Most frequently recommended medical school textbooks?

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Hey guys,

I was wondering if anyone could give me some insight into what the most frequently recommended/required medical school textbooks are? Are there some textbooks that "every medical student uses" or that "every medical school requires?" I know that every school is going to be different, but are there some textbooks that tend to keep popping up in curricula?

This is for an undergraduate research project and I'm just looking for some primary sources. Thanks for any help!

Don't use anything but Netters and step 1 prep books. Everything else will be covered in your lecture slides

Originally Posted by cowme

Don't use anything but Netters and step 1 prep books. Everything else will be covered in your lecture slides

Couldn't agree more. I didn't buy a single textbook other than my Step 1 prep books. Many were recommended; none were bought.

I personally disagree with both of the previous posters. It isn't a given that you will have lecturers who include 'everything' in their powerpoints. There will always be things you want you want to know that they haven't told you. You also won't find a comprehensive list of books, mainly because different people prefer different texts. The general consensus on SDN is that Step 1 prep books should be used as primary texts for learning. I disagree.

Texts I used (but I didn't real each of them all the way through, only the physiology, EKG, and most of Robbins):
Big Robbins
Cecil Medicine
Nelson's Pediatrics
Mark's Basic Biochemistry
Dubin's Rapid Interpretation of EKGs
Vander's Renal Physiology
Linda Costanzo's Physiology
John West Respiratory Physiology: The Essentials

I own more but I can't think of them off the top of my head. I used these books because I like to learn from prose. I don't like to learn from powerpoint slides that contain lists and bulletpoints. Some of these books are absolutely overboard for a second year medical student (especially Cecil and Nelson's), but they still helped to lay a solid foundation for me. To each his own.

Originally Posted by MrBeauregard

I personally disagree with both of the previous posters. It isn't a given that you will have lecturers who include 'everything' in their powerpoints. There will always be things you want you want to know that they haven't told you. You also won't find a comprehensive list of books, mainly because different people prefer different texts. The general consensus on SDN is that Step 1 prep books should be used as primary texts for learning. I disagree.

Texts I used (but I didn't real each of them all the way through, only the physiology, EKG, and most of Robbins):
Big Robbins
Cecil Medicine
Nelson's Pediatrics
Mark's Basic Biochemistry
Dubin's Rapid Interpretation of EKGs
Vander's Renal Physiology
Linda Costanzo's Physiology
John West Respiratory Physiology: The Essentials

I own more but I can't think of them off the top of my head. I used these books because I like to learn from prose. I don't like to learn from powerpoint slides that contain lists and bulletpoints. Some of these books are absolutely overboard for a second year medical student (especially Cecil and Nelson's), but they still helped to lay a solid foundation for me. To each his own.

Wiki would be faster and easier to understand than all those books you have listed.

It isn't a given that you will have lecturers who include 'everything' in their powerpoints.

However, it is a given that what you need to know for Step 1 and the vast majority of what you'll need (and reasonably could have learned during the first two years) for your clinical years is in those books. Cecil alone is probably more pages of text than I read in all of med school, and I did just fine in class and on boards. Aside from a few extreme zebras that even the residents didn't know anything about, I haven't run into any condition that I haven't at least been exposed to.

Originally Posted by cowme

Don't use anything but Netters and step 1 prep books. Everything else will be covered in your lecture slides

Isn't Thieme (Gilroy) regarded as better than Netters? http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=797750

Based on reading various posts and blogs, here are some of the common textbooks that keep popping up:

Anatomy Atlas: Thieme (Gilroy), Netters, Rohen, Grays Atlas
Anatomy Text: Moore's, Gray's Anatomy for Students
Anatomy Dissector: Grant's
Biochem: Lippincott's, Harper's, Lehringer
Embryology: Langman
Histology: Junqueira
Immunology/Microbiology: Lange
Pathology: Big Robbins, Middle Robbins
Pharm: Katzung
Physio: Costanzo, Guyton

And for review for Step 1:

First Aid,
RR Pathology (Goljan)
Pathoma
BRS Physio + Cases
BRS Behavioral Science
Lippincotts Pharm (Illustrated)

And question banks for Step 1:

UWorld
Kaplan Qbank
USMLERx
+ NBME's

Originally Posted by Green Grass

Wiki would be faster and easier to understand than all those books you have listed.

If that is what someone chooses to use, sure. I'm just giving OP some options.

