Harrison's Topics Worth Reading for NEET PG

🫀 Cardiology

• Heart failure - pathophysiology, Framingham criteria, management (RAAS, BNP)
• Infective endocarditis - Duke's criteria, organisms, treatment
• Rheumatic fever - Jones criteria, pathogenesis
• Cardiomyopathies - dilated, hypertrophic (HOCM), restrictive - distinguishing features
• Pericardial diseases - pericarditis, tamponade, constrictive pericarditis (Kussmaul's sign, pulsus paradoxus)
• Cor pulmonale

🫁 Pulmonology

• COPD vs Asthma - mechanisms, spirometry patterns, management
• Interstitial lung diseases - types, HRCT patterns
• Pulmonary hypertension - classification (WHO groups), pathophysiology
• Pleural effusion - Light's criteria (exudate vs transudate)
• Lung cancer - paraneoplastic syndromes, staging concepts

🧠 Neurology

• Stroke - lacunar infarcts, watershed infarcts, specific artery syndromes (MCA, ACA, PCA, lateral medullary)
• Movement disorders - Parkinson's disease (substantia nigra, dopamine, Lewy bodies), Huntington's
• Dementia - Alzheimer's (plaques & tangles), frontotemporal, Lewy body dementia
• Meningitis - CSF findings table (viral, bacterial, TB, fungal)
• Motor neuron disease - UMN vs LMN signs, ALS
• Peripheral neuropathy - classification, GBS (Guillain-Barré), pathogenesis
• Myasthenia gravis vs Lambert-Eaton - comparison

🩺 Endocrinology

• Diabetes mellitus - pathogenesis Type 1 vs 2, complications, HbA1c
• Thyroid disorders - hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, thyroid storm
• Cushing's syndrome - ACTH-dependent vs independent, dexamethasone suppression tests
• Adrenal insufficiency - primary (Addison's) vs secondary
• SIADH vs DI - differentiating features, management
• Pheochromocytoma - 10% rule, management
• MEN syndromes - MEN 1, 2A, 2B

🩸 Hematology

• Anemias - approach, iron deficiency, megaloblastic, hemolytic anemias
• Sickle cell disease - pathophysiology, crisis types, complications
• Leukemias/Lymphomas - WHO classification overview, key markers
• Coagulation disorders - hemophilia, vWD, DIC - lab findings
• Thrombocytopenia - ITP, TTP/HUS - differentiating

🏥 Rheumatology

• SLE - ACR criteria, pathogenesis, antibodies (anti-dsDNA, anti-Smith)
• Rheumatoid arthritis - pathogenesis, extra-articular features, anti-CCP
• Spondyloarthropathies - AS, reactive arthritis (Reiter's), HLA associations
• Vasculitis - classification (large/medium/small), Giant cell arteritis, Wegener's (GPA)
• Antiphospholipid syndrome

🧫 Infectious Disease

• Tuberculosis - pathogenesis, primary vs secondary TB, DOTS regimens
• HIV/AIDS - opportunistic infections by CD4 count
• Malaria - Plasmodium species differences, severe malaria criteria
• Typhoid - Widal test, complications, treatment
• Infective diarrheas - organism-specific features (watery vs bloody, toxin-mediated)

🫘 Nephrology

• Glomerulonephritides - nephrotic vs nephritic syndrome, key GN types with IF and EM findings
• AKI vs CKD - differentiation, RIFLE/KDIGO criteria for AKI
• Renal tubular acidosis - Types 1, 2, 4 with urine anion gap
• Acid-base disorders - step-by-step approach (this chapter is gold)

🍽️ Gastroenterology

• Cirrhosis - complications (varices, SBP, HRS, HE), Child-Pugh/MELD scoring
• Viral hepatitis - serological markers, especially HBV markers (HBsAg, anti-HBc, HBeAg timeline)
• IBD - Crohn's vs UC comparison (pathology, complications, extraintestinal)
• Malabsorption - celiac disease, tropical sprue, Whipple's disease
• Pancreatitis - Ranson's criteria, complications

