I passed the final DNB surgery in first attempt; I would like to give all of you DNB surgery trainees few steps after I have gone through it myself
1 Stick to a single book sabiston or schwartz or CSDT ( I did CSDT ;its the shortest and smallest); dont try to become a professor of surgery in 3 years; try to pass the exam first; so stick to a single book strictly; although bailey and love is good its not enough for DNB
2 Get previous year questions ; its available at natboard website now; also consult seniors for more questions; solve all the questions ; all of them i am stressing it; dont keep it for second attempt
3 Its good to maintain a diary and write down all the questions chapterwise after regrouping in topics: makes you familiar with questions
and easier to solve and revise chapterwise
4 General surgery means head to toe; so dont give all the time to GIT ( stomach to anus); read other systems properly and seriously: give extra importance to basic principles og surgery that is first 10 chapters of every surgery book eg blood transfusion ;burns ;wounds ; antibiotics etc etc I am sure you guys dont know anything about basics although you know everything about whipples or APR
5 Start six months ahead serious studies before final; take leave last 45 days before exam for revision only; you can earn as well as operate after getting the DNB degree; dont plan to become a quack without the degree: so take leave and study
always answer structured style
I did it this was
for every question
I wrote: Points to consider
1 definition
2 pathology
3 classification
4 clinical features
5 Investigations
6 TNM
7 Treatment conservative; surgery
8 indication and contraindication &complications
of treatment
9 follow up and prognosis
fill up relevant points like this in every answer and just fill up the subheadings
and you pass
Revision is the key to success in DNB; please revise---revise----and revise yet again ; sincerely
please dont be scared or tensed when u face difficult questions-----prepare the subheadings as i showed here before and just fill them up-----just imagine the area or anatomy of the lesion and write about excision or other treatment; important structures in the area; could be complications; injury etc etc
things which are similar in surgery: like criteria for inoperability in abdomen;
en bloc excision if adjoining stuctures are involved; biopsy to confirm diagnosis etc should be mentioned
in short behave like a surgeon in the exam and just write what you will do
confidently!!!!!
Passing rate is good in general surgery...but please know that it depends on you...how you prepare, how serious you are and how much time you give to your studies...
the passing rate is not fixed...it changes from batch to barch depending on how the individual candidates perform....just like any exam...when I appeared for the DNB final...I did not do anything extra...just study sincerely and thoroughly ...like I did for MBBS final...I passed.
Passing rate concept should not be considered ....if you do well...you pass just like any exam...but you cant bluff and later on campaign for your deficiency like in an MS exam where you know the examiner...that changes the passing rate.....In MS you can change the passing rate by adding a few marks...
how to prepare for practicals.
1. find a study partner...or a junior ...or a senior...to whom you can practise presentation of cases
2. practise history taking thoroughly....imagine a condition ...and write your history....you dont have to visit a hospital and take history....just imagine you r taking history and write all the positive and negative history of a particular case....practise these many times
3. write a good examination record after the history...DONT MISS ANY POINT
4. practise presentation ...PRESENT IN A LOUD CLEAR VOICE...ASK YOUR PARTNER TO MARK YOU AND TELL YOU WHERE YOU HAVE MISSED THE POINTS...WHERE YOU CAN IMPROVE...dont let this hurt your big ego....be a donkey at home rather than be one at the examination centre
5. practise your own history, examination, presentation....ALONE...may be at bedtime, in the garden...but just speak and speak imaginary history and presentation....imagine u r presenting it before a teacher
6. books: SRB MANUAL OF CLINICAL SURGERY....THIS IS EXCELLENT AND COMPULSORY FOR DNB PRACTICALS
ML SAHA.....THIS IS ALSO COMPULSORY AND AN EXCELLENT BOOK.....YOU NEED TO GO THOROUGH BOTH OF THEM ATLEAST FIVE TIMES TO BE THOROUGH ENOUGH
7. GANSHYAM VAID CLINICAL VIDEO SERIES...9 VIDEOS....COMPULSORY AND SIMPLY EXCELLENT...I WATCHED THESE VIDEOS ABOUT MAY BE 20 TIMES EACH AND DISCOVERED SOMETHING NEW TO LEARN EACH TIME....WATCH THESE VIDEOS AND THEN STUDY SRB AND ML SAHA....CONCEPT WILL BE CLEARER....YOU CAN DOWNLOAD FROM INTERNET OR BEST BUY IT FROM A MEDICAL BOOK STORE
8. REVISION ABOUT 20 TIMES FOR EACH SYSTEM....BY THE END OF THE PREP YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO WRITE HISTORY AND RECORD PRESENTATION WITHIN 30 MINS....AND REVISE AGAIN BEFORE FINAL PRESENTATION TO EXAMINER.
9. Dont forget to go through relevant anatomy of the parts...this is very important.
LASTLY...REMEMBER PRACTICALS ARE TOUGHER THAN THEORY BECAUSE YOU DONT GET TIME TO THINK....EVERYTHING SHOULD BE A SPINAL REFLEX...SPONTANEOUS.
PREPARE MINIMUM 3 MONTHS CONTINUOUSLY WITHOUT A JOB....BEFORE THE PRACS IF YOU WANT TO PASS!! Dr.Arun Kumar DNB General surgery
Share your success story and give tips to juniors to help them pass docguidanceteam@gmail.com
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