Books for IM

[phillyfornia]

step-up, mksap, kaplan q-book worked great for me. i went through a bit of pretest and i thought it was good. didn't use case files for medicine, but i have used it for other clerkships and felt that the series was excellent.

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[GuP]

what book would you guys say is the best to carry in your pocket during an IM rotation along with a PDA?

 

[Medical123]

what book would you guys say is the best to carry in your pocket during an IM rotation along with a PDA?

I liked the Washington Manual, though it is a little heavy. Another book that I used was the little red pocketbook called "Internal Medicine: A Handbook for Clinicians." The little red book covers a lot of information including acid-base, Ranson's criteria, and PORT criteria for pneumonia. I used it through my IM rotation and did very well. It's relatively inexpensive. I think that I paid $14 for my copy.

 

[jojo14]

what book would you guys say is the best to carry in your pocket during an IM rotation along with a PDA?

The pocket medicine book for internal medicine book is awesome. I bought the washington manual and wished I bought the pocket med one instead. Wash manual is too heavy, doesn't fit easily in my pocket, and more info than I am usually looking for imo, pocket medicine is concise and small, truly fits in your pocket.

I also really like the Tarascon Critical Care Medicine pocket book (the green one). Maybe that book is more appropriate for adv medicine rotations though.

 

[BMW19]

Tarascon's....anyone....Tarascon's....thoughts.....please.....

B-

I liked the Washington Manual, though it is a little heavy. Another book that I used was the little red pocketbook called "Internal Medicine: A Handbook for Clinicians." The little red book covers a lot of information including acid-base, Ranson's criteria, and PORT criteria for pneumonia. I used it through my IM rotation and did very well. It's relatively inexpensive. I think that I paid $14 for my copy.

 

[hrq]

Ok, so how does this sound for 3rd year Internal Medicine rotation:

1) Quickly read/skim Blueprints to get an overview - finish this during orientation/weekend before starting rotation

2) Get through one chapter of Step Up to Medicine per week during Inpatient months as well as the associated chapter in PreTest Medicine

3) Also read up on any patients that you have in Step Up. Be sure to check out UpToDate, Harrisons, Cecil's, and CMDT to get context and random details. Use UpToDate/Harrisons/Cecil's/CMDT as for context but memorize Step Up info (just as we memorized FA for Step 1).

4) Do a quick literature search to see if anything interesting comes up for any patients you're following. Don't spend a ton of time on this, but do it for your patients' sake and to show that you're interested.

5) Finish Step Up and PreTest Medicine during Outpatient month

6) Go through MKSAP if there is any time remaining

7) Be excellent to fellow med students (be a great team); Help out intern/residents as much as you're capable of doing; Be yourself

I want to do really well in IM because I think that's what I want to go into. Not afraid to work, but I just want to make sure that I'm putting my time in the right places.

I'd really appreciate any feedback you all have!

Thank you!

 

[xaelia]

Good luck finding the free time to read anything extra during internal medicine. Being cheerful and omnipresent for your team will seriously cut into your studying time.

 

[hrq]

Yeah, that's the part I really don't understand about 3rd year. When do you have time to read anything? I mean, even looking at Step-Up. Getting through that seems like it would take a ton of time. When do you read? What sorts of strategies have you used that have worked?

Good luck finding the free time to read anything extra during internal medicine. Being cheerful and omnipresent for your team will seriously cut into your studying time.

 

[4424]

Ok, so how does this sound for 3rd year Internal Medicine rotation:

1) Quickly read/skim Blueprints to get an overview - finish this during orientation/weekend before starting rotation

2) Get through one chapter of Step Up to Medicine per week during Inpatient months as well as the associated chapter in PreTest Medicine

3) Also read up on any patients that you have in Step Up. Be sure to check out UpToDate, Harrisons, Cecil's, and CMDT to get context and random details. Use UpToDate/Harrisons/Cecil's/CMDT as for context but memorize Step Up info (just as we memorized FA for Step 1).

