Why aren't we reading Harrison's?

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Harrison's covers every subject. Biochem, genetics, physiology, even biostatistics and epidemiology...even ethics, it's all there. Integrated and correlated from the molecular level to the patient on the bed. So why are we learning from multiple other, disjointed, non-integrated resources? The quality of some of them just plain sucks, or at best is debatable ("Netter vs. Grants"...etc). In other cases it's either over our heads (most biochem/genetics texts, and most intra-school course notes) or over-simplified (Lange's Pathophys, Dubin's EKG, etc...) And we're never able to review it in a single unified resource (First Aid makes its own sh*tty diagrams)

Example:

First Aid coronary anatomy:


Harrison's coronary anatomy:


Obviously first aid isn't where you first learn anatomy...but neither was Harrison's. But we're grownups, we took bio and even anatomy in undergrad...why are we learning the same BS again, still presented completely separate from its clinical relevance? We still have PhD professors writing course notes-- and exam questions(!)-- and giving lectures on things about which they have no real clinical understanding. At all. But we memorize (and forget) their crappy notes anyway. Why does it have to be like this? We're going to be doctors.

Discuss.

Well, first aid has mnemonics for one thing. Basically the format of the other books is more conducive to learning for the purpose of test-taking. I'm sure for just trying to look up background info that Harrison's is superior. But that is not really our goal most of the time in med school.

No one has ever brought this up before

I'm glad to see a new and exciting topic in here

We still have PhD professors writing course notes-- and exam
questions(!)-- and giving lectures on things about which they have no real
clinical understanding.

Oh, please. You act like medical students are privy to some secret knowledge that other people can't grasp. Medical school isn't hard, you don't have to be very smart to learn this stuff, even though I'm sure that bruises your ego. The PhD's probably understand most of the clinically relevant stuff, obviously they won't know the ins and outs of all the different specialties, but the overall clinical relevance of particular subjects is not hard to understand.

Well all that convinced me to do was to photocopy that page out of Harrison's and paste it into my FA. Lol.

Originally Posted by Frank Nutter

Harrison's covers every subject. Biochem, genetics, physiology, even biostatistics and epidemiology...even ethics, it's all there. Integrated and correlated from the molecular level to the patient on the bed. So why are we learning from multiple other, disjointed, non-integrated resources? The quality of some of them just plain sucks, or at best is debatable ("Netter vs. Grants"...etc). In other cases it's either over our heads (most biochem/genetics texts, and most intra-school course notes) or over-simplified (Lange's Pathophys, Dubin's EKG, etc...) And we're never able to review it in a single unified resource (First Aid makes its own sh*tty diagrams)
...

Obviously first aid isn't where you first learn anatomy...but neither was Harrison's. But we're grownups, we took bio and even anatomy in undergrad...why are we learning the same BS again, still presented completely separate from its clinical relevance? We still have PhD professors writing course notes-- and exam questions(!)-- and giving lectures on things about which they have no real clinical understanding. At all. But we memorize (and forget) their crappy notes anyway. Why does it have to be like this? We're going to be doctors.

Discuss.

There isn't a text book for med school courses. You get a syllabus and lecture notes, and are supposed to fill in the blanks on your own with outside sources, including thing like Harrisons if that's all you have access to. This isn't college where you are assigned a set text and expected to read X chapters a night. First Aid is only to be used AFTER you have learned the material, it's a garbage resource before that. Not sure what your point is. Nobody is stopping you from looking at outside resources. The better students at most schools certainly do. You will consult thing like Harrisons more during your clinical years, though -- it's not all that well written as your initial detour into a given topic, and probably is more value later on. Things like uptodate will be much higher yield.

Originally Posted by CaptainSSO

Oh, please. You act like medical students are privy to some secret knowledge that other people can't grasp. Medical school isn't hard, you don't have to be very smart to learn this stuff, even though I'm sure that bruises your ego. The PhD's probably understand most of the clinically relevant stuff, obviously they won't know the ins and outs of all the different specialties, but the overall clinical relevance of particular subjects is not hard to understand.

Ehh I disagree..its not that the material is difficult, its the disconnect of whats the standard today. On countless occasions I see a PhD list that X disease would be treated or tested with X Y Z. Then we have a physician come in for clinical correlation lectures and contradict that. In also all cases its not that the biochem or micro lecturers are "wrong" its they haven't updated their anecdotal knowledge of clinical information.

Remember, your medical school has your best interests in mind and want you to succeed. Just do as you are told and trust them.

We do read Harrison's. I guess that's a plus for our integrated, problem-based curriculum. We use whatever resources we prefer. I usually cross-check anything clinical presented in a basic science lecture with what's current because sometimes I am also skeptical about what the undergrad physiology professors are teaching...

Eh, quit whining and just use what every single other person here uses.

i just dont have the attention span.

only foreign medical grads do that.

the last time i tried studying off textbooks for exams, i got a C+ (i got A's when i study off notes or other proven, exam-focused, review books)

Harrison's is too much for me. If you need that much detail, go to IM and do a fellowship.

professors and First Aid updates their info regularly.

I never touched anatomy in undergrad D:

Originally Posted by Chakrabs

Eh, quit whining and just use what every single other person here uses.

Rick Astley?

Originally Posted by CatFactorial

Rick Astley?

I think that was a failed rickroll attempt.

You're supposed to link to YouTube, "Never Gonna give you up."

Originally Posted by CatFactorial

Rick Astley?

lol fail'rolled

Originally Posted by Chakrabs

Eh, quit whining and just use what every single other person here uses.

Did I just get Rick Rolled?

Originally Posted by Star Fox

Remember, your medical school has your best interests in mind and want you to succeed. Just do as you are told and trust them.

Haha is this a joke?

Well, it was supposed to be a double-joke: we all use Wikipedia a ton during med school and the page I linked to was supposed to be a Rick-roll. Unfortunately it went over everyone's heads...

Originally Posted by link2swim06

Haha is this a joke?

I think we all know the sad answer to that question.

Originally Posted by Star Fox

Remember, your medical school has your best interests in mind and want you to succeed. Just do as you are told and trust them.

Is this sarcastic?

Originally Posted by Dr Love

Is this sarcastic?

If you had to ask, that means it went over your head

Originally Posted by Star Fox

Remember, your medical school has your best interests in mind and want you to succeed. Just do as you are told and trust them.

“I've never let my school interfere with my education.”

-Mark Twain

Geez, just read whatever you want. I used Harrison's and Robbins' a lot. Others used Step review materials almost exclusively...we all finished.