This is a nice video explanation by Jay!
Friday, March 30, 2018
Age of Gestation and Estimated Date of Delivery (EDD)
This is a nice video explanation by Jay!
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Pyruvate Carboxylase Vs Pyruvate Dehydrogenase (a mnemonic)
Mnemonics come in handy and make our lives easier :D
I used to mix the function of these two enzymes: PC (Pyruvate Carboxylase) and PD ( Pyruvate Dehydrogenase)
so let’s first write the “simplified equations" with their main outcomes then talk about the mnemonic:
Pyruvate ---Pyruvate Carboxylase → OXloacetate
Pyruvate --Pyruvate Dehydrogenase→ Acetyl-CoA
A good way to remember that PC gives Oxaloacetate is just saying: PC and Xbox ( 2 platforms used for gaming) with the X in Xbox referring to the X in oXaloacetate.
To remember that PD gives Acetyl-CoA, put in mind that we become DEHYRATED in HOT weather so we use AIR CONDITIONERS (ACs).
Dehydrogenase in Pyruvate dehydrogenase will remind you of dehydration and the need of ACs, consider AC the acronym of Acetyl-CoA ;)
A friend drew this to help simplifying it:
And that’s it :)
-Murad
Monday, March 26, 2018
Depression: A Summary
- Depressed mood: Can show diurnal variation. Patient reported. Essential for diagnosis.
- Sleep disturbance: Patients have decreased slow wave sleep duration and R.E.M. latency while having increased total R.E.M. duration with early R.E.M. onset in sleep cycle.
- Interest loss or anhedonia: Inability to attain pleasure from almost any activity. Patient reported. Essential for diagnosis.
- Guilty: Patients have feelings of worthlessness or sin for events they have little or no role in/ control of.
- Energy loss or fatigue
- Concentration difficulties: Usually accompanied with indecisiveness.
- Appetite and weight changes: Can increases or decrease. Usually, there’s a loss of body weight by 5% or more, associated with GI complaints of constipation, dyspepsia etc.
- Psychomotor changes: Retardation or agitation.
- Suicidal ideations: Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or specific plan for committing suicide.
USMLE Mentorship
Hey there. How's it going? So I had this idea of compartmentalizing mentorship for different phases of USMLE.
Normally, what happens is a person asks questions which aren't very specific to a particular phase, and ends up annoying the opposite person.
So what if we divide usmle into 3 steps as they already are, also about paper work, electives, observerships, lodging boarding in different parts of USA, and make a list of people specific to each step who want to help and provide mentorship. This way many people who are looking to give back to this process, have a chance of passing on the kindness.
So if you are done with any of the steps or want to provide mentorship for any of the things listed above, or have a thing that should be added to the list, send us your name and which part of the process you would like to help with. This way there can be more focused distribution of knowledge and mentorship.
People willing to help, send us your details. If we have enough people willing to volunteer, we can grow this thing into something really helpful. Depending on the number of responses of volunteers, we will take this thing forward.
Leave your ideas and suggestions, if you have any. Thanks for reading.
If you are willing to help - email me at medicowesome@gmail.com with "USMLE Mentor" in the subject.
If you have IkaNs number on Whatsapp, contact her.
Varicose Veins : Overview
Varicose Vein
Hello Awesomites!
Through this post I'm trying to share the high yielding points on Varicose Veins.
VARICOSE VEINS
Primary:
Congenital absence or incompetence of valves
Inheritance with FOXC2 gene
Klippel-Trenuanay syndrome
Congenital AV fistula
Cutaneous hemangiomas
Hypertrophy of involved limb
Absence of deep venous system
Secondary:
Recurrent thrombophlebitis
Occupational – prolonged standing
Obstruction to venous return –abdominal tumors, retroperitoneal mass, Pregnancy.
Iliac vein thrombosis
Clinical features
Lipodermatosclerosis (brawny induration), pigmentation, thickening, chronic inflammation and induration of skin in calf muscle and around ankle.
