Emma Holliday High Yield Lectures Guide (PDF’s, Videos & Anki!) – 2022 Update

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This is the ultimate (and original) guide to Emma Holliday’s High Yield Lectures.

In this article you’ll find:

  1. Links to Emma Holliday’s High Yield Lectures
  2. Links to PDF slides for each lecture
  3. Relevant corrections and errata for each
  4. Useful additional resources (flashcard decks etc.) – Anki, Quizlet, Memorang, etc.

Emma Holliday’s high-yield lectures have been a study staple of U.S. medical students in the know for several years. Despite that, she’s pretty unknown to many students outside the country. But just as invaluable a resource!

I hope this guide can serve many med students like myself, studying hard for clinical medicine subjects.

Ready to get started? Let’s go!

Contents show

Emma Holliday High Yield Lectures Guide

What Are Emma Holliday High Yield Lectures?

Emma Holliday’s High Yield Lectures are a 4-subject lecture series given by Emma Holliday M.D.

They were given in the early 2010s.

They cover “high-yield” (essential) points for shelf exams in:

  1. Pediatrics
  2. Internal Medicine
  3. Surgery
  4. Psychiatry

They were first given as lectures when Dr. Holliday was an MS4 (fourth-year med student) at UT Health San Antonio. It was part of her project on her “Medical Education” elective, designed to fill the resource gap.

Many U.S.-based med students recommend these lectures as a key resource for 3rd and 4th-year students (or anyone in their clinical years of study).

They’re suitable for international students, osteopathic students (COMAT/COMLEX), etc. taking these subjects too.

The total running time of all lecture videos is just over 8 hours. PDF slides are available for each. I recommend running them at 1.25X or 1.5X speed and doing multiple passes (possibly before, during, and at the end of each rotation).

Please see the “Related Questions” section first to see if this could be a useful resource for you.

Who is Emma Holliday?

Emma Holliday is a radiology oncologist from San Antonio Texas, US. In 2012 she started her radiation oncology residency at MD Anderson in Houston, TX. Random fact: she is a vegetarian!

Here’s Emma talking a little more about her specialty…

Emma deserves all the credit and acclaim for this amazing resource. It still continues to help med students everywhere almost a decade after they were originally put together.

If you’re interested, here’s Emma talking about the genesis of this lecture series. She also shares a lot of great tips on surviving clerkships (and beyond). Well worth a listen!

The lectures are the result of Emma combing through her note archives and distilling the major (high-yield) points into PowerPoint presentations. Initially, she wasn’t keen on being recorded!

Emma Holliday High Yield Pediatrics Guide

What Are Emma Holliday High Yield Pediatrics Lectures?

Emma Holliday’s pediatrics lecture is a two-hour run-through of all the major high-yield concepts likely to be tested on shelf exams (Step2CK) or med school rotations/placement tests.

Emma Holliday High Yield Pediatrics Topics

The lecture covers:

  • APGAR scoring/newborn
  • Genetic diseases and syndromes
  • Infectious disease
  • Neonatal screening
  • Neonatal jaundice
  • Respiratory, genitourinary, and gastrointestinal disorders
  • Neo and postnatal growth and development
  • Heart, respiratory, endocrine, and renal diseases
  • Heme-oncology
  • Bone and joint issues
  • Neurology

Emma Holliday High Yield Pediatrics PDF/Powerpoint

PDF Download (78 pages)

Emma Holliday High Yield Pediatrics Lecture (Plus PPT Version)

Corrections/Errata

These contributions are made by YouTube viewers. All credit goes to them. Check the responses to each for further clarification.