💊 Pharmacology Concepts (via Harrison's)

• Mechanism-based understanding of drug classes (beta-blockers in HF, ACE inhibitors)
• Drug-induced diseases (drug-induced lupus, hepatitis, neuropathy)

📌 General Strategy

Pro Tips

1. Don't read chapters linearly - Use the index to look up specific high-yield topics when a question confuses you.
2. Tables and figures are gold - Harrison's has excellent comparison tables (e.g., CSF findings, types of cardiomyopathy) that are directly high-yield for MCQs.
3. Combine with standard review books - Use Harrison's to deepen understanding of topics you've already covered in Mudit Khanna, Arvind Arora, or similar NEET PG books.
4. Focus on Medicine-heavy topics - Since NEET PG has a large internal medicine component, Harrison's directly supports those marks.
5. Read introductory chapters - The approach chapters (approach to anemia, approach to dyspnea) are extremely MCQ-friendly.

Park's PSM - High-Yield Topics for NEET PG

📊 Concepts of Health & Disease (Chapter 1-2)

• Definition of health - WHO definition, dimensions of health
• Spectrum of disease, iceberg phenomenon
• Levels of prevention - Primordial, Primary, Secondary, Tertiary (with examples)
• Natural history of disease - Leavell & Clark model
• Modes of transmission - direct vs indirect, vehicle-borne, vector-borne
• Herd immunity - definition, threshold for common diseases
• Epidemic investigation steps (Shoe leather epidemiology)

🔬 Epidemiology (Most Important Section)

Study Designs

• Cohort vs Case-Control vs Cross-sectional vs RCT - key differences
• Odds Ratio (case-control) vs Relative Risk (cohort) - formulas and interpretation
• Attributable risk, Population Attributable Risk
• NNT (Number Needed to Treat)

Bias & Errors

• Types of bias - selection bias, information bias, confounding
• Berkson's bias, Neyman bias, Hawthorne effect
• Type I (alpha) and Type II (beta) errors
• P-value, confidence intervals

Screening

• Validity - Sensitivity, Specificity, PPV, NPV - formulas and 2x2 table
• Reliability - reproducibility
• Wilson & Jungner criteria for screening programs
• ROC curve - interpretation
• Sensitivity vs Specificity tradeoff

Causation

• Koch's postulates, Bradford Hill criteria (9 criteria - must memorize)
• Web of causation (MacMahon)

📈 Biostatistics (Guaranteed MCQs Every Year)

• Measures of central tendency - mean, median, mode; which to use when
• Normal distribution - 1SD=68%, 2SD=95%, 3SD=99.7%
• Standard error vs Standard deviation
• Tests of significance - t-test, chi-square test, ANOVA, Fisher's exact test - when to apply each
• Correlation and regression - Pearson vs Spearman
• Sampling methods - simple random, stratified, systematic, cluster, multistage
• Sample size determination - factors affecting it
• Survival analysis - Kaplan-Meier curve, log-rank test
• Meta-analysis - forest plot, funnel plot, heterogeneity (I²)

🌍 Communicable Diseases

Respiratory

• Tuberculosis - Revised National TB Programme (NTEP), DOTS, drug regimens (Category I, II), Nikshay Poshan Yojana, Contact tracing
• Leprosy - WHO classification (PB vs MB), MDT regimens, RFT, NLEP
• COVID-19 - pandemic response framework (still relevant)
• Influenza - pandemic preparedness, surveillance

Vector-Borne

• Malaria - National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), API, SPR, SFR, ABER; life cycle of Anopheles
• Dengue - serotypes, Aedes aegypti, larval indices (HI, BI, CI)
• Filariasis - Culex mosquito, DEC (diethylcarbamazine), MDA
• Kala-azar - Phlebotomus, elimination target (<1/10,000), miltefosine
• Plague - Xenopsylla cheopis, rat flea
• Japanese Encephalitis - Culex tritaeniorhynchus
• Chikungunya, Zika - key differentiating features