Brodie-Trendelenburg test
To assess the competence of SFJ
Patient lies flat, elevate the leg and gently empty the veins, palpate the SFJ and ask the patient to stand whilst maintaining pressure. If the veins do not refill- SFJ is incompetent. If the veins do refill SFJ may or may not be incompetent, presence of distal incompetent perforators.
Cough impulse (Morrisey's test)
Locate the saphenofemoral junction(2-4 cm inferolateral to pubic tubercle) and ask the patient to cough. Impulse or fluid thrill felt indicates saphenofemoral incompetence.
Modified Perthes Test:Ask the patient to stand and tourniquet is applied at SF junction and ask to walk. Superficial veins become prominent – indicate deep vein thrombosis.
Three tourniquet test - To find the site of incompetent perforator
Tourniquets at SFJ, above knee level, below knee level.
Fegan's test:Detect the perforators
Investigations:
Duplex Ultrasound imaging – gold standard
Doppler examination – only when duplex is not available
Phlebography – not needed in primary venous insufficiency. Only performed as preoperative adjuncts when deep venous reconstruction is being planned
Ascending phlebography – differentiates primary from secondary insufficiency
Descending phlebography - identifies specific valvular incompetence suspected on B mode scanning.
Medical treatment:
Calcium dobesilate
Diosmin
Hesperidin
Toxerutin
Surgical management:
Trendelenburg's operation (juxta femoral flush ligation + stripping the varicose vein) for SFJ incompetency
Subfacial ligation of Cockett and Dodd :perforator incompetence with SF competency
VNUS closure(ablation catheter introduced into the SF junction and slowly withdrawn)
TRIVEX – veins identified by subcutaneous illumination; injection of fluid & superficial veins are sucked
Endo venous laser ablation (EVLA)
Sclerotherapy
That's all. Thank you.
-MD Mobarak Hussain (Maahii)
Hutchinson in Medicine
Here's a summary of the important Hutchinson's in medicine!
1. Hutchinson Teeth
Seen in - Congenital Syphilis
Feature - Peg shaped Incisors , Widely spaced and smaller teeth.
Associations - Mulberry Molars : Multi-cusped Molars.
2. Hutchinson Sign of the Nail
Seen in - Subungual Melanoma
Feature - Melano-nychia ( Black colored nail) , feature of a melanoma below the nail plate.
3. Pseudo Hutchinson Sign of the Nail
Seen in - Melanocytic be of nail bed
Feature - Melano-nychia like appearance.
4. Hutchinson sign
Seen in - Varicella Zoster infection
Feature - Vesicle at the tip of the nose - indicative of Zoster infection. May precede Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus.
5. Hutchinson Triad
Seen in - Congenital Syphilis
Feature - Hutchinson teeth + Interstitial keratitis + Sensorineural Hearing loss.
6. Hutchinson Patch
Seen in - Syphilitic Keratitis
Feature - Salmon patch on the cornea
7. Hutchinson Mask
Seen in - Tabes Dorsalis, Neurosyphilis
Feature - Mask like sensation over the face due to involvement of trigeminal.
8. Hutchinson Pupil
Seen in - Raised Intracranial tension especially due to a mass.
Feature - Pupil dilated and unreactive to light due to 3rd cranial nerve compression.
Those are all the Hutchinson I can think of !
Let me know if you got any more.
Happy Studying!
Stay Awesome !
Growth Rates in Dermatology
Hi everyone. My skin Lecturer just taught me this so I thought let's post this =)
So growth rates !
We need to know 3 of them - Hair , Finger nails and Toe Nails.
Hair is the fastest growing.
So remember just one number for it - 0.37 mm/day.
Now , next fastest is finger nails.
For this divide by 3.
0.12 so 0.1 mm / day is finger nails.
Now divide this by 3 to get the value for Toe nails.
So 0.03 mm/ day is for Toe nails !
That's all for this post !
Stay awesome !
Happy Studying !
~ A.P.Burkholderia
Sunday, March 25, 2018
MIL : Tinea (Dermatophytosis)
This is my 2nd MIL! Hope it's illustrative and informative !
