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I have noticed there is much demand of questions related to cracking of NIMAHANS’ MCh Neurosurgery entrance exam.Dr. Arun Prasad has written answer providing wonderful links for the same. One can read his answer here. In his answer, he has very aptly mentioned about Dr. Dhaval Gohil’s thread (on RXPG) for detailed answer too.Dr. Dhaval is one of my good friends at NIMHANS and I asked him to join Quora so that he can share his first hand experience related to exam and can share many of his ongoing NIMHANS related experiences.Since RXPG site do not allow the direct access to Dhaval’s thread (one need to sign in and earn minimum credit points to have access to any popular threads), I am just copy pasting his wonderful and in-depth answers for the benefit of all. Dr. Dhaval was kind enough to agree for this copy-paste answer.Dr. Dhaval Gohil Details:NIMHANS MCh (Neurosurgery)Rank: 04Total score:110Percentage:73.33%Q & A format:Q 1) How to prepare, strategy and books to read?Ans: Study of NIMHANS is very interesting....you should keep following points in mind:1. Give importance to general MBBS too,, its very important for the exam2. You should know all the basics of Neuro (not miscellaneous, but basics of neuro should be perfect)3. Harrison, Harrison and Harrison(how can we read and prepare Harrison?) no need at allI will explain how to go step wise:A. General MBBS should be covered as you wish...don't pass too much time on minor subjects2-3 questions from obs-gy are sureB. Neuro section1. Time: 2 months2. How: Clear your basic Anatomy and Physiology first--> Dr Najeeb USMLE Neuro lectures: It will clear your Neuro anatomy and Physiologyafter that revise its screen shots--> Go for Dr Ajay Mathur’s Harrison MCQs: solve complete Neurology section--> Neuroradiology: only MRI sequences are asked--> Neuropharma: the most imp do all medication related charts of Harrison and Goodman and GillmanFor Psychiatry: last pages of Harrison are must, as previously illustrated by Dr Sandeep....3. Just cover your MBBS portion as fast as you can and do Neuro basics intensivelyYOU will be In the list.Q2) For General MBBS portion, which all MCQ books you referred?Ans: Saying honestly1. For minors: IAMS notes (Forensic: Dr Sumit Seth, Radio: Dr Sumer Sethi)2. For majors: Kaplan’s USMLE videos3. Patho: Lectures of Dr Hussain Sattar-Pathoma (one of the authors of upcoming Robins)4. Surgery: Kaplan + Schwartz reviewQ3) 1) How did you read Harrison? Only Neurology part or "Cardinal Manifestation & Presentation of Disease" part too?2) How did you prepare for the Neuroradiology part? Is Sumer Sethi’s book sufficient?3) Which subjects except Neurology parts do you think to be the important ones?4) How important do you think the EMBRYOLOGY is? And how did you prepare?5) Did you revise all the subjects before exam or only Neurology parts?6) Which all books did you study?7) Any online resource which you think being beneficial for you?Ans: My story is very interesting from condition of darkness to brightness..I completed my MBBS (internship) in 2013. I was totally hopeless at starting of my preparation...but confidence increased step-wise...Didn't read a single book in final year, neither in internship....so any how passed final, but not NEET.Target initially used to be AIIMS but as I came to know about existence of NIMHANS, it shifted from AIIMS to NIMHANSI consistently couldn't make it out in 3 AIIMS, 1 NIMHANS, 2 AI, 3 DNBs....totally disappointing....but one thing was sure that how longer it takes but I will go to the institute of my choice...My perfectionist thinking harmed me initially...some funny moments I would like to share1. I did Endocrine Physiology for 2 months2. I did skin for 1.5 months3. I did FM for 21 days4. I did Psychiatry for 2.5 monthsYou can imagine that nearly one year passed in these subjects only..I changed the material frequently and ended up in remembering nothing...totally frustrating....self doubts and what not!!One thing I always prefer, is to learn from teachers so I started Kaplan lectures (I got that from my seniors, I am indebted to them)I did Kaplan lectures for Medicine, Surgery, Pharma, Anat, Biochem, Physiology, Microthen as I mentioned about the books in other post for minor subjects.AIIMS requires previous year questions and topics up to date, I was unwilling to focus on repeating topics as knowledge is always a priority for me, so I used to watch lectures then making its slides (snap shots), simultaneously clearing all doubts from internet and e-text books. I never read books extensively, instead I used e-books which can be referred easily.Q 4) Please let us know if you consider any other online resource being much helpful for complete understanding of basic concepts.Ans: I used internet maximally for