4) Do a quick literature search to see if anything interesting comes up for any patients you're following. Don't spend a ton of time on this, but do it for your patients' sake and to show that you're interested.

5) Finish Step Up and PreTest Medicine during Outpatient month

6) Go through MKSAP if there is any time remaining

7) Be excellent to fellow med students (be a great team); Help out intern/residents as much as you're capable of doing; Be yourself

I want to do really well in IM because I think that's what I want to go into. Not afraid to work, but I just want to make sure that I'm putting my time in the right places.

I'd really appreciate any feedback you all have!

Thank you!

Sounds really ambitious but my suggestion would be to make it a priority to do MKSAP. That is really helpful for the shelf and I imagine your shelf will be important for your grade. Pretest (in my opinion) although I did it, was a waste of time because it was way too simple. So i would replace that with MKSAP

 

[Anka]

Yeah, that's the part I really don't understand about 3rd year. When do you have time to read anything? I mean, even looking at Step-Up. Getting through that seems like it would take a ton of time. When do you read? What sorts of strategies have you used that have worked?

First, realize that everyone is in the same boat you are as far as adjusting from two years of total commitment to books, to the complete lack of dedicated study time in the clinics. The trick is to make use of the time you have -- you'll be surprised by how much down time there is during the day. The problem is, most of it is spread out in seemingly unusable five minute pockets (e.g., waiting for rounds to start, waiting for ten minutes while the attending answers a page, during surgery, waiting for anesthesia to set up, etc.). If you can use these five and ten minute periods effectively, you'll be golden. Keep some reading material on you at all times -- a paper, a pocketbook, whatever. Whenever a couple of minutes opens up, go ahead and look at it. If rounds are just killing you, you can generally pull out your pocket book (as though to look something up that is being discussed), and take a quick look at a table you are trying to memorize, then repeat it to yourself over and over as the attending pontificates on how men shouldn't wear salmon shirts or whatever.

Best,
Anka

 

[GuP]

First, realize that everyone is in the same boat you are as far as adjusting from two years of total commitment to books, to the complete lack of dedicated study time in the clinics. The trick is to make use of the time you have -- you'll be surprised by how much down time there is during the day. The problem is, most of it is spread out in seemingly unusable five minute pockets (e.g., waiting for rounds to start, waiting for ten minutes while the attending answers a page, during surgery, waiting for anesthesia to set up, etc.). If you can use these five and ten minute periods effectively, you'll be golden. Keep some reading material on you at all times -- a paper, a pocketbook, whatever. Whenever a couple of minutes opens up, go ahead and look at it. If rounds are just killing you, you can generally pull out your pocket book (as though to look something up that is being discussed), and take a quick look at a table you are trying to memorize, then repeat it to yourself over and over as the attending pontificates on how men shouldn't wear salmon shirts or whatever.

Best,
Anka

this pocket book u mention - im having trouble deciding which one to choose. any suggestions?

 

[Anka]

The residents where I go to school usually carry pocket medicine. It probably doesn't matter too much on final analysis; just flip through them at the bookstore and pick the one you're attracted to.

Best,
Anka

 

[Pinki]

Harrisons to read up on any assigned/pertinent topics at night.

PreTest on your Palm so you can Q & A when you've got downtime during the day.

MKSAP is a MUST - do all the questions at least once, and STUDY the answer explanations as YOU GO - not at the end after you've graded.

That's all I did - I was a snooze/average student the first two years, honored IM.

 

[GuP]

where do you get this famed MKSAP from?

 

[Adcadet]

where do you get this famed MKSAP from?

Try Google.

 

[Pox in a box]

I wish I had never bought Pocket Medicine. It's bulky in your white coat and I have only used it once.

 

[hrq]

Has anyone found any flashcards that are useful for any part of third year or for Step 2?

Thanks!

 

[GuP]

I wish I had never bought Pocket Medicine. It's bulky in your white coat and I have only used it once.

which one do you recommend then?