Being street-smart during interviews: Buses!
Although flights in general are the fastest most-convenient way to travel, you may try “bus inter-state travelling” which is much cheaper than taking a flight.
I will briefly write about some bus companies that are there and their pros and cons:
Greyhound:
Pros:
> It covers most of the states in the US.
> they have stations where you can sit and wait in (which is very important especially during Winter when it is freezing and snow is everywhere!).
> Starting from late 2017, you can use an E-ticket (emailed to you) instead of a printed ticket.
> They have nice discounts up to 50% sometimes, be sure to sign in and check their website for promo codes especially on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, New Year’s Eve.
(If you are planning to travel in January, don’t rush and buy the ticket early)
Cons:
> in general, their prices are more expensive than other bus companies.
> slow wifi (sometimes non-existent :D).
> Be careful around the stations especially at night, stay indoors!
> If you buy the ticket using a visa card with a different card-holder name than your’s, they will charge you an extra 18 dollars :( .
> Some passengers may be really weird.
If you miss your trip, you will be charged 20$ to issue a new ticket and catch the next one.
Megabus:
Pros:
> Cheaper and can be as cheap as 1 dollar! Check their website regularly.
> E-tickets are available too.
> Buses are newer and more comfortable.
> Passengers are “less weird”.
Cons:
> less state coverage than Greyhound.
> No stations, you have to wait in the street which can be very bard especially if it is raining heavily or snowing.
You can change your trip (if more than 3 hours left till departure) after paying a fee of 20 dollars. This is good to avoid losing your money if you had to cancel your scheduled trip for any reason.
Bustogo:
Less state coverage but they have a nice feature which is using the ticket within a year of purchasing it.
This is based on a personal experience, so you are welcome to try anything you want and put in mind that delays may occur here or there especially with bad weather.
Before you travel to any state, check this website: http://www.smartmedtravel.com/
It will show you names of buses and trains that are available in that state in addition to airports and car rental options.
Wishing y’all a successful Match/interview season and safe travels :D
-Murad
Saturday, March 24, 2018
Mixed Connective Tissue Disease : An Overview
- It's a somewhat ambiguously used term for disease characterised by a collection of few symptoms from different autoimmune connective tissue disorders.
________________________________________
2. What are its chief presenting features ?
- Raynaud's is often the presenting feature. May also get edematous fingers.
- Dactylitis and digital gangrenes may be + due to Raynaud's
- Sclerodactyly
- Other Limited Cutaneous SSc features like CREST.
- Arthritis
- Photosensitivity and Malar rash
- Evidence of Anti phospholipid Antibody Syndrome - associated with SLE.
- Proximal myopathy features
- Muscle tenderness
- May get Cutaneous features of Dermatomyositis.
________________________________________
3. What are the criteria for diagnosis ?
Raynaud's
Edematous Hands
Myositis (proven)
Synovitis-Arthritis
4. When to suspect MCTD?
- When a Patient comes with features of Limited Scleroderma (Raynaud's) , but not enough to fulfill its criteria ;
5.What tests would one order if suspecting MCTD ?
May see Leucopenia with fairly elevated ESR
U1 RNP Ab's are fairly specific
Anti Jo Ab's (Especially polymyositis)
Anti Mi Ab's (Especially Dermatomyositis)
ANA
Complement levels.
Anti CCP Ab's
• Creatine Kinase - Elevated in Myositis
• Urine Routine + Microscopy for Lupus Nephritis type changes
• Electrolytes
• Chest X Ray for any ILD or fibrosis
• HRCT if needed.
• Pulmonary Function Tests
• MRI Brain for multi infarct lesions if APLA is + and if neurological changes are +
• ECG - For myocarditis
________________________________________
6. How is the treatment like ?
- Steroids confer some Relief unlike in SSc. So it's important to differentiate the two!
- Hydroxy chloroquine and Methotrexate may be used to keep disease activity in check.
- Treatment of complications.
Happy Studying!
Stay Awesome!
What if I don't Match?
