One of the things that I love about Pathology Student is our daily email called Path Bites.
I
started this a couple years ago with the goal of helping people keep up
with pathology – whether it’s studying for boards, learning pathology
in class, or just learning for the fun of it (Really! It’s fun!). We’ve
gone from zero to over 5000 subscribers in just over 2 years – and I get
nice comments from subscribers a lot – so I feel it’s a valuable
service. I thought I’d describe it a bit in case you haven’t seen the
signup box to the left – or in case you were wondering just exactly what
Path Bites is.
Path Bites consists of a short email every weekday containing an
important pathology pearl or two. It’s totally free, and there aren’t
any ads or other annoyances – just pure pathology. I alternate between
general pathology and systemic pathology topics (general pathology one
day, systems path the next), working through topics in a logical
fashion. I keep the emails short (so they are readable in a minute or
two) and pithy (getting to the point quickly and clearly). Here are a
couple recent Path Bites, one on general path (cell injury and cell
death) and one on systems path (blood vessels):
Apoptosis
Apoptosis is a unique kind of cell death
that happens in a pre-programmed fashion. The apoptotic cell is
basically committing suicide according to the instructions it carries in
its genes. It releases enzymes that degrade its own DNA and other
proteins, and its cell structure becomes altered in such a way that
phagocytes see the apoptotic cell as yummy. Interesting: this
phagocytosis happens before cellular contents leak out – so there’s no
stimulation of the host immune response. Necrotic cells, by contrast,
have massive membrane disruptions, and release their cellular contents,
eliciting a host reaction.
For more information, see Robbins, page 25.
What causes Raynaud phenomenon?
Raynaud phenomenon is characterized by
episodes in which fingers or toes become pale (sometimes even blue!).
It’s caused by an exaggerated vasoconstriction of arteries/arterioles,
and it can be primary or secondary.
- Primary Raynaud phenomenon happens after exposure to cold or emotional stress. It is more common in young women, and affects about 4% of the general population.
- Secondary Raynaud phenomenon happens as a result of arterial disease
caused by other conditions like lupus, scleroderma, Buerger disease or
atherosclerosis.
Raynaud phenomenon can be the first
manifestation of these other conditions…but only about 10% of patients
with Raynaud phenomenon will eventually be diagnosed with an underlying
disease. So don’t freak out if you have this! Most of the time it’s
primary.
For more information, see Robbins, page 518.
Path Bites is valuable because it’s a relatively painless way to get a
little path into your head each day. As a student, I didn’t have the
discipline or the time to read through Robbins unless a test was
looming…but I could definitely read through a short email each day. Over
time, we end up covering a lot of ground – one fact at a time!
Here are some comments I’ve gotten by email lately:
I am a Physician Assistant student and
the Path Bites emails have been extraordinarily helpful for both our
Introduction to Clinical Medicine and Pathology courses.
- Brooke S, PA student
I really enjoy those path bites you send
out! It’s especially great when I’m too busy studying other stuff and
don’t have time to go around reading longer articles for fun. Not only
is the info interesting and convenient to read, but it’s also an
effective and painless way to accumulate knowledge over time (smaller
portions of info = less overwhelming for brain = sticks better long
term!).
- Yuko B, MLT student
I love path bites – they have helped me a lot!!! You really make pathology easy!!
- Jade O, M.D., pathology resident
I have enjoyed your site ever since I found the Path Bites and have recommended you to many of my friends and classmates.
- Henry G, med student
I hope that gives you a good idea about what Path Bites is like. You
can sign up on the left of this page, at the top. Let me know if you
have any questions or suggestions!
All this is from :
http://www.pathologystudent.com/?p=6922