  • Update: For Croup (Respiratory Distress slide), the 1st line treatment is steroids. Racemic epi is only used if there is stridor at rest. Source: UWORLD 2019 – purpledrag67
  • Before 20 years old, most common pathogen causing pneumonia in CF is actually S. Aureus. After 20, Pseudomonas is most common. Source: UWorld 2019 & First Aid for Step 2 CK 2019 – Danny Bibawy
  • 1:03:45 The systolic ejection murmur of TOF is not due to the VSD, it is due to pulmonic stenosis. The VSD is usually too large (and thus has a small pressure gradient across it) to result in a murmur – Brenna B
  • 1:08:44 she says murmur of HOCM is quieter with squatting, but its actually louder bc decreased preload–> decreased LV volume–>hypertrophic septum obstructs outflow tract even more. – Lawren W
  • UPDATE: E. Coli 0157:H7 HUS treatment is supportive only! NOT dialysis- Source: UWorld – Alexander Paul
  • 1-In pyloric stenosis you correct electrolytes before OR. 2-In intussusception dx by US first and dx+tx by air enema (superior to barium) – Elie Bterrani
  • If Factor 7 is depleted first, PT is elevated first, not aPTT. 1:55:50 – Sabrina Beacom
  • For bronchiolitis, albuterol does not help, neither does hypertonic saline or steroids. Best practice is supportive care only – Phantasiquely
  • Errata on slide: peripheral causes of precocious puberty will have advanced bone age, not “same bone age” – MrDude403
  • Just an errata at 1:31:00 , even if the kid is vaccinated – MC cause of epiglottitis is still Hib – Alimir1994
  • With necrotizing enterocolitis, you see pneumatosis intestinalis (air in the intestinal wall), not pneumocystis. Pneumocysitis jirovecii is an opportunistic pathogen we worry about in immunocompromised patients – Armandogallegos1992
  • 1:46:20 The most common bug causing osteomyelitis in sickle cell kids is not salmonella its still Staph aureus. Source: Uworld 2020 – Joel R-K
  • Update: the “squeezing” during a c-section for TTN has been debunked. It’s now believed to be due to lack of cortisol during labor allowing the channels to flip in the lungs – per university MFM Doc. – Reagan Stafford
  • I believe for meningitis if there are no alarm symptoms, you’d want to do blood cx -> LP -> IV abx – Education Account
  • 1:30:25 Croup: No stridor at rest – corticosteroids and humidified air. Stridor at rest – corticosteroids, humidified air, and racemic epinephrine. – Adductor Magnus
  • Alcohol is not considered a contraindication to breastfeeding. (first slide Growth & Nutrition) Source: UWorld (“Maternal blood alcohol level (eg, legal limit of 0.08) closely matches the level of alcohol in breastmilk, which translates to a generally low percentage (eg, 0.08%) of alcohol ingested by the breastfeeding newborn.  Therefore, casual, moderate alcohol use is considered safe and not a contraindication to breastfeeding”) – Phoebe Huang

Additional Extras

Emma Holliday High Yield Pediatrics Lecture Flashcard Decks

Emma Holliday High Yield Internal Medicine Guide

What Are Emma Holliday High Yield Internal Medicine Lectures?

Emma Holliday’s internal medicine lecture is a two-hour lecture covering the major high-yield concepts likely to come up on shelf exams (Step2CK) or med school rotations/placement tests.

Emma Holliday High Yield Internal Medicine Topics

The lecture covers:

  • Cardiology
  • Pulmonology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Infectious Disease
  • Nephrology
  • Hematology/Oncology
  • Rheumatology/Dermatology
  • Endocrinology
  • Neurology
  • Gastrointestinal, Oncology, and Hematologic Extras

Emma Holliday High Yield Internal Medicine PDF/Powerpoint

PDF Download (100 pages)

Emma Holliday High Yield Internal Medicine Lecture (Plus PPT Version)

Timestamps

1:25 Cardio
37:23 Pulm
1:01:55 GI
1:07:56 ID
1:28:50 Renal
1:48:50 Heme & Oncology

Corrections/Errata

These contributions are made by YouTube viewers. All credit goes to them. Check the responses to each for further clarification.

  • Around 40:30 she says RA is transudative but according to UW Q16239 its exudative with low glucose high LDH – Preetkorani
  • We treat every HIV+ patient with ART when they are diagnosed, no longer waiting for certain viral load or CD4 count threshold – Yentli Soto Albrecht
  • 1:03:42 should be pneumatosis intestinalis – Justin go
  • 1:45:14 polyarteritis nodosa is not ANCA positive but the rest of the info is correct (spares the lungs, hep B). the P ANCA positive ones are microscopic polyangiitis and churg-strauss – Silvio Martinez
  • 1:02:16 should be vitamin b12 deficiency bec of terminal ileum involvement. Fe mostly absorbed in duodenum – Justin go
  • 52:02 Intermittent vs Persistent (mild, moderate and severe) and then lastly, refractory – Omar Iqbal
  • The v tach @20:00 ish, should be wide QRS – Armin Avdic
  • 1:04:20 Pyoderma gangrenosum is associated with both Crohn’s and UC – Neem Baker
  • 1:24.00 we do not use india ink stain for crypto anymore, we use PCR – Phil D

Additional Extras:

Emma Holliday High-Yield Internal Medicine Lecture Flashcard Decks

Emma Holliday High Yield Surgery Guide

What Are Emma Holliday High Yield Surgery Lectures?