The 12th of March has arrived and what you didn't see coming has unfortunately happened. You checked your email to find an email from NRMP saying: "You did not match". Life suddenly became unbearable and an infinite tornado of thoughts and questions has started! The main one though is: "What to do now?"
Below are some suggestions that may help in answering this question:
1- Give yourself some time
> Give yourself the time needed to sink the truth in, yes, not matching is harsh, depressing and soul-crushing. Vent to your friends and cry your lungs out if you feel this will make you feel better.
> Not matching is hard, but be completely sure, this is not the end of the world, look back at what you achieved till now, you finished medschool, sat for USMLEs, traveled for interviews. You achieved what may be impossible for many others!
> Check NRMP stats that are released after the Match day, you are not alone, consider this a temporary stop in your life and a chance to build your CV and know more people. Consider it also a test and a challenge that will push your forward to overcome it! The ranking process itself is complicated and is affected by a myriad number of factors so don’t blame yourself and when you feel you are ready, start developing your plan!
2- Polish your CV
> Sit with a senior/friend/attending and ask him/her how to make your CV better.
Are there any awards or honors that you haven’t mentioned? Any volunteering work that you didn’t add? Can you describe what you did in your previous work experiences in a better way? Are you a member of any international medical organization and you forgot to mention that?
> You can also review the chapter about writing CVs in “The Successful Match” book which gives many hints about improving your CV. For example, it is advised to use “the action verbs” like “managed” instead of “helped”. The book is available on Amazon, Ebay and many other websites.
3- Revise/Review your whole application
In addition to polishing/revising your CV, be sure to check every single component of your application:
> Did you apply late? Apply earlier this year
> Was one of your letter of recommendations (LoRs) generic or weak? Try to get a new stronger one by asking more people or doing more rotations.
> Did you apply to enough programs? Think of applying to more programs
> Do u qualify for the programs you applied to? Above their cut-offs..etc? Double-check that
Don’t hesitate to ask seniors or any experienced person who may help.
4- Taking USMLE Step 3 (if not taken yet)
> There are many merits of taking USMLE step 3 including the possibility of being ranked higher, an opportunity to have an H1B visa (if you are a non-US International Medical Graduate) and more focus on your residency.
> A good score in Step 3 also helps if you have any red flag in your application like an exam attempt. It may also decrease the impact of low scores in the USMLE exams and of course it is something nice to add to your CV and show that your are progressing.
5- Research
> Research can strengthen your CV and open the doors for more interviews especially from University programs. It can also let you meet new people who may be your contacts in the next match. Some people matched in famous hospitals after doing research there for “a period of time (as short as few months up to few years).
> Look for research positions either by asking friends/seniors or by emailing institutions like MGH, Mayoclinic...etc. Another way is via websites like indeed.com, some research opportunities are publicized via Linkedin, so it is advisable to have a neat account there and follow the accounts of major institutions. Linkedin may suggest jobs based on your geographic location too.
> When you apply for research, check the mentor’s/PI’s name on Pubmed. It is better to join people who are more active and publish faster. A good time to start looking for a research position is about a month or a bit more before the match results. Many researchers who are doing their post-doc fellowships leave their positions after they match so if you know anyone who is doing his/her post-doc fellowship, be sure to contact him/her.
6- More United States Clinical Experience? (USCE)
>Consider doing more rotations whether observerships or externships. This may allow you to apply to more programs that require a certain number of US clinical training months to be eligible.
>Through rotations, you may get stronger recommendation letters, make new contacts or may even impress and match in the same program in which you are rotating!
7- Contacts
> A contact is any human being who can help you! A contact can be a friend, an intern, a chief resident, an attending, a research fellow and even the PD himself/herself...simply anyone!
> This is one of the most important things that you have to work on before your next match cycle. Whether you are in a rotation or in a research lab, approach politely and ask for help, people out there are good and are willing to help.
8- Motivation
> Develop a habit of being motivated, surround yourself with positive people who always encourage you.Watch motivational videos - Eric Thomas has nice ones, check them - on youtube.
