Pathophysiology for the Boards and Wards

My background: I am a licensed DO in CA who attended Western U. I scored well above average on my boards, and the B & W series was one of my main study guides for COMLEX I-III...memorize this book and you will pass, and probably do pretty well. However, if I had to do it all over again, I'd buy this book BEFORE the first day of med school/DO school and annotate within the book/keep stickies in the book every time some one said "this was on the boards last year" to make rapid review much faster. Trust me, with the volume of info we are expected to know in the medical profession, anything you can do to make studying for boards more efficient (Step I/COMLEX I esp.) in such an intense period of life will pay off. Do not use the B & W series for clinical rounds or residency; you will want much more detailed resources for actual patient management. This is for boards only. I recommend UpToDate PDA program for basic internal medicine/specialty information for all wards except pediatrics and surgery.

Excellent compact review of pathophysiology. Can be used on the wards or for step 1 review.

This is a very high-yield little book written with Step 1 in mind. As the title implies, it focuses on pathology and pathophysiology. There is no wasted space, and don't be fooled by its small size, there is quite a lot of information in there. It is especially helpful as it contains useful information about refining your differential diagnosis (how to tell two similar diseases apart) based on sublties in the presentation. There is a lot of information you might not get in your pathology course (e.g. prerenal vs renal azotemia based on urine chemistry.) There is a section on zebras/syndromes (if you're like me, these are a devil to remember), a few pages of nice glossy images, and 75 Step 1 style questions with explanations in the back. Overally, a lot of information in a small package, including many unusual diseases not mentioned in many other review texts. A worthwhile read!

This book and Secrets are great condensed multi-subject reviews. When you get tired of reading FirstAid, Step-up and the subject-based review books (e.g. BRS Phys), this book is a great supplement. If you can find time for this kind of studying, you'll enjoy this small, condensed book. I'm also looking forward to using it on rotations starting this summer.

This book is not only great for quick look ups on rounds, but it is great during the first 2 years of med school because the little highlights/buzzwords helps with exams.Very easy to read, highlights just the important stuff.