ACE Tips!
-
- This block is divided into two – both neurology and psychiatry.
- Neurology is really about NEUROANATOMY. It is really important to have a good understanding of how neuroanatomy correlates with clinical presentations. One of the questions that neurologists like the most is: “where is the lesion?” You really have to be ready to visualize how neurons travel within the nervous system to grasp manifestations of neurological pathologies.
- Take your time when studying lectures on neuroanatomy – draw the pathways if that helps you. As previously said, it is really about the neuroanatomy.
- If you want to pursue your understanding on neuroanatomy even further, the book “Neuroanatomy Through Clinical Cases” by Blumenfield is a great one, as it even correlates the anatomy with important presentations.
- For psychiatry, lectures may seem abstract, as many go over DSM-V criteria of psychiatric diseases. Do not worry too much about memorizing these criteria – it is mainly about knowing their presentations rather than very specific details on how to diagnose them.
- A good book that may help you better understand psychiatric diseases is “First Aid Psychiatry”. It is a great resource for clerkship, but may also help you correlate the theory with more concrete clinical scenarios.
- This block has a midterm and a final. Even if the latter is cumulative, it concentrates much more on the new lectures not covered in the midterm. But it is a lot of material: start studying early!
Resources
NEUROLOGY
ENT
PSYCHIATRY
- The Psychiatry Interview, by Carlat (can be easily bought on Amazon; great book on how to organize a psychiatry interview and great tips on how to ask questions)
- First Aid Psychiatry (excellent book for reference and study guide on all psychiatric diseases that we need to know as medical students).