Enteric/Water-Borne

• Typhoid - Vi antigen, Widal test interpretation, vaccination (Vi polysaccharide)
• Cholera - El Tor biotype, ORS composition, ring vaccination
• Polio - OPV vs IPV, pulse polio programme, VAPP, AFP surveillance
• Hepatitis A & E - feco-oral, epidemic hepatitis; Hepatitis B & C - blood-borne

Zoonoses

• Rabies - post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) schedule, Semple vs cell culture vaccines, intradermal regimen
• Brucellosis, Leptospirosis - epidemiology

STIs/HIV

• HIV/AIDS - NACP phases, ART guidelines, PPTCT programme, opportunistic infections
• STI syndromic management - urethral discharge, vaginal discharge, genital ulcer algorithms

👶 Maternal & Child Health

Reproductive & Child Health (RCH Programme)

• Antenatal care - visits, investigations, IFA supplementation (100 tablets)
• Safe motherhood - 3 delays model
• MMR, IMR, NMR, U5MR - definitions, India's current figures
• APGAR score - components, scoring
• Birth weight - low birth weight definition (<2.5 kg), VLBW, ELBW
• Breastfeeding - colostrum, exclusive breastfeeding (6 months), advantages
• Weaning - timing, complementary feeding

Immunization (Very High Yield)

• National Immunization Schedule - complete schedule with ages and doses
• Cold chain - ILR, deep freezer, vaccine vial monitor (VVM), shake test, cold box
• Types of vaccines - live attenuated vs killed; contraindications
• Vaccines and storage temperatures - which need -20°C vs +2 to +8°C
• Herd immunity thresholds - measles (92-95%), polio (80-85%)
• AEFI - classification, reporting
• Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) - coverage targets, Mission Indradhanush

IMNCI / Child Survival

• IMNCI classifications - danger signs, color-coded protocol
• ORS - WHO-ORS composition (Na 75, K 20, Cl 65, citrate 10, glucose 75)
• Growth monitoring - Road to Health chart, Z-scores

🥗 Nutrition

• PEM - Marasmus vs Kwashiorkor vs Marasmic-Kwashiorkor (clinical features, edema, hair changes)
• Vitamin deficiencies - A (Bitot's spots, night blindness), D (rickets), C (scurvy), B1 (beriberi), B3 (pellagra - 3 Ds), B12/folate (megaloblastic)
• ICDS - components, beneficiaries, supplementary nutrition
• Mid-Day Meal scheme - calorie and protein content
• RDA values - calories, protein for different age groups (adult male/female, pregnant, lactating)
• Vitamin A supplementation programme - doses, age groups
• National Nutrition Mission (POSHAN Abhiyan)
• Food adulteration - PFA Act, FSSAI
• Fluorosis - optimal fluoride level (0.5-0.8 mg/L)

💧 Environment & Occupational Health

Water

• Water requirements - minimum 5L/day (survival), 40L/day (community)
• Purification methods - sedimentation, coagulation (alum dose: 30 ppm), filtration, chlorination
• Residual chlorine - 0.5 mg/L after 1 hour contact
• Chlorine demand, break-point chlorination
• Hardness of water - temporary vs permanent
• Waterborne diseases - Minamata (mercury), Itai-itai (cadmium), fluorosis, arsenicosis

Air & Noise

• Air pollution - NAAQS standards, PM2.5 vs PM10
• Noise pollution - permissible levels (day: 55 dB residential), NIHL
• Sick building syndrome

Occupational Health

• Pneumoconioses - Silicosis (quartz), Asbestosis (mesothelioma), Coal worker's (Caplan syndrome), Byssinosis (cotton), Bagassosis (sugarcane)
• Occupational diseases by industry - Hatter's shakes (mercury), Mad hatter, Painter's colic (lead)
• Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) - 4000 Hz first affected
• Radiation - ionizing vs non-ionizing, permissible doses (5 rem/year whole body)
• Ergonomics - musculoskeletal disorders