Emma Holliday’s surgery lecture is a two-hour speed-through of core surgery topics. It covers all the major high-yield concepts likely to come up on shelf exams (Step2CK) or med school rotations/placement exams.

Emma Holliday High Yield Surgery Topics

The lecture covers:

  • Pre-operative evaluations
  • Acid-base disorders
  • Burns
  • Trauma
  • Thoracic, gastrointestinal, and endocrine disorders
  • Murmurs
  • Oncology
  • Orthopedics
  • Anesthesia

Emma Holliday High Yield Surgery Lecture PDF/Powerpoint

PDF Download (77 pages)

Emma Holliday High Yield Surgery Lecture (Plus PPT Version)

Timestamps

02:20 Pre-Op Evaluation
12:35 ICU Vent settings
14:46 Patient on vent
18:30 Acid-Base disorders
23:10 Sodium disorders

Corrections/Errata

These contributions are made by YouTube viewers. All credit goes to them. Check the responses to each for further clarification.

  • 21:08 Ethanol does not give an anion gap metabolic acidosis (only would later on due to lactic acidosis but ethanol ingestion on its own will not on exam questions). Ethylene glycol and Methanol do.
  • 56:00 zones 1 and 3 workups are backward. Now zones aren’t as important and all can get CT angio anyway.
  • 1:11:30 on the PowerPoint notes – stage 1 ulcers are NON-blanching – Mara Peterson

Additional Extras:

Emma Holliday High-Yield Surgery Lecture Flashcard Decks

Emma Holliday High Yield Psychiatry Guide

What Are Emma Holliday High Yield Psychiatry Lectures?

Emma Holliday’s psychiatry lecture is a two-hour shelf exam review lecture of the major psychiatry topics for Step2CK and board exams.

Emma Holliday High Yield Psychiatry Topics

The lecture covers:

  • Depressive disorders
  • Psychosis and schizophrenia
  • Eating disorders
  • Phobias and personality disorders
  • Sleep disorders
  • Dementia and memory loss
  • Seizures
  • Addiction problems
  • Intellectual disability
  • Anxiety and attachment disorders

Emma Holliday High Yield Psychiatry PDF/Powerpoint

PDF Download (43 pages)

Emma Holliday High Yield Psychiatry Lecture (Plus PPT Version)

Corrections/Errata

These contributions are made by YouTube viewers. All credit goes to them. Check the responses to each for further clarification.

