USMLE Quick Notes

Hi! My name is Nathan. At the time of writing this, I am an M2 in the USA. I received inspiration from MyNotes4USMLE and needed a place to keep all of my mnemonics and high yield topics for Step 1 & Step 2CK. This won't be comprehensive and is catered to what I personally struggle with and some of what I think to be high yield, but hopefully it will help some people out there! DISCLAIMER: This blog claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and you do not wish for it appear on this site, please let me know and it will be promptly removed. Any medical discussions on this blog are for educational purposes only, I am not your medical provider and cannot tell you what to do with your health issues. Please do not use the info found here as a substitute for your physician's advice. Thanks! Have fun studying!

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Lung sounds & tactile fremitus explanation

Consolidation = Inside your lungs

Effusion = Outside your lungs

Effusions create MORE SPACE between ur lung tissue & body wall, while consolidations do not. Fremitus is felt due to vibrations from sound transmission thru lung tissue, which are better conducted (Solid > Liquid > Gas).

Therefore:

CONSOLIDATION: lungs still close to wall with more tissue inside them -> more vibration -> increased fremitus

EFFUSION: lungs farther from wall -> Fluid dissipates vibrations -> decreased fremitus

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PCOS

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Leiomyoma vs. Leiomyosarcoma

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Antimuscarinic side effects

"hot as a hare": hyperthermia

"Dry as a cracker": dry mouth & eyes

"Blind as a bat": mydriasis & cycloplegia -> blurred vision

"High-pressure as a kettle": decreased aq. humor outflow -> acute angle closure glaucoma

"Mad as a hatter": Central M1 receptor antagonism -> Sedation, agitation, hallucination, coma esp. in elderly

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Muscarinic receptor Locations mnemonic

M1: When you're an M1, you're so damn stressed. your CNS will be overloaded w/ info & you even get GI symptoms like ulcers and throw up bc ur so freaking stressed

M2: When you're an M2, you now know how to manage your stress but your heart will be compromised bc of all the caffeine you've been drinking (it will start to SLOW DOWN)

M3: You are fucked, everything is breaking down at this point. locations: “AEIOU”

A: Airway

E: Exocrine

I : “Eye” and “I” sound the same when you say it

O: the letter is circular so think of the GI tract as a hollow circular tube

U: Urinary Tract

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Nicotonic vs Muscarinic Receptors

Nicotinic = ionotropic 

Muscarinic = Metabotropic

just think nicotinic is used where speed is crucial, like the neuromuscular junction. 

Muscarinic will be found where amplification is important, like sweat glands and a lot of CNS applications. Also know that CNS also has nicotinic, which is why people use tobacco 

(think about the SPEED of the tobacco high and how fast it hits 🚬💨)

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Signal Transduction (dirtymed)

Go to Atlantic City for Craps & PoKer!! Just think about how Ryan Depaulo (degenerate gambler, famous youtuber) Goes to Atlantic City all the time to play Craps & Poker in his vlogs.

you can also think about how if you lose.. you will have to end up CAMPing there b/c homeless & no $$