erikpaul
04-16-2009, 10:36 PM
A Comment on Class Notes
For the most part, each professor provides excellent handouts to study from. These handouts are available online (use the toolbar) or, at the beginning of each class the lecture handout will be placed in the back of the classroom (no sooner than 5 minutes before the lecture). During your first year, these handouts are pretty much sufficient to learn the material that is tested. I don’t recommend any other book reading, outside of that which is on the book list below. ~60% of you will do some book reading during the first week or two of school, which is a waste of time. By the end of 1st quarter, ~98% of you are reading nothing more than the handouts (and using Netter for supplemental pictures).
However, as you move onto second year, the handouts lose their utility, almost to a point of memorization without understanding. It is important to note that these PowerPoint Presentations were never meant to be the final pathway of your knowledge. In fact, as you are tested your second year, there will be questions that came from the PowerPoint Presentation, however, you would be better able to answer the question if you had read the textbook. The PP Presentations seem to have lists of symptoms and you can miss the important ones. This is where reading the book will be useful.
You will need to determine how you best study. There are those that are listeners, readers, talkers, writers, crammers, and those that are a mixture of all. The “crammers” will do well by using just the PowerPoint Presentations from Principles of Medicine and Micro/Infectious Diseases. The readers (myself included) will do well to get the handout for the lecture, quickly review what disease is being discussed, then, read the material in Cecil’s or Harrison’s.
I got a 79% 5th quarter and a 78% 6th quarter for Principles using the PowerPoint Handouts (without reading the book). I then got a 94% during 7th quarter for Principles of Medicine without reading a single handout! My GPA from first year was around a 92%, however, it went down to an 87% because my grades dropped during second year. By 7th quarter I had figured it out...I don’t learn well from PowerPoints. I learn well from reading a textbook (it takes my brain a little bit longer to process information than others). I wish I had learned this earlier, as I wouldn’t have had to relearn so much material from 5th and 6th quarter when I took the boards.
Ultimately, you will need to decide what type of learner you are. However, since PowerPoints during the first quarter at KCOM are NOT sufficient, you will all have to use the handouts, which are sufficient. This is very similar to reading a text. So, if you hit Micro (PowerPoint Class) during third quarter and your grades start to go down, go checkout a Micro Board Review book or textbook and give it a shot.
On to the book recommendations!
Quarters 1 and 2
Here is my list:
1. You MUST get a Netter (http://astore.amazon.com/atdotiangu-20/detail/1416033858)–I recommend getting the hardbound, or, the softbound if you cut the netter down the spine and get it bound in this format: 1 binding for back, thorax, and upper limb 1 binding for lower limb, pelvis/perineum, abdomen, and the 1 binding for head and neck. If you plan on using a tablet, try to see if you can get the CD that came with the 3rd edition...it has all the slides on it. This way, you won’t need to carry around the text.
I had the netter bound into the parts mentioned - it cost $16 dollars at Walmart there are probably other cheaper places.
- Jonathan
1. A histo atlas (http://astore.amazon.com/atdotiangu-20/detail/0071440917) is important, unless you are really good with Google images
2. The Netter embryology book is an excellent purchase
3. The Kimberly Manual (used for OMM), is a must have, unless you use PocketOMM (free for tablet and PDA users)
4. The Grant's Dissector (http://astore.amazon.com/atdotiangu-20/detail/0781758483) (this is vitally important)– NOWPA is a KCOM club that sells used copies. Any edition should be fine. Dissection hasn’t changed too much in the last thirty years!
Nothing else is needed for your first 2 quarters of school.
You will often use a dictionary, but there are many online dictionaries available.
Quarter 3
The only thing to add to the previous list is the “First Aid for USMLE”. This is an excellent “review” book for Micro/Immuno. Use it only to review for your exams, not to learn!
For the most part, each professor provides excellent handouts to study from. These handouts are available online (use the toolbar) or, at the beginning of each class the lecture handout will be placed in the back of the classroom (no sooner than 5 minutes before the lecture). During your first year, these handouts are pretty much sufficient to learn the material that is tested. I don’t recommend any other book reading, outside of that which is on the book list below. ~60% of you will do some book reading during the first week or two of school, which is a waste of time. By the end of 1st quarter, ~98% of you are reading nothing more than the handouts (and using Netter for supplemental pictures).
However, as you move onto second year, the handouts lose their utility, almost to a point of memorization without understanding. It is important to note that these PowerPoint Presentations were never meant to be the final pathway of your knowledge. In fact, as you are tested your second year, there will be questions that came from the PowerPoint Presentation, however, you would be better able to answer the question if you had read the textbook. The PP Presentations seem to have lists of symptoms and you can miss the important ones. This is where reading the book will be useful.
You will need to determine how you best study. There are those that are listeners, readers, talkers, writers, crammers, and those that are a mixture of all. The “crammers” will do well by using just the PowerPoint Presentations from Principles of Medicine and Micro/Infectious Diseases. The readers (myself included) will do well to get the handout for the lecture, quickly review what disease is being discussed, then, read the material in Cecil’s or Harrison’s.
I got a 79% 5th quarter and a 78% 6th quarter for Principles using the PowerPoint Handouts (without reading the book). I then got a 94% during 7th quarter for Principles of Medicine without reading a single handout! My GPA from first year was around a 92%, however, it went down to an 87% because my grades dropped during second year. By 7th quarter I had figured it out...I don’t learn well from PowerPoints. I learn well from reading a textbook (it takes my brain a little bit longer to process information than others). I wish I had learned this earlier, as I wouldn’t have had to relearn so much material from 5th and 6th quarter when I took the boards.
Ultimately, you will need to decide what type of learner you are. However, since PowerPoints during the first quarter at KCOM are NOT sufficient, you will all have to use the handouts, which are sufficient. This is very similar to reading a text. So, if you hit Micro (PowerPoint Class) during third quarter and your grades start to go down, go checkout a Micro Board Review book or textbook and give it a shot.
On to the book recommendations!
Quarters 1 and 2
Here is my list:
1. You MUST get a Netter (http://astore.amazon.com/atdotiangu-20/detail/1416033858)–I recommend getting the hardbound, or, the softbound if you cut the netter down the spine and get it bound in this format: 1 binding for back, thorax, and upper limb 1 binding for lower limb, pelvis/perineum, abdomen, and the 1 binding for head and neck. If you plan on using a tablet, try to see if you can get the CD that came with the 3rd edition...it has all the slides on it. This way, you won’t need to carry around the text.
I had the netter bound into the parts mentioned - it cost $16 dollars at Walmart there are probably other cheaper places.
- Jonathan
1. A histo atlas (http://astore.amazon.com/atdotiangu-20/detail/0071440917) is important, unless you are really good with Google images
2. The Netter embryology book is an excellent purchase
3. The Kimberly Manual (used for OMM), is a must have, unless you use PocketOMM (free for tablet and PDA users)
4. The Grant's Dissector (http://astore.amazon.com/atdotiangu-20/detail/0781758483) (this is vitally important)– NOWPA is a KCOM club that sells used copies. Any edition should be fine. Dissection hasn’t changed too much in the last thirty years!
Nothing else is needed for your first 2 quarters of school.
You will often use a dictionary, but there are many online dictionaries available.
Quarter 3
The only thing to add to the previous list is the “First Aid for USMLE”. This is an excellent “review” book for Micro/Immuno. Use it only to review for your exams, not to learn!