clearing my doubts...Wikipedia, Medscape and ncbi were my best guides...Rank graph was worst but consistency pays everything.1. I did book by Pramod KS which is an extract of Harrison neurology, I found it useful but its just a description, no questions. So I did questions from Ajay Mathur’s book ONLY NEUROLOGY based on Harrison, but of course, when you have any type of touch of Harrison, probability of your selection in any Indian entrance increases. so, I would strongly suggest to do whole mcqs of Ajay Mathur as it adds in your rank.2. For Neuroradiology, actually I had a ppt from classes in Chennai 'Positive' which I attended, but I really practiced it from google images. I used to open MRI sequences and identify them...like spotting we used to do during our under graduation days in exams. No extensive Neuroradio is required, only be the master in identifying MRI sequences.3. If you have situation like I had: that you have only few days before exam then how to prepare concretely?I must suggest that in just 150 questions you cant say this subject is important and that is not, RATHER, you can be damn surethat this topic is important and that particular topic is not, so I used to make the list of topics which I used to revise frequently.To be very specific to your questions, yes you do Pharma + Medicine + Patho + Infectious diseases + Neurology. That's enough for NIMHANS.4. EMBYOLOGY: Very small but high yield topics. I did Kaplan lectures plus there is one table in Gray’s Anatomy about derivatives, I bet no question can go out of it.5. It’s humanly IMPOSSIBLE to revise all the subjects before exam --> so few months before exam, I used to study everything extensively.Last month before exam:15 days: Neuro related topics15 days: Important topics (List is written below for reference)6. I din’t read books extensively except for the Ajay Mathur’s Neuro section, Pramod KS in my previous attempt (not this time).I made a separate printout of all the tables of Harrison’s Neurology section. It covers almost all NEUROPHARMA questions and some IAMS books too, otherwise I used to revise the slides (screen shots) of videos I have seen.7. Of course, I bet no Indian students has used internet more than me in Pre PG preparation:- Medscape- NCBI- Wikipedia- Opthobook.com- Radiopaedia- USMLE forums- NEJM extractsthese are/were my best friends.I used to study at least 5 hours a day from internet, as I am used to go in details.I totally stopped using fb and whats app as they were "time pass more than necessary". I started using them only after clearing NIMHANS exam.Summary:1. Do extensive study till 1 month of exam and intensive study in last month.2. In Neuro, be perfect with basics only --> its senseless to remember all eponym syndromes.3. CONCEPTS should be sharp and very clear.4. ‘NO compromise’ policy in achieving your dream, no alternatives!!!5. Consistency --> carry on with the preparation till the next moment for next exam, when you get the news that you are not selected in a exam...KILLING psychology --> fight with your self!!!YOU WILL WIN FOR SURE!!!Important topics for NIMHANS Entrance:1. All oncology tables of Harrison2. Vector and name of disease from PSM3. One ECG (this is must)4. One EEG5. One fundus6. One Neuropatho image7. Only two chapters from obs: hormones of pregnancy and normal pregnancy8. Classification of viruses9. HIV, TB, Malaria10. FM: post-mortum lividity colors + rigor mortise + methods of torture + IPC + one poisoning from Pb, Hg, As11. Pharma : I consider this whole subject as important12. Paedia: Miilestones + antropometry13. Infectious diseases14. Anatomy: Embryo derivative + Dermatome + nerve- muscle15. NEURO: description will be given --> identify the site of lesion16. Light reflexes17. Last 30 pages of Harrison’s Psychiatry18. Investigation of choice for different conditions in radioQ 5) Sir, did you studied the textbook Harrison or the E-book version?Ans: Some concepts about Harrison textbook:1. It is nearly impossible to read Harrison textbook after internship unless you have planned 2.5-3 years PG preparation.2. Single reading of Harrison is of no help3. It’s a MUST book for under graduates. UG should be able to do this book efficiently and other books for other subjects just at a glance (a quick look).4. The most important book for Indian PG entrance is Harrison, irrespective of nature of any exam, type of exam, you will get at least 60% questions solved from this single book.You have to extract little 15% more questions from other material to be a topper.Now, I would like to share how I dealt with Harrison:1. Due to lack of guidance, I couldn't do it in UG days.2. My consistent failure to achieve rank in various entrances forced me to look at the factor of Harrison.3. I started reading but realized its humanly impossible to complete and