranked applicants. What can you do to avoid common interview pitfalls?
* Do you know your competition? NRMP data from 2007 indicate that in competitive fields such as dermatology, orthopedic surgery, ENT, and radiation oncology, over 90% of applicants had participated in research.
* Should you do an audition elective? How important is it? How can you excel during the elective?
* What are the three most important criteria used to select IMG applicants? What are the least important? In one study, 93% of decision-makers felt that letters of recommendation from non-U.S. faculty were worthless.

Reviews:

• "One of the biggest challenges that residency applicants face is the confusing array of contradictory information from different sources. In this book, the authors do a wonderful job of addressing many myths and rumors that exist out there. They don't merely provide their opinions, but instead provide hard data -- the results of surveys and studies, as well as direct quotes from important decision makers such as residency program directors." 
• "I especially liked the information provided for writing the personal statement, CV, and ERAS. Learning how program directors view the details provided to them in these documents challenged me to present my professional background effectively."
• "This book is very useful but probably not worth the price. Also, the book is written by an internal medicine attending at Baylor who has been deeply involved in interviewing and the selection committee. The problem is that much of the information is geared towards the ideal candidate i.e. those who probably don't need to read this book."

From Medical School to Residency: How to Compete Successfully in the Residency Match Program 

What is inside?

This book gives the student all he/she needs to know to successfully match in a residency program in 2000 and beyond. 

It is the only guide that fully covers the electronic application and match process, complete with lots of screen shots. 

This manual will also address questions students should ask and strategies for successful matching. 

 Reviews:

• "It has a chapter on special situations, but be aware that coverage for international graduates is very brief"
• "It also doesn't cover a lot about choosing a specialty (I thought Anita Taylor's book on how to choose a medical specialty was best for that)."
• "Although coverage of some topics (such as for international graduates) was brief, its conciseness was a strong point when I didn't have a lot of time to read"

Free Kaplan USMLE Books for Step 1, 2, &3!!!

[This offer is now EXPIRED]
Amazon is currently offering a promotion for free Kaplan Medical USMLE books for Step 1, 2, and 3 available on Kindle.  Here are the links to some offerings:

ENJOY!!!!!

Medical Mnemonics

This sampling of medical mnemonics comes courtesy of Vesalius, a specializing in the development of graphical communications for organizations in the medical and surgical communities.

Here are a few...and more can be found here.

Enterocutaneous fistula: FRIEND
F foreign body
R radiation
I inflammation/infection
E epithelialization
N neoplasm
D distal obstruction

Non-parathyroid hypercalcemia: CHIMPANZEES
C cancer (met. breast, lung, kidney, bone; leukemia, lymphoma)
H hyperparathyroidism
I iatrogenic (meds: thiazide, lithium, danazol), immobility
M multiple myeloma
P Paget’s
A alkali (milk)
N neoplasm, ectopic parathormone (small cell lung, hypernephroma)
Z Zollinger Ellison
E excess D, endocrine (hypo/hyperathyroid, Addisons)
E excess A
S sarcoid (Tb, histoplasmosis)
(benign familial hypocalcuric hypercalcemia)
(low albumin: get ionized Ca++)

Pancreatitis causes: I GET SMASHED
I idiopathic
G gallstones
E ethanol
T trauma (surgery)
S steroids
M mumps
A autoimmune
S scorpion bites
H hyperlipidemia/-calcemia, hypothermia
E ERCP
D drugs (azothioprine, thiazides)

Adrenal hormones: salt, sugar, sex
Glomerulosa: mineralocorticoids (salt)
Fasciculata: glucocotricoids (sugar)
Reticularis: androgens (sex)