Originally Posted by MilkmanAl

However, it is a given that what you need to know for Step 1 and the vast majority of what you'll need (and reasonably could have learned during the first two years) for your clinical years is in those books. Cecil alone is probably more pages of text than I read in all of med school, and I did just fine in class and on boards. Aside from a few extreme zebras that even the residents didn't know anything about, I haven't run into any condition that I haven't at least been exposed to.

I'm not saying you couldn't do well in class without them. I am simply making the point that using a Step 1 review book as a primary learning text might not work for some people, and there are some good texts out there that fit the bill. I guess I just hear all these students who essentially want to be taught out of Step 1 books because all they care about is Step 1 and being taught material that will be on Step 1. There are some really great resources out there that will allow people to uncover material they may not be exposed to otherwise. If someone wants some good books, I'll try and point them in the right direction. That's all.

If you want primary sources, try Big Robbins (path), Guyton (physio), and Lippincott (biochem). And if you want to quote anatomy, I suppose you could use Gray's.

Originally Posted by MrBeauregard

I personally disagree with both of the previous posters. It isn't a given that you will have lecturers who include 'everything' in their powerpoints. There will always be things you want you want to know that they haven't told you. You also won't find a comprehensive list of books, mainly because different people prefer different texts. The general consensus on SDN is that Step 1 prep books should be used as primary texts for learning. I disagree.

Texts I used (but I didn't real each of them all the way through, only the physiology, EKG, and most of Robbins):
Big Robbins
Cecil Medicine
Nelson's Pediatrics
Mark's Basic Biochemistry
Dubin's Rapid Interpretation of EKGs
Vander's Renal Physiology
Linda Costanzo's Physiology
John West Respiratory Physiology: The Essentials

I own more but I can't think of them off the top of my head. I used these books because I like to learn from prose. I don't like to learn from powerpoint slides that contain lists and bulletpoints. Some of these books are absolutely overboard for a second year medical student (especially Cecil and Nelson's), but they still helped to lay a solid foundation for me. To each his own.

Superfluous every one, with the possible exception of Costanzo.

Originally Posted by flatearth22

Isn't Thieme (Gilroy) regarded as better than Netters? http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=797750

No. Every student is different. Some like all the information on one page, others like less cluttered pages.

I'm not saying you couldn't do well in class without them. I am simply making the point that using a Step 1 review book as a primary learning text might not work for some people, and there are some good texts out there that fit the bill. I guess I just hear all these students who essentially want to be taught out of Step 1 books because all they care about is Step 1 and being taught material that will be on Step 1. There are some really great resources out there that will allow people to uncover material they may not be exposed to otherwise. If someone wants some good books, I'll try and point them in the right direction. That's all.

That's fair, and I'm definitely not saying those are bad books, by any means. They just have way, way too much info (and filler) in them to be useful for a med student. To me, saying a med student should read Cecil's is like handing a pre-med student a copy of Griffiths, probably the best-known text for electricity and magnetism, and telling them to derive the formulas they need to work a problem instead of having them read a book with the formulas already there. That is, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me and is a hell of a lot harder and more effort-intensive than it should or needs to be. Yeah, you'll know E&M really freaking well for your level if you manage with Griffiths, but...so? It doesn't matter if nobody, examiners included, expects you to know any of what you read.

Blah, I digress. In any event, the only actual texts (i.e., non-review books) I'd recommend would be Costanzo's Phys text and baby Robbins. Langman's embryo is hit-or-miss by section: some are mind-bendingly unreadable, while some are indispensable. I hear good things about Katzung's pharm text, but it's freaking giant. I'd be careful of that one. If you're counting anatomy atlases as texts, Rohen's was easily my favorite, but people seem to like Thieme's these days, as well.

I don't use any books, just the syllabus, Uptodate, and Wikipedia. However, I know a lot of students use BRS Physio, Lippincott Biochem, and Pathoma/Rapid Review for pathology. I personally would never buy a real textbook (non-review books). Way too much information that you probably don't need.

I actually really like big robbins but I will admit you absolutely shouldn't need it. Just some additional info.

Originally Posted by flatearth22

Isn't Thieme (Gilroy) regarded as better than Netters? http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=797750

Based on reading various posts and blogs, here are some of the common textbooks that keep popping up:

Anatomy Atlas: Thieme (Gilroy), Netters, Rohen, Grays Atlas
Anatomy Text: Moore's, Gray's Anatomy for Students
Anatomy Dissector: Grant's
Biochem: Lippincott's, Harper's, Lehringer
Embryology: Langman
Histology: Junqueira
Immunology/Microbiology: Lange
Pathology: Big Robbins, Middle Robbins
Pharm: Katzung
Physio: Costanzo, Guyton

And for review for Step 1:

First Aid,
RR Pathology (Goljan)
Pathoma
BRS Physio + Cases
BRS Behavioral Science
Lippincotts Pharm (Illustrated)

And question banks for Step 1:

UWorld
Kaplan Qbank
USMLERx
+ NBME's

This is a solid list. I'd skip Guyton and use Costanzo. I didn't like that embryo book. Gray > Moore, except for clinical boxes, which Moore > Gray.

