Rheumatology & MSK

Rheum & MSK is a very short block with lots of information presented in the first week. The lectures are long and can be confusing as many of the rheumatological diseases present similarly and aren't easily diagnosable. It can be helpful to create a chart for yourself or refer to the study guides below to keep the pathologies straight. The MSK pathologies are a little more straightforward and you have time to practice with ICE sessions during the second week. 

This class has daily hybrid in-person/Zoom lectures. Students are expected to watch some recorded lectures before class a few days during the block. During week 2, students are expected to attend two in-person small groups. These sessions are more clinically oriented and a great way to review the material that was covered in lecture during the week prior. 

Students are also assigned two case presentations (one for Rheum and one for MSK). For Rheum, the class is divided into about 5 groups and are expected to create a PPT based on a case presented in a video on Brightspace. For MSK, students are divided into groups of 2-3 and expected to present their cases during the second MSK small group. These should not be stressful and are graded on participation.

Brightspace also has a bunch of modules that cover the lecture material in depth, but they are optional and most students elect to skip them as they can be long and overly detailed. 

We are also assigned a daily quiz (usually less than 20 questions, 8 quizzes total) which opens at 5 PM and can be repeated as many times as you want. The quiz questions are similar to the Final Brightspace exam and come straight from the lectures and modules. The highest score will go into the grade book and count toward your final grade. These quizzes are a great study tool for the final.

The final exam consists of an NBME exam that counts for a little bit of your final exam grade and an in-house, Brightspace exam that counts for the majority of your final exam grade. You need a 70% on the final to pass.

The course is generally not too content intensive. However, it is not transparent what will be on the final, and the review session is not very helpful in past experience. Therefore, review the quizzes, create your own study guide or use student-made ones to prepare for the final. Third-party content such as Boards and Beyond (see third-party resource guide below) is also helpful, as the Brightspace contains some content that was not covered in class. 

Rheumatology & MSK is a very short block, so there's only a final exam at the end. The final is split into two sections- an NBME and a Brightspace exam. The Brightspace exam is weighted at 80% and about 75 questions long. This exam is very similar to the quiz questions and includes long vignettes so be prepared to read! 

The NBME exam weighs 20% and is only 50 questions long. The questions were hand selected in 2021, so you shouldn't encounter anything unfamiliar. The question style is just like the board-style questions we're used to (i.e. Boards & Beyond and UWorld). I would say there's a bigger emphasis on pediatric pathologies than I expected.

• Lecture - a lot of information is presented during lecture so don’t worry if it feels overwhelming or confusing at first.  The small group casework and student-made study guides will emphasize the most important information. You can do the modules to supplement the lecture material, but reading through the slides should be sufficient. 

• Small Groups - small groups prepare you to think like a clinician and answer case-based questions. Come prepared by reviewing how to diagnose and don’t be afraid to ask questions until you understand the material. Some small groups are better than others depending on your small group leader for the day.

• Quizzes - the daily quizzes aren't too bad, and a great way to prepare for the Brightspace exam. You can repeat the quizzes as many times as you want; the highest score will go in the grade book. Be sure you understand the questions as well as all the answer choices. I highly recommend retaking the quizzes right before the final so they are fresh in your mind. Also, asking the instructors to explain the questions in class could be useful, as there were no planned times during lecture to go over these. 

• Final Exams - most students found the final exam to be similar to the quizzes, although it is long, so take a short break between the NBME and Brightspace exam if you need it. The Brightspace exam is weighted at 80% and about 75 questions long. The NBME exam weighs 20% and is only 50 questions long. The questions were hand selected in 2021. You can prepare for the final using the quizzes, lecture slides, and material from Boards & Beyond and First Aid.

• Boards & Beyond - watch all the MSK videos by the end of the block and search for the rheumatology diseases videos. These videos are especially helpful for simplifying and reviewing after reading through lecture slides.  

  • • Here's a Google Spreadsheet of lecture material roughly matched to Boards & Beyond from 2021

• First Aid - First Aid has an excellent condensed review of the major topics of this course. It can be helpful to review material throughout the course or to review key concepts for the final exam. 

• Anki - I highly recommend using the Lightyear deck for Rheum and MSK based on both the First Aid tags and the Boards & Beyond tags. Use Anki if it works for you, but do not consider it a necessity (as always). 

• Student Made Resources - There are multiple study guides made by students. Holly’s and Megan's guides are especially helpful - good idea to review these guides as you go through the course. 

  • MCASOM Megan's Study Guide

  • Other Student Made Guides

  • Joocer's 3rd Party Schedule

• Pathoma - you can watch the relevant rheumatology pathology videos. This will be helpful for STEP 1 but is not necessary to pass the course.

• Amboss & USMLE Rx - if you have a question bank, you can do 10-20 questions per day as practice. This is good practice for STEP 1 and the NBME exam (*there isn't an official rheumatology question bank like there is for MSK though).