> Talk to residents who didn’t match the first time they applied and see how successful they became now. This happened because of one thing: they worked hard and never gave up!
Finally, I wish you all the best of luck and I remind you with what Steve Jobs once said: "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future"
-Murad
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
My USMLE Step 2 CK Experience (241)
Sources used for studying:
> MTB step 2 for IM
> MTB step 3 for other subjects
> Uworld
> Uworld biostat review
> Kaplan step 2 patient safety chapter
> Conrad fischer 100 ethics cases
> Uptodate (only looking for details if needed)
> +/- kaplan epidemiology part for step 2 (for biostats)
> CMS
> NBME 4 6 7 and UWSA1
Method of studying:
>Did a fast read of MTBs then started UW offline systemically with taking notes using Anki flashcards program.
>Did UW online systemically in tutor mode with marking difficult/incorrect questions and writing any new notes that are not in the offline version.
(if you feel you have a problem with time management, do more timed mode blocks)
>Did marked questions in random timed mode
>Revised whole notes in 2-3 weeks
>Solved CMS blocks ( good for introducing some new ideas and practicing more questions)
>Did NBME 4, 6 then 7 ..and did UWSA1 ( scores ranged between high 230s and high 240s...the real score was 241
>When I did the exam, NBME 8 and UWSA2 were not released, so it is better to do those too, and NBME4 can be done offline if needed.
Subjects:
Always check UW diagrams/tables before studying the chapter from MTB
>Peds:
UW is really solid in Peds and covers most if not all the needed concepts in the exam.
>Surg:
UW ...surgery doesn’t constitute a big chunk of the exam, so I felt UW was more than enough for it
>IM:
Also MTB + UW
>Obgyn:
Please check uw tables and diagrams for Obgyn before studying MTB and compare between the two..sometimes there are differences and UW is always the correct one. You don’t want to memorize the info wrong first then correct it again.
So UW tables hand in hand with MTB then UW.
Kaplan vids for Obgyn may be used if needed.
==
-No comprehensive book for CK like First Aid for Step1 but It is an exam that tests your concepts and the more questions you do the more confident you ll feel.
(In my opinion, Kaplan qbank in step 2 is not needed and may confuse you!)
- It is advised to leave long abstract and drug ad questions till the end because they need time to be solved
- I did CK before step1, some people argue against this. Regardless of what you do first, any step that you will do first will help in the next step ( 2 before 1 or 1 before 2)
Good luck :)
-Murad
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Koebner Phenomenon
Koebner Phenomonon is a much talked about skin phenomenon.
In this post I'll just discuss Koebner's and its variants briefly.
- Many skin conditions tend to occur at the sites of previous trauma.
- This propensity of some new disease to be localised to trauma marks from before is called Koebner's.
- Also called ' Isomorphic Phenomonon'.
- So that's kind of unclear ! But it is said that trauma causes some amount of Subacute inflammation.
- This Subacute inflammation is mainly IL1 and 17 mediated.
- Such an inflammatory condition predisposes the site to further Autoimmune damage.
Truly , she Pees Very Little.
Psoriasis
Vitiligo
Lichen Planus
- Now the basis of true Koebner is that on a site for existing trauma, a new autoimmune lesion appears.
- When the trauma site gets secondarily seeded by some organism causing lesions along its line it's called 'Pseudo Koebner's phenomena'.
Examples =
Molluscum contagiosum
Verruca Vulgaris ( Warts).
- When a lesion along a trauma line gets resolved spontaneously it's called Reverse Koebner.
- Seen in Psoriasis and Granuloma Annulare.
- (isn't that about enough with this topic now?! Are they kidding us with this?)
- So it's seen in Vitiligo. When one patch undergoes resolution with surgery etc , patches elsewhere get resolved too. (God knows what this means , but yeah. *yawns* )
- So this is a somewhat similar reaction.
- In people with Behcet Disease, if they're poked on their forearm with a needle , they tend to develop pustules and ulcers over it.! It's almost diagnostic of Behcet's.
Hope this was helpful.
Happy Studying!
Stay awesome!