revise the whole book unless I have a 'long time for preparation' window.4. LUCKILY, from one of my friends, I came to know about the book of Dr Ajay Mathur, which forms mcqs based on Harrison. I saw that book, kept a target of completing this book, but could complete only Neurology section from it.5. I have a printer with me, so I took snap shot of all Neuro tables of Harrison and prepared them, not surprisingly, many questions of the exam were covered from this exercise.I also have a soft copy of Harrison textbook. For all controversial questions and topics, I used to look in that book, For eg: controversial topics-A. MC site of berry aneurysm (in Harrison its not ACOM, according to Harrison, answer is terminal part of ICA)B. Nerve fibre susceptibility order to local anestheticsC. Ix of choice in various conditionD. Drug of choice in various conditions.Q 6) Can you please tell me how to get Kaplan’s lecture notes on the subjects mentioned by you? Can I purchase them through online? Please let me know the web name.Ans:1. for Kaplan material:--> visit www dot kaptest dot com ---> in which you have to click USMLE --> then you have to purchase videos from theredirect Link2. for Dr Sattar's video and book:you have to visit http://www.pathoma.com/Q 7) Sir, i have the E book version of Harrison. Will that be enough? Also what is your opinion about mcq books for NIMHANS like Pramod and Omkarnath?Ans: First of all, I want to say that whole Harrison is not required and you should be able to solve mcqs from it, which can be done from Dr Ajay Mathur's book.Pramod KS is not a mcq book rather its a short version of 17th edition of Harrison.Omkarnath, I personally don't prefer as in NIMHANS entrance, no significant weightage is given to previous years questions.Q 8) Sir, I was planning to buy Mudit Khanna for Medicine mcqs . Is that good or should I buy Harrison mcqs by Ajay Mathur?Ans: Well, I have not done Mudit Khanna, I have seen it though. It also contains explanations where as Ajay Mathur contains mcq and its 2-3 lines supportive text from Harrison, Ajay Mathur doesn't contain elaborated explanations, but I still prefer Ajay Mathur, because:1. What I feel is that if you have done Physio, Biochem, Patho, Micro, Pharma in detail, then you don't need any explanation for any Medicine questions.2. Before cracking the exam, I often used to listen topper's interviews, their views on study material and consistently I figured out two things were common in almost all toppers’s success story:a. Revisionb. Any type of touch of Harrison is vital (partial Harrison/ just tables from Harrison/ important topics from Harrison/ mcqs based on Harrison etc)so I personally believe, AM > MKQ 9) Sir, please comment on your revision and how did u revise? Did u make any self notes? or did u mark while reading? What is the effective way of revising sir?Ans: Indeed revision is THE MOST IMPORTANT factor to crack or top any exam even more important than materials, teachers, timings, difficulty level etc.1. Don't repeat the mistakes which I made during my prep. I usually used to have slow revision like doing it first time --> beware its frequency of revision that matters than intensity. Revise as many as TIMES you can instead of detailed revision --> I learned this after failing in my previous attempts.2. Ya! I used to mark with highlighter while studying. For me REVISION = MISTAKE DETECTION, so how to do this practically ??A. FIRST READING->Just understand the question first, try to answer then. If answer goes wrong just understand what is the correct answer and the reason behind it. Remember, No memorization. and No stress on first reading.B. 1st REVISION-->Write your mistakes just near to the questions or explanations in your native language, for eg: I had a knee jerk answer for the question “anterior choroidal artery is the branch of”? without thinking anything, I used to mark middle cerebral artery, BUT the correct answer is ICA, so on second revision, just near to question in book, I used to write in my local language Gujarati that means " you are the most stupid person on this earth who makes consistently same mistake, this mistake is never acceptable ".C. 2nd REVISION (focus on questions where you made mistakes)The statements for mistakes which I wrote near question in my first revision made me very vigilant about those questions this time--> and on most instances, I usually started marking correct answers. If by chance, I went wrong again, then I used to write "you will fail in NIMHANS"D. 3rd REVISIONAfter knowing most of my mistakes and its relevant corrections --> chances of cracking exam were very high.All thanks to the original contributor for such an in-depth analysis and sharing his experiences in detailOriginal Author: Dr. Dhaval GohilSource: Dr. Dhaval Gohil’s thread on RXPG website