Case Files: Neurology (Lange Case Files Series)

"I was very hesitant about using this book for the neurology shelf exam because it is so new (2008). I wondered if it would be foolish to not use something more "tried and true." However, after reading three chapters of Blueprints (which I found to be too simplistic) and not having the energy to trudge through the depths of the Lange neurology book, I decided to take a gamble on Case Files and use it as my "main text" for the shelf. After all, you only live once, right?

It was a very good decision. Yes, some of the cases are too straightforward. However, I found the value of this book to be in the text, not in the cases themselves. Each chapter is organized in a similar way. It starts out with a case presentation and some thought questions (what is the next diagnostic step, how would you treat the patient, etc.). This is followed by a summary paragraph, key terminology, and extensive discussion of the disease pathophysiology, diagnostic workup, treatment, and prognosis. Few textbooks are so clearly organized! Each chapter is roughly 6 to 10 pages long, and it is easy reading, so you can feasibly cover a few cases each night. The main downsides of this book, in my opinion, are the number of typos (which were usually grammatical and rarely affected the content itself) and the inability to look up a particular topic in the book without "spoiling" the case. Overall, though, I think the benefit far outweighs these drawbacks. Also, I agree with what another person said --- this book allows for easy learning.

The combination of Case Files and PreTest Neurology earned me a 95th percentile on the shelf. I attribute most of my score to this book. Keep in mind that some people do not like the Case Files format, so you'll need to tailor your studying to what best suits you. Good luck!"
~ Written on 2008-05-23

"on the whole, it's a good book but the case are too easy to solve , one needs to brainstorm his mind before discussing the case,its differential diagnosis and pearls, this book although has all except that cases easy to solve and does not induce one's mind to navigate among different possibilities, I hope this will be dealt with in next editions"
~ Written on 2008-05-16

"I love the Case Files series, but am disappointed in this one. Several of my classmates feel the same way. The cases aren't as good quality as the other books. Some case answers include "stroke in a young patient", "pediatric headache", and "papilledema". You're trying to figure out what kind of stroke or what is the most likely cause of the papilledema and you flip to the answer and it's just "papilledema". There are contradictory statements in several chapters (like what is the second leading cause of dementia- there are two different answers in two chapters). There are numerous typos, which doesn't really bother me except that I am concerned that the factual information was not well checked. The questions are weak. It's like they didn't even try on some of them. An example is when they want to know which protein is abnormally processed in the pathophys of Alzheimer Disease and one of the choices is "a right spinal cord hemisection syndrome". Also, they will say the answer is "B" and be clearly explaining why "C" is the correct answer.

So you're probably wondering why I even gave it 3 stars. It's still a decent way to learn neurology. Compared to the other books in the series, this Case Files is not so good, but if you take out the lame cases you're still left with a lot of excellent cases that will help you learn. And even though the questions aren't as good in this book, they are still helpful. I just hope the information is correct. "
~ Written on 2008-03-14

"I really think case files is an excellent way to prepare for the shelf exams or for step two. This one is just as great as the others I have used. Quick read but very high yield - non-stressful learning."
~ Written on 2008-02-18