Robbins and Cotran Review of Pathology, Second Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is the best question book for both path and Step I. There's a decent mix of questions based on long clinical vignettes along with shorter ones, much like Step I. Due to Step I's emphasis on pathology, I think this resource is almost just as valuable as the vaunted Kaplan Q bank (which is an inferior source for path questions but good on other subjects). The authors seem to do a better job of analyzing shelf exams and patterning their questions after them than other resouces such as Pretest or Appleton and Lange.
Expect 40-60 questions per chapter of Robbins covering important as well as esoteric aspects of path. Certain diseases rarely appear in reality but show up as often as the common cold on exams- this book usually hits them. It also does a great job in asking second order questions (i.e. not just the diagnosis but things associated with a disease like ectopic hormones, associated symptoms, etc). These questions are both frustrating and difficult, but absolutely essential in doing well on exams. It also presents cases well, making you diagnose a disease based more on clinical presentation than definitive imaging or lab tests, which was huge on Step I. The key to standardized exams are the standardized scenarios consistently tested over the years- this book knows them. The closest to Step I and the Path shelf you can get.
I almost recommend the 1st edition over the 2nd. The 2nd has more, newer questions, and elaborates more on the question stems. This is a double-edged sword, though; the longer stems tend to bog you down and make you spend more time without much more benefit in learning. The 2nd ed does have a decent final question review, though.
Recommend doing questions as you take the path course, then one more time for the shelf/Step I; I used it conjunction with a good path review, which was Goljan's Rapid Review for me. I was having difficulty on my school's path exams but I credit this and the Goljan book for helping me get 98 percentile on the shelf and 258 on Step.

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