Corrections for 2020 – Bobsagget823

  • 1. (16:50) Tardive dyskinesia treatment: discontinue/reduce dose, switch drugs. FDA approved valbenzazine, deutetrabenazine (VMAT2 inhibitors) in 2017-2018.
  • 2. (25:00) Fluoxetine has the longest half life as others have mentioned. Note the MAOI washout period with fluoxetine is 5 weeks instead of 2 with other SSRIs.
  • 3. (29:30) MDD w/ atypical features: MAOIs are not first line. First line remains CBT +/- SSRI
  • 4. (37:35) Bipolar treatment in pregnancy: antipsychotics are safe for acute bipolar mania, depression, and for maintenance. Lamotrigine is safe for acute bipolar depression and maintenance (not first line for mania).
  • 5. (40:48) “Panic disorder with agoraphobia” is a DSM-IV diagnosis. It has been replaced with Panic disorder and agoraphobia as separate diagnoses. The vignette described in the video would now meet criteria for panic disorder and agoraphobia, and you would diagnose both. (DSM-V p218)
  • 6. (46:03) SSRIs/CBT are first line for OCD. Clomipramine is not first line, and it is not gold standard either. Clomipramine and SSRIs have equivalent efficacy but clomipramine has worse side effects by virtue of being a TCA. You should not pick Clomipramine over an SSRI without a good reason (perhaps neuropathic pain). (uw2506, PMC2877605)
  • 7. (1:01:00) In anorexia thyroid hormones are decreased (TSH is normal). This is similar to sick euthyroid syndrome. Treating the anorexia will normalize thyroid hormone levels.
  • 8. (1:23:30) Mimentine is used for severe alzheimer’s MMSE <18
  • 9. (1:49:15) Childhood disintegrative disorder is absorbed into autism spectrum (DSM-V)
  • 10. (1:49:40) Asperger syndrome is absorbed into autism spectrum (DSM-V)
  • 11. (1:54:45) Tourettes has new criteria in DSM-V, requires motor tic + vocal tic, not necessarily concurrently, with variable frequency, but persisting for 1+ year. Onset before age 18.
  • Update @17:00 for Tardive Dyskinesia we can tx with Valbenazine or Deutetrabenazine – Anthony Aldrich, II
  • FYI: Guaifenesin is an expectorant, Guanfacine is an alpha 2 agonist which can be used to treat ADHD (this is the one she meant to say – Alexandra Marcovicci
  • OCD and OCPD both impair social function. The difference is insight i.e., OCD patients know that they have a problem, OCPD do not see that they have a problem – armandogallegos2
  • 38:07 may be outdated. Pregnant bipolar patients: for maintenance give Lamotrigine and for acute manic/hypomanic episode, give Haloperidol – anonymous user
  • 25:06, she states that fluoxetine has the shortest half life and therefore we don’t have to taper it. I think its the opposite. I think we don’t have to taper fluoxetine because it has a LONG half life – Dahlia Pasic
  • Possible treatments for Tardive dyskinesia i have seen outside of lowering/stopping antipsychotic/switching to Clonidine are the VMAT-2 blockers (Valbenazine, dutetrabenazine, etc) and I have also heard of lorazepam as well…probably not as “high yield” as lowering med – David Kerling

Additional Extras:

Emma Holliday High-Yield Psychiatry Lecture Flashcard Decks

Related Questions

Who Should Use Emma Holliday’s High Yield Lectures?

The lectures are great for both audio and visual learners looking for an overview on each subject.

Although they are intended for medicine (MBBS) students taking shelf exams for their clinical rotations, people studying other healthcare subjects could find them useful.

Emma’s delivery is easy to understand, clear, and very professional.

Tips For Using Emma Holliday’s High Yield Lectures

  • Review them ahead of your clinical rotations for extra preparation
  • Skim over the PDF’s or PowerPoint slides first to identify core points you’re unsure of or want to cover
  • Use these lectures as a “last pass” review of important points and check for knowledge gaps
  • Watch the lecture videos at 1.5 or 2X speed to save time
  • Print, annotate, or take digital notes with the PDF slides as you watch the lectures
  • Test the information covered with the additional resources; flashcard decks and question banks
  • Keep a reputable reference resource at hand to double-check and verify information (some things could be out of date)
  • Check YouTube comments for possible ongoing corrections/errata (I’ve tried to include all the recent ones!)

What Do Other Students Say About Emma Holliday Lectures?

“Just took the peds shelf and answered 5-6 questions from this video’s content”, says one YouTube comment.

Other Reddit users here claim the lectures are a bit out of date and contradicted by UWorld.

The same thread also says they’re “definitely worth it to get those little details.”

Praise for Emma Holliday High Yield Lectures

  1. An amazingly thoughtful free resource for board/shelf review
  2. Well-delivered lectures that cover most high-yield facts

Criticism Of Emma Holliday’s High Yield Lectures

  1. Some facts are outdated or no longer relevant (check the errata section in this article for more)
  2. Some students say they are not “enough” to score well on shelf exams

How Can I Say Thanks To Emma Holliday For Her Excellent Resource?

Emma is undoubtedly busy running her practice and working as a doctor.

The best place to reach out and say thanks is probably via Twitter.

Alternatives To Emma Holliday Lectures

Emma Holliday High Yield Lectures: Final Thoughts

Emma Holliday’s lectures are an amazing resource to use ahead of your clinical rotations and exams.

Even though they’re intended for U.S.-based medics planning for the USMLE Step2CK, I’m sure most med students can get good value from them.

Good luck studying!

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