PathDoc

4.19.2007

Here are a couple of new websites I'm adding to Pathdoc:

1. ScopeTalk- A blog geared to pathology resident. Comments are enabled on each post to encourage discussion. The topics posted so far are good. Check it out.

2. BloodMed- A excellent online resource for hematology/hemepath. BloodMed is affiliated with Blackwell Publishing. You can sign up for a free 1 year trial by submitting your email address. The subscription gives you access to several excellent resources including online books, journal articles and a 10% discount on Blackwell hematology books. Definately worth it!

posted by BC | 14:57

4.12.2007

I have been away from Pathdoc for a while due to boards studying, a busy hemepath fellowship and various other things. But now I'm back and I'll try to keep updates coming on a more consistent basis.

First things first, the hell of pathology boards is over! And I passed! I couldn't believe it when I got the results but somehow, I guess correctly on enough questions to get that nice board certification certificate from the ABP. Now I will tell you that this test was the absolute worst test I have ever taken. I felt certain that I'd failed midway through day 1 (AP). No doubt many of you will feel the same way. But keep in mind the advice I was given by my predecessors: if you feel like you failed, you most likely passed (and vice versa). I will dedicate another post to board prep at a later date (although I can't get into specifics b/c the ABP might hunt me down :) ).

I'm also looking to add some other features to the site such as good articles I've run across. I'm also considering turning on comments although when I've done that with other blogs in the past, I tend to get more spam that real posts. We shall see.

Later.

posted by BC | 15:12

5.23.2006

Unfortunately, there is no way to sugar coat this: studying for boards is awful. The constant feeling of being overwhelmed, the sheer magnitude of the amount of information you need to know, the realization that you should have studied more during your residency; it all hits you.

With one month to go, panic mode has set in. There is no way I will finish what I had planned to study before the test.

When you take boards, don't be surprised if you have similar feelings to what I wrote above. It's tough and will make you cranky and edgy until you take the darn thing. But stay the course. Everyone I've talked to who has taken boards felt the same way. They didn't get through their study plan either. And yet, the passed.

See you on the other side.

posted by BC | 15:13

1.11.2006

Well, it's certainly been a long time since I've posted. But now I have something to post about: boards. In a mere 6 months, I'll be traveling to Tampa to sit for arguably the toughest exam of my education. So how am I preparing for boards? Here is the plan. First, I'm going through all the Osler Review Course notes and lectures. As I go through each topic, I'm going to read and make notecards for the corresponding chapters in The Essentials of Anatomic Pathology by Cheng and Bostwick and Clinical Laboratory Pearls by Jones. Next, I'm considering taking the ASCP Review course in April. Around that time, I hope to be finished with the Osler notes and on to reading some primary texts, notably baby DeMay, Kjeldsberg and Robbins. Finally, in the month before the exam, I plan to review all my notecards, notes, pictures and slides.

It's an ambitious plan that I'm sure will undergo many modifications but you have to start somewhere right?

posted by BC | 20:28

6.21.2005

I ran across a great immuno program in the CAP Today news publication. Called Immunohistochemistry Vade Mecum (vade mecum is Latin for "go with me"), it is a downloadable program that you can run from you desktop. It's set up just like the Windows help file and it is full of great immuno information. There is also a Pocket PC version and a beta Web-based version. You can download the programs at the following site, which will also be added to my links on the right:

Immunohistochemistry Vade Mecum

posted by BC | 21:21

6.10.2005

I ran across an excellent article in the Archives that discusses internet resources for pathologists. View the article here. It contains several websites that look excellent. I'll likely be adding many of those to my links on Pathdoc. Also, look for a post outlining which books I like the best for the different areas of path; just in time for the new residents in July!

posted by BC | 20:28

2.01.2005

Here is a link to the ARUP Guide to Clinical Laboratory Testing. It gives a nice overview of many lab tests and is a nice reference.

ARUP Guide to Clinical Laboratory Testing

posted by BC | 23:20