 

[ErinO]

So, in going over the way too vast amount of texts and review books I bought during medical school... I have boiled the best down to the following. Now, being that I am going into IM, the books are geared for this rotation

1. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment: Definately the best text available. Up to date and very well written. Its basically a book you can use on all your rotations as it goes over most of the diseases you'll encounter, or be tested on in all your rotations - except Peds. A must buy.

2. The Consult Manual of Internal Medicine: A friend turned me onto this handbook. Its excellent. Its layout flows very nicely - with a ton of high yield info for both the wards and shelf exams. Its now a favorite among my friends. Oh... it also has great treatment sections.

3. The ICU Book: A fantastic book to be read by all. Great explanations of everything from IV fluids to vent management to fever. Allows for a strong foundation in critical care.

4. Pathophysiology of Disease: Great - with chapters divided into physiology and pathophysiology. Extremely well written. This is one that you get for the understanding of the overall picture. Its a realistically readable version of the the most important aspects of physiology with great pathophys taking up the later half of each chapter.

4. The obvious:
A. Tarascon pharmacopoeia - get the large edition w/ off
label uses and tons of other useful info.
B. The Sanford Guide

Anyway... I thought it would be real useful for people to join in and list their top picks for any subject.

 

[babyruth]

The washington manual or the medicine journal from Mass general, both are relatively pocket size.

 

[Hopefulmeds]

For the shelf Step Up: Medicine and MKSAP3 is all you really need.

 

[Arthur12]

Step up medicine is best book out there for 3rd year medicine rotation. The other books listed are good for a 4th year ICU elective or for someone going into IM residency. Washington Manual is good to have as a reference but not for studying for the shelf. For the medicine rotation in 3rd year, when time is limited and you want the biggest bang for your buck, no book comes close to Step Up. It is far superior to both Blueprints and First Aid.

 

[Harika93]

I agree...step up and MKSAP is all you need.

 

[babyruth]

Have known many different types of residents that carry the Mass general blue book, not just for IMers. Plus I had an attending that would get pissed off if you didn't have either one in your pocket to reference if he pimped you (this was during IM in-patient however). Agreed that it is used more for clinical reference than studying purposes. I would go with the MKSAP and step up than these for passing your shelf and/or boards. Good luck!

 

[Hernandez]

Add

Tarascon Internal Medicine & Critical Care Pocketbook, Third Edition : great little pocket book that covers quite a bit despite it's size.

Bakerman's ABC's of Interpretive Laboratory Data: I've probably learned more differential diagnostic and diagnostic pathway sequences from this book than any other, and Skyscape now has it as a PDA program.

 

[babyruth]

Add

Tarascon Internal Medicine & Critical Care Pocketbook, Third Edition : great little pocket book that covers quite a bit despite it's size.

Bakerman's ABC's of Interpretive Laboratory Data: I've probably learned more differential diagnostic and diagnostic pathway sequences from this book than any other, and Skyscape now has it as a PDA program.

Agree, also great to have when on call.

 

[DNYR]

I got The Consult Manual of Internal Medicine last week as recommended on the primary post. It really is excellent!! When I bought the book, they advertised sample chapters available on the publishers website (www.medconsultpublishing.com). Thanks ErinO.

 

[Samoa]

I agree...step up and MKSAP is all you need.

I agree with this as well. I've seen a lot of study guides, and Step Up to Medicine is the best of the bunch. MKSAP for students is the other must-have.

As for stuff to carry in your coat: Pocket Medicine, Sanford, Tarascon and Maxwell are the only ones worth the pocket space.

Edit: I like Bakerman's too. It's too thick to carry, though, unless you have it on PDA.

 

[nutcancer]

another highly rated book is cecil's essentials of medicine. i'd like to know what people think of it. it seems like in crunch time, people don't go home and read 30 pgs of a text every night. i'd like to read a text of some sort (and not necessarily a review book like step-up). can anyone recommend a very coherent easy-to-read text/mini-text?

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

another highly rated book is cecil's essentials of medicine. i'd like to know what people think of it. it seems like in crunch time, people don't go home and read 30 pgs of a text every night. i'd like to read a text of some sort (and not necessarily a review book like step-up). can anyone recommend a very coherent easy-to-read text/mini-text?