Housing & Sanitation

• Cubic space - 14.2 m³ per person (Indian standard)
• Latrine types - PRSM, Septic tank, Aqua privy, SULABH; sanitation coverage

🏥 Health Planning & Management

National Health Programmes (Very High Yield)

• NTEP (Revised TB Programme) - treatment regimens, DRTB, Bedaquiline
• NLEP (Leprosy) - elimination status, targets
• NPCB (Blindness) - causes of blindness in India, VISION 2020
• NPCDCS - non-communicable diseases programme
• NVBDCP - vector-borne diseases
• NACP - HIV/AIDS
• RCH Programme - maternal and child health
• NFHS data - key indicators (MMR, IMR, TFR) - latest NFHS-5 figures

Health System

• Bhore Committee (1946) - recommendations (3-tier system, social orientation of medicine)
• Mudaliar Committee (1959) - strengthening PHCs
• Shrivastava Committee (1975) - community health workers
• HLEG (2011) - Universal Health Coverage
• PHC structure - population norms, staff, functions
  • Sub-centre: 5000 (plain), 3000 (hilly/tribal)
  • PHC: 30,000 (plain), 20,000 (hilly)
  • CHC: 1,20,000 population, 30 beds, 4 specialists
• ASHA - role, incentives, JSY linkage
• Anganwadi worker - ICDS, beneficiaries

Health Indicators

• Crude Birth Rate, Crude Death Rate, TFR, GFR
• IMR - definition (deaths <1 year per 1000 live births)
• Perinatal mortality rate - includes stillbirths + early neonatal deaths
• Life expectancy - India current figures
• Human Development Index (HDI) - components

🚬 Non-Communicable Diseases

• Cardiovascular disease - Framingham risk score, PROCAM
• Cancer epidemiology - leading cancers in India (cervix, breast, oral), cervical cancer screening (VIA, VILI, Pap smear)
• Tobacco - COTPA, MPOWER strategy (WHO), Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS)
• Diabetes - WHO diagnostic criteria (FPG ≥126 mg/dL)
• Hypertension - JNC classification, population-level interventions
• Mental health - NMHP, suicide epidemiology

🌐 International Health

• WHO - structure, World Health Assembly, Executive Board
• UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank - roles
• Global burden of disease - DALYs = YLL + YLD; QALY
• Alma Ata Declaration (1978) - PHC, 8 elements (WATCH ME + 2)
• Ottawa Charter (1986) - health promotion
• Millennium Development Goals vs Sustainable Development Goals - key differences, SDG 3 (health goal)
• IHR (International Health Regulations) - PHEIC, notifiable diseases

🏗️ Demography

• Demographic cycle / transition - 5 stages
• Census - India census 2011 data (population, sex ratio, literacy)
• Population pyramid - types (expansive, constrictive, stationary)
• Family planning - contraceptive methods, Pearl Index, failure rates
  • OCP mechanism, contraindications (COCP vs POP)
  • IUCD - types, Cu-T timing, failure rates
  • Sterilization - tubectomy (modified Pomeroy, Fimbriectomy), vasectomy (NSV)
• Couple Protection Rate (CPR) - India target vs achieved

📌 Topic Priority Matrix

💡 Smart Study Tips for Park's

1. Memorize numbers - NEET PG PSM loves asking about exact values (fluoride levels, chlorine doses, IMR, MMR, population norms for PHC/CHC).
2. Latest edition matters - Park's 27th edition has updated national programme data. Always check for revised figures.
3. NFHS-5 data - Current India health statistics are directly asked. Keep a separate note.
4. Tables in Park's - The comparison tables (e.g., Marasmus vs Kwashiorkor, OPV vs IPV, cohort vs case-control) are extremely MCQ-friendly.
5. Supplement with Vivek Jain - For rapid MCQ revision, Vivek Jain's PSM book complements Park's well.
6. Draw 2x2 tables - Practice sensitivity/specificity calculations until you can do them in your sleep.
7. Government programme updates - NEET PG frequently updates questions based on recent Ministry of Health announcements - check current NTEP, NACP guidelines.