When seeking advice about which books to use for any rotation, it's probably best to get input from students, interns, and residents who have successfully completed the rotation. Most helpful would be the input of folks at your medical school.
I'd like to give you my thoughts as an Internal Medicine attending. There are basically three types of books that are commonly used in the Internal Medicine clerkship:
1) Comprehensive texts of Internal Medicine
Examples include Harrison's, Cecil's, Kelly's. Because they are so comprehensive, these books are long and fairly expensive. It is quite difficult to get through such a text during a clerkship. For these reasons, students often turn to paperback texts of Internal Medicine. Having said this, I still encourage my students to consult one of the comprehensive texts because you have to remember that your attending has probably read one of these texts. He or she is going to be the one asking you questions during rounds. Therefore, it's probably in your best interests to use them but perhaps not as your primary source.
2) Paperback texts of Internal Medicine
The texts that you mentioned are all examples of paperback texts of Internal Medicine. In contrast to the comprehensive texts