Rapid Review Pathology: With Student Consult Online Access

I think this is the best high yield review book in Pathology. The author's best subject and is ilustrated in his organization of the material and his fantastic expert writing. Great job Dr. Goljan, thanks Tom TL

Disclaimer- This is about the 1st Edition** I am a 4th year medical student now, and I started using this book during my second year of medical school. I think that this was the best book I have used in medical school. It is accurate, and includes everything and anything you need to know. It integrates every subject into path too- like Micro, and Pharm, and important physiology. The best part is that it explains things (especially when used with his lectures!). For example, the hematology is great, in that it explains why lab values are low/high, based on path, so you do not have to memorize the material. Sure, a common complaint is that there is too much info, which is especially true for the heme section, but who cares, your going to be a doctor. You never know what a patient may have, or what a board question will ask. This book is why I succeeded into 3rd and 4th year. It will make your shelf exams easier, and of course, step 1 easier! Why? You will understand medicine, and not just memorize it to forget it! Thus, when you use this book, your not just studying for step 1, but, your also learning info for every shelf exam, and every board exam you will ever take. Believe it or not, its good for PIMP questions on the wards! I can't tell you how many ridiculous questions I knew, even when residents didnt know the answer, because of this book. Every high-yield fact, and buzz-word, is in this book. I was never brilliant or anything, ie) average MCAT, but I sure did very well on all my boards and shelf exams. There are great color photos in this book too. Some of these you will see on...well...hint hint hint. Another great part of this book- sure, it has a lot of great step 1 info, but it is also great clinically. I used this book during every rotation- that's right: Peds, Surgery for the GI section, GYN disease, etc. I think this is because it is very good at giving "most commons", which is definitely important to know. Basically, if you want a book that has every part of medicine in it, and really want to learn and understand medicine, then get this book. People who don't like it usually pick it up 2 months before taking their step 1 exam. Why? It's huge! There is so much info in here, and yes, it can take longer than BRS to get through. That's why you get it early in your studying, aka, during 1st and second year. Then, when you review it, it's a piece of cake. Also, there is too much info here, but that's why it is great for 3rd and 4th year. So, don't get caught up with details when studying for step 1! It really isn't that big either, especially when you have one source with everything you NEED TO KNOW (micro, pharm side effects, etc). This is certainly one book that I am not selling. As far as editions- I am sure the second edition is great. Also, I used the biochem RR to study, which is great too. Definitely how I learned biochem for the boards. It focuses on clinical biochem, which is what you need to k

wonderful, well organized, easy to follow. perfect supplement to path. I thought everyone was exaggerating when they talked about Goljan, but i was wrong.

I got this book in February for board prep, and I wish I had it for the duration of the year. It is a great board review book, and is longer than BRS. However, unlike many, I don't think it's better. It has more info, but takes significantly longer to get through, and is missing some associations and facts that BRS has. At any rate, I have both and use both equally, and have found this book to be invaluable.

This book doesn't just aid in review, it is a great resource for initial learning. I find that having an outlined overview of what I'm trying to learn before I start studying helps me a lot. This book gives you a beautiful outline format with layers of detail that you can pick up as needed. I am so amazed at how much core pathology content has been squeezed in this book. I'm using it along side of my course notes in my Human Disease course at the UCSD School of Medicine and I've been very glad to have it when prepping for exams. As the USMLE Step 1 exam creeps closer, I'm thankful I bought this book early. Knowing that Step 1 is about 50% pathology, upper level students who've already taken their boards have told me it is a good idea to have a solid concise Path resource that you can count on in the final weeks before the exam. I'm satisfied that Goljan's Rapid Review Path will pull me through. This is a great resource and I highly recommend it! P.S. I also have Rapid Review Histology and Cell Biology: With STUDENT CONSULT Online Access (Rapid Review) and I found it very helpful. Knowing what normal tissue structure looks like is an important foundation for pathology.

If you have the old edition, strongly consider upgrading. There are tons of color images and clinical correlations. I love the way Goljan integrates concepts. For example, he'll mention something you learned in biochem and give you a brief reminder of the concept (sometimes with a little diagram) or he'll mention a drug or a vitamin and he'll remind you about the mechanisms. He even ties in a little anatomy every once in a while. It does make it take a little longer than the equivalent BRS chapter, but I feel like I remember it a lot better. I also feel like things are starting to fit together from all of the different subjects now. Also, there are high yield notes in the margins. You can run through them very quickly before an exam. You're guaranteed to get some questions right just from those margin notes. I'm using this now for class, but when I review for the boards, I know the high yield margin notes, clinical correlation boxes, and the charts will help with a quick review. I owned the last edition and bought this one because of the great updates. It was well worth spending the money.