Posts Tagged ‘usmle’
5 Common Myths About the USMLE Debunked
It’s a typical day in the life of a medical student. You wake up, reach for your phone, and before your feet hit the floor, you’re already neck-deep in study schedules, practice questions, and the overwhelming thought of the USMLE looming over you. Sound familiar? As medical students deep into their third year, preparing for…
Read MoreImmunology: Foundations and Frameworks
How do we survive in a complex environment filled with harmful organisms that thrive on colonizing us? Our heroic defender is the immune system, a network of organs and cell lines that exist with the mission of protecting the body from harm. While we often recognize the pathogen-fighting capabilities of the system, we can sometimes…
Read MoreGluconeogenesis
In the fed state, glucose is used by almost all the cells in the body to generate energy. But even when we are not fueling it with food, our bodies still run well, such as during sleep. Gluconeogenesis is the process of synthesizing glucose from noncarbohydrate precursors. The major substrates (substances that enzymes act on)…
Read MorePlasma Composition
When you hear the word blood, what do you picture in your mind? Most likely, your brain conjures up an image of thick, red liquid. But what would blood look like if you removed all the red cells? You’d be left with a murky yellowish liquid that would clear up once you removed the white…
Read MoreHemophilia (Re-release)
Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder resulting from defects in factors of the coagulation cascade. There are two primary types of hemophilia: A and B. Both types of hemophilia are rare, with only a combined frequency of about 1 in 5000 live births. Of the two types, hemophilia A is about four times more common. In…
Read MoreCrushing Step 2 CK: How Qbanks Can Help You Shine
Step 2 CK, the high-stakes exam that assesses your medical knowledge and clinical reasoning, stands between you and residency. Feeling the pressure? Don’t sweat it! High-quality Qbanks can be your secret weapon for conquering Step 2 CK. Here’s how: Level Up Your Clinical Thinking with Qbanks Step 2 CK is about more than memorizing facts.…
Read MoreStep 2 CK Survival Guide: From Diagnosis to Treatment Plans
Conquer Step 2 CK with a laser focus on high-yield strategies! Let’s break down the essential framework for mastering Step 2’s core competency: moving from accurate diagnoses to effective treatment plans. Step 1: Nail the Diagnosis When preparing for Step 2 CK, nailing the diagnosis is crucial. This involves refining your skills in differential diagnosis,…
Read MorePain Mechanisms
Pain is a sensation that warns of potential injury and alerts the person to avoid or treat it. For example, if you touch a hot object, you will feel pain and immediately remove your hand from that object, protecting your hand from further damage. As much as pain can burden and torment, ultimately it is…
Read MoreGastrointestinal Regulatory Substances
As we eat, our gastrointestinal (GI) system releases a host of both local and distant regulators to control the process of digestion. We will begin with the primary hormones, then cover some of the secondary hormones, and lastly discuss how our body senses its intraluminal contents and then subsequently integrates all of the various stimuli…
Read MoreMigraine, Cluster, and Tension Headaches
Headaches are an unavoidable fact of life and often are nothing more than the result of sitting through one too many lectures. However, they can become debilitating and get in the way of daily life, especially when they become recurrent. Although some headaches have symptoms other than head pain, we typically think of headache pain…
Read More