Post by Betsy on Jun 26, 2005 0:43:32 GMT -5
This was posted by khullmd from the Class of 2006 Forum.
General: I had a great month doing Adult Neuro on the wards. I finally know how to do a proper neuro exam! We saw a wide variety of patients, everything from intractable migraine to status epilepticus to severe MCA territory strokes. Dr. Pruitt was a little moody, but once I got used to that, I learned an awful lot from him. He is especially good at discussing difficult subjects with patients and their families - he really takes his time, gives a simple but not condescending explanation, and makes certain to address all concerns. I liked both of the residents I worked with, Dr. Alan Morgan and Dr. Keith Bell, very much. They had a good sense of humor, but also pushed me to take on management of my patients, which was really good practice. The other residents and attendings were generally very cool people. The nurses and staff on 3 West are really wonderful, probably some of the best in the hospital. They're friendly and helpful, and if you get to know them, they will save your butt.
Hours: There is no call on this service. I typically worked from 6am-4pm, though a couple of days I stayed until 6:30pm. It just depends on your patient load and what needs to get done. You work one day per weekend, but just a half day (usually out by noon).
Books/Studying: I liked the Lange text and PreTest, in combination. I found that Oklahoma notes was too outliney in format and didn't provide the depth of explanation that I was looking for. The Lange text is totally manageable if you spread it out over the rotation; it's only a couple hundred pages and provides the detail you need. Be sure to get all the way through PreTest at least once - the questions are shorter than on the real thing, but it will give you a sense of topics and format.
Shelf Board:
Strokes - anatomy, distribution, physical S/S, differential, treatment plan*
Headaches - migraine, cluster, tension, treatment
Seizures - know all the different types/presenations, dx, treatment, side effects of drugs
Imaging - which studies are appropriate under which conditions
Neuro emergencies
Meningitides - know presentation, etiology (viral, bacterial, fungal, etc.), CSF numbers, differential, which agents are most common at which ages, treatment (esp antibiotic coverage)
Movement disorders - Parkinson's, Huntington's, etc.
Degenerative - Alzheimer's, MS, etc.
Plexus vs. root vs. peripheral nerve
Sensory deficits - causes of visual field cuts, vertigo, loss of other special senses, changes in sensation/pain
Motor deficits
Nutritional disorders
Infectious processes - encephalitis, Lyme disease, etc.
*Be sure you know the next step in management for all of the above!
General: I had a great month doing Adult Neuro on the wards. I finally know how to do a proper neuro exam! We saw a wide variety of patients, everything from intractable migraine to status epilepticus to severe MCA territory strokes. Dr. Pruitt was a little moody, but once I got used to that, I learned an awful lot from him. He is especially good at discussing difficult subjects with patients and their families - he really takes his time, gives a simple but not condescending explanation, and makes certain to address all concerns. I liked both of the residents I worked with, Dr. Alan Morgan and Dr. Keith Bell, very much. They had a good sense of humor, but also pushed me to take on management of my patients, which was really good practice. The other residents and attendings were generally very cool people. The nurses and staff on 3 West are really wonderful, probably some of the best in the hospital. They're friendly and helpful, and if you get to know them, they will save your butt.
Hours: There is no call on this service. I typically worked from 6am-4pm, though a couple of days I stayed until 6:30pm. It just depends on your patient load and what needs to get done. You work one day per weekend, but just a half day (usually out by noon).
Books/Studying: I liked the Lange text and PreTest, in combination. I found that Oklahoma notes was too outliney in format and didn't provide the depth of explanation that I was looking for. The Lange text is totally manageable if you spread it out over the rotation; it's only a couple hundred pages and provides the detail you need. Be sure to get all the way through PreTest at least once - the questions are shorter than on the real thing, but it will give you a sense of topics and format.
Shelf Board:
Strokes - anatomy, distribution, physical S/S, differential, treatment plan*
Headaches - migraine, cluster, tension, treatment
Seizures - know all the different types/presenations, dx, treatment, side effects of drugs
Imaging - which studies are appropriate under which conditions
Neuro emergencies
Meningitides - know presentation, etiology (viral, bacterial, fungal, etc.), CSF numbers, differential, which agents are most common at which ages, treatment (esp antibiotic coverage)
Movement disorders - Parkinson's, Huntington's, etc.
Degenerative - Alzheimer's, MS, etc.
Plexus vs. root vs. peripheral nerve
Sensory deficits - causes of visual field cuts, vertigo, loss of other special senses, changes in sensation/pain
Motor deficits
Nutritional disorders
Infectious processes - encephalitis, Lyme disease, etc.
*Be sure you know the next step in management for all of the above!