I've purchased some textbooks, they aren't going to improve your grades or anything like that BUT I do like being able to look things up from time to time and a well written textbook at the proper level of depth is better than Wikipedia. So, I would recommend textbooks for things you have interest in, rather than in attempt to do "better" in medical school.

Originally Posted by tiedyeddog

I actually really like big robbins but I will admit you absolutely shouldn't need it. Just some additional info.

Big Robbins is invaluable for the figures/micrographs alone. I wouldn't expect to read the text though.

RR Pathology by Goljan
BRS Physiology or the actualy text Physiology by Costanzo
Netter


That is all.

Some of the texts mentioned here are too much, but ill make a list

Basic Science:
Anatomy - Clinical Anatomy by Moore. useful even in clinical years during surgery
Physiology - Costanzo Physiology is all you need
Histo - WebPath online is free at most schools, dont buy a book
Biochem - definitely don't buy a book. WebPath, First Aid, Goljan should be enough
Embryology - Theres a embryology website based out of France (in English) thats very good
Neuroanatomy - I heard Clinical Neuroantomy made ridiculously simple is good. Otherwise WebPath

Pathology - Robbins Basic Pathology. Big robbins is way way to much.
Pathophysiology - Lange Pathophysiology is a great reference text
Pharmacology - First Aid + Physiology text + Golan Pharmacology as reference

Clinical Years:
Medicine Handbook + Netter's Internal Medicine: should cover surgery, medicine, neurology
Nelsons Essential Pediatrics - baby version of mammoth book should cover peds
Case Files for every rotation on top + UWorld

I really don't learn from my schools bulleted powerpoints and lectures (I was a Poli Sci major in undergrad). Not really having a strong background in the foundational principals of biological science (never took biochecem, cell bio, et cetera), I found I really needed the texts. This was really key. After a very brief foundations course, we jumped into organ systems and pharmacology (which I found to be a bit awkward) in first year, so getting this base knowledge down was critical.

That being said, here are the books I really liked.

Immunology: Basic Immunology by Abbas. 200 pages long. Lots of pictures and charts. Very well organized.

Pharm: I liked Katzungs Pharmacology, Examination and Board Review. Shorter than the text of the same name. Lots of well described pictures. Has MC review questions at the end.

Microbiology: Levinson. Lots of color pics and review questions. Also, CMMS is good.

Anatomy: I liked Gray's for students. Lots of pictures, easy to read prose, lots of well organized charts. I didn't find Netter's very useful (too detailed and all of those arrows are confusing). The anatomy curriculum at my school lacked decent organization (there was almost no lecture component, and most of the cadavers were 2 years old and tough to learn from).

Hemeatology for the Med Student and Heme in Clinical practice were both very good.

For physio, I tended to go for the shorter, system-specific, books. They tend to be to the point, have well described pictures (and companion websites), and fit easily in a backpack.

There are two books I liked a lot: Resipratory Physiology: A Clinical Approach and Cardiovascular Physiology: A Clinical Approach. There is also a Renal Physiology in the same series that just came out, which I have not yet reviewed.

Also, there is a website, cvphysiology.com, which is excellent. He also has a book, which is well written and easy to understand. I also liked GI by Barrett (she has a sense of humor tucked in to some of her prose).

Costanzo's is also really good.

Biochem: Lippencotts is ok. I thought it was a bit dense. Goljan Rapid Review was a nice addition. The Medical Biochemistry Page (http://themedicalbiochemistrypage.org/index.php) is also very well done.

Neuroanatomy: We had a good sylabus. However, I liked Neuroanatomy Through Clinical Cases. Clinical Neuroanatomy by Gilman is a nice 200 page review.

Agree with most of the books posted above. I would add:

Anatomy - Rohen's Color Atlas of Anatomy: Cadaver images, very helpful when you *don't* want to go into the lab.

Physiology: I found pulmonary and renal physiology difficult, and felt like I really understood them after reading the two books below, both written at the MS1/MS2 level:
-West, Pulmonary Physiology and Pathophysiology (case-based)
-Rennke and Denker, Renal Pathophysiology, The Essentials.