I have no input here, I just want to give a shout out to the Univ. of Arkansas for Medical Science, b/c the lead editor of Cecil's is an attending here. I know this forum is the chance for a lot of big name East Coast schools to be condescending, so I had to give some props to a fly-over state.

I did like first aid for medicine. Medicine's so broad that I really just needed something to remind me of all of the high points and how each disease worked.

 

[ErinO]

If anyone is interested in a great physical diagnosis text... check out Sapira's Art and Science of Bedside Diagnosis by Orient. A book of this caliber is truly a rare find!

 

[Nima]

Have you ever heard of Davidson's principles of medicine...

How would you rate it?

 

[ErinO]

Davidson's Principles & Practice of Medicine is a decent book. Well written and illustrated. A book seemingly meant to be read during 3rd year. If you take to this book... check out its main competitors:

Clinical Medicine by Kumar and Clark
Medicine by OCallaghan and Axford

These are the main British texts that have made a worldwide presence. However... no matter what main text you pick... check out The Consult Manual of Internal Medicine by Rosen... I really can't say enough about it. You will basically end up using any other text as a reference if needed.

 

[BMW19]

Harrison's Manual of Medicine? Anyone?
Affectionately known as: "Baby Harrison's"- very comprehenisve and references for further reading in poppa Harrison's at the end of every chap.

B-

Davidson's Principles & Practice of Medicine is a decent book. Well written and illustrated. A book seemingly meant to be read during 3rd year. If you take to this book... check out its main competitors:

Clinical Medicine by Kumar and Clark
Medicine by OCallaghan and Axford

These are the main British texts that have made a worldwide presence. However... no matter what main text you pick... check out The Consult Manual of Internal Medicine by Rosen... I really can't say enough about it. You will basically end up using any other text as a reference if needed.

 

[GregsAnatomy]

Another vote for The Consult Manual of Internal Medicine. I've really impressed my residents and attendings with the knowledge I've picked up from this book!

Two other books I really like for IM: Clinical Cardiology Made Ridiculously Simple and Acids-Base, Fluids, and Electrolytes Made Ridiculously Simple.

Of course, my favorite source for anything medically related is UpToDate.

 

[Maitreyi]

speaking of uptodate - are you guys using the free patient info, or are you actually registered for the institution/educator info? My school doesn't allow us to log on for free so I was wondering what to do . . .

 

[Adcadet]

I'm currently a 4th year, and a professed bibliophile. While I have some books that I prefer over others, I think the key for the medicine rotation is to know what to study. The Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine and Society for General Internal Medicine (CDIM-SGIM) puts together a Core Medicine Clerkship Curriculum Guide that is a free download. They don't make the shelf exams so there's no guarantee that the curriculum they post will be entirely sufficient for the shelf, but in my experience it overlapped almost 100%. Their current version (3.0 as of now) includes 33 core topics, which are the same topics covered by MKSAP for Students 3. I think Harrison's, Cecil's, Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, and UpToDate all provide reasonable information on all of these, and as long as you systematically read the appropriate chapters for all the topics you should be well set to go through MKSAP and then do very well on your shelf exam. The topics didn't perfectly match up with any textbook, but Harrisons was very good and CMDT was decent. I actually copied and pasted topics from my biomedical library's electronic copy of Harrison's into a Word document to create my own textbook of sorts which ended up a little over 400 pages, and then printed it out and read a chapter whenever I found some time. The same document from CMDT ended up at about 650 pages, mostly because I sometimes had to grab multiple chapters to cover a topic.

 

[Adcadet]

Harrison's Manual of Medicine? Anyone?
Affectionately known as: "Baby Harrison's"- very comprehenisve and references for further reading in poppa Harrison's at the end of every chap.