-Also, the clinical rotations classic Marino's The ICU Book, which will definitely be a reference I continue to use.

Originally Posted by Green Grass

Wiki would be faster and easier to understand than all those books you have listed.

I hope you're not serious about using wikipedia as a primary learning resource...

Originally Posted by CBG23

I hope you're not serious about using wikipedia as a primary learning resource...

I didn't want to be the first one to say it, but I can't believe that medical students use Wikipedia as a primary resource and actually trust it more than a text written specifically to address a certain topic. Mind boggling, really.

I mean, I didn't use a whole lot of texts first and second year, but I did get Case Files for every clinical rotation and Blueprints/Step-up/First Aid for a few that they were good for.

A bunch of us students just bought the best books for whatever their first rotation was, then traded them around to each other as we went through those rotations.

Originally Posted by CBG23

I hope you're not serious about using wikipedia as a primary learning resource...

Actually, Wikipedia does an ok job with "big picture" explanations. At least with this background, you can figure out where all the tedious details fit in.

Originally Posted by todds

Some of the texts mentioned here are too much, but ill make a list


Pathophysiology - Lange Pathophysiology is a great reference text

Might as ask here because I am struggling to find a good pathophys book. I am stuck between the one quoted above, and clinical pathophysiology made ridiculously simple. I am favoring the latter, but I am not sure how "complete" the book is, especially when compared to the Lange Pahophys book. Could someone compare/contrast the 2 books?

For micro - Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple

Anatomy: Rohen +/- Netter
Physio: BRS (it's also written by Constanzo, but it's shorter)
Path: Big Robbins and Pathoma

For step I, besides FA and UWorld, I also used Pathoma, HY neuroanatomy, and BRS behavioral science (only for ethics and biostats)
Edit: I also thumed through Deja review biochem, BRS physio, and HY anatomy (only certain parts)

I would use First Aid and Kaplan Lecture Notes in addition to 1 or more question banks. You have to buy the Kaplan lecture notes on Ebay though, unless you take a Kaplan course.

Any comments on medium vs big Robbins?

Originally Posted by JackShephard MD

Any comments on medium vs big Robbins?

Both cover the same information, but I felt Big Robbins, due to its larger size, fleshed out difficult concepts better. If you've been reading the New Yorker since high school, majored in the humanities in UG, or went to a LAC, Big Robbins is probably a good fit.

I would say the only books that everybody has are first aid for step 1 and maxwells.

Other than that it depends on what you like. Differently people learn better from different types of presentations. Frankly, I found it incredibly useful for different people in my study group to have different text books. The only time we looked at text books was when notes and syllabi didn't make sense and reading the same information phrased a bunch of different ways (one from syllabus and one from each textbook) was extremely helpful. So... to answer your actual question, no, there isn't a most often recommended primary text book, use whatever you can find in a library out of everything above. For citation purposes, you probably want the "big" version of the various books. My school recommended a number of different text books for each class knowing that different students would learn better from different books.

i heard buy kaplan medessentials book and first aid before going into medical school, and incorporate them into your studies as you progress through the first 2 years.

Originally Posted by GladifImakeit

I would use First Aid and Kaplan Lecture Notes in addition to 1 or more question banks. You have to buy the Kaplan lecture notes on Ebay though, unless you take a Kaplan course.

i think its just better to buy kaplan medessentials. has all the books in one book, and has the most important thing drawn out from the lecture notes in this one book

Only textbook I really got a lot out of was costanzo's physio book. Tho West's respiratory phys was good too.

Most of the books I use are for questions - so BRS, Pre-test, gray's anatomy Q book, rapid review etc

I'm in the anti-textbook camp, but would definitely say Rapid Review for Path, and maybe BRS for Physio.

Originally Posted by bailey42

Hey guys,

I was wondering if anyone could give me some insight into what the most frequently recommended/required medical school textbooks are? Are there some textbooks that "every medical student uses" or that "every medical school requires?" I know that every school is going to be different, but are there some textbooks that tend to keep popping up in curricula?

This is for an undergraduate research project and I'm just looking for some primary sources. Thanks for any help!

First Aid for Step 1. The one book every med student has.

Awesome, thanks guys. These textbooks wouldn't be for me trying to actually learn the material, but rather it's for a research project regarding how medical textbooks are written. This was all super helpful.

In addition, I was wondering if anyone knew if there are any books that cover bedside manner? I know this question is kind of strange, but do textbooks that teach bedside manner actually exist? Or is it something that doctors are just expected to learn through experience and through other doctors? Is it something that is included in medical school curricula?

Thanks again everyone.