B-

I got my Baby Harrisons only after finishing my core medicine rotation, so I never used it very heavily. What I've seen, though, I've been impressed with. I think you could take my systematic approach and get most of your info from Baby Harrisons and do fine. Comparing a few chapters to chapters, Baby Harrisons only leaves out small details that I doubt would be important on the shelf exam. On the other hand, I find most chapters in the full Harrisons to be only slightly longer than in Baby Harrisons.

 

[Wrigleyville]

First Aid and MKSAP for studying.

Washington Manual General Internal Medicine Consult book for the wards.

 

[USMELL]

For those of us starting medicine now, Do people reccommend Cecil's Essentials vs CMDT 2007 and as a review source FA medicine vs Step-up vs Casefiles

thanks

 

[TY06]

Which Books And Qbooks Do You Recommend? If You Say Mksap...which One, 2, 3, 4, 13, 14...i Dont Know The Differences??

Thanks So Much.

 

[Firza]

I study in The Netherlands and I use Davidson's principles and practice of medicine + CMDT 2004 and on the ward i use oxford handbook of clinical medicine.

 

[eirinn152]

MKSAP is a must, I used 3 because it was the latest edition. Case Files is money as well. Additionally, I read through a good portion of Step Up to Medicine. I don't see this book mentioned often, but I felt that it was a GREAT resource, and I have used it throughout other clerkships as well. Hope this helps.

 

[ErinO]

So... over the past several weeks, I have been reading through The Johns Hopkins Internal Medicine Board Review. Its very nice, having a nice quick layout to it... being brief and pointed.

 

[TY06]

bump

 

[Adcadet]

Try this pocket size handbook: "Most Common Inpatient Problems: Ward Survival" by John Sun. It covers the 20 most common disorders seen in inpatient care and can literally fit in your coat pocket. You should be able to get it on amazon.

In case anybody is wondering the 20 topics are:
Chapter 1: Cardiology *Atrial Fibrillation *Unstable Angina *CHF
Chapter 2: Pulmonary *COPD *Asthma
Chapter 3: Gastroenterology *Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding *Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding *Pancreatitis
Chapter 4: Renal *Hyponatremia *Hyperkalemia *Acute Renal Failure
Chapter 5: Endocrine *Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Chapter 6: Infectious Disease *Pneumonia *Urinary Tract Infection *Cellulitis
Chapter 7: Hematology and Oncology *Anemia
Chapter 8: Rheumatology *Monoarthritis
Chapter 9: General *DVT Prophylaxis, Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis *Change in Mental Status

Source: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/bookdescription.cws_home/708760/description#description

 

[IMMD]

During my internal medicine rotation and Sub-I, I found books like Current Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment, Cecil's and Harrison's to be more of a reference but too detailed for what I needed to know for the shelf exams and wards.

I've loved "Most Common Inpatient Problems in Internal Medicine: Ward Survival" by John Sun at Amazon.com. It's a lot more practical and really geared towards people in training --not a big library-type book. (It even fits in my lab coat pocket!)

Let me know what you think.

 

[IMMD]

During my internal medicine rotation and Sub-I, I found books like Current Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment, Cecil's and Harrison's to be more of a reference but too detailed for what I needed to know for the shelf exams and wards.

I've loved "Most Common Inpatient Problems in Internal Medicine: Ward Survival" by John Sun at Amazon.com. It's a lot more practical and really geared towards people in training --not a big library-type book. (It even fits in my lab coat pocket!)

Let me know what you think.

 

[Skichic56]

another highly rated book is cecil's essentials of medicine. i'd like to know what people think of it. it seems like in crunch time, people don't go home and read 30 pgs of a text every night. i'd like to read a text of some sort (and not necessarily a review book like step-up). can anyone recommend a very coherent easy-to-read text/mini-text?

KOCHAR'S Concise Textbook of Medicine. Great text w/ just the right amount of info for reading at night... can also read some sections for a quick refresher in ~15 min. Lots of diagrams and flowcharts for ddx. Highly recommended.

 

[IMMD]

I've been using The Most Common Inpatient Problems In Internal Medicine: Ward Survival by John Sun. It covers the 20 most common inpatient disorders and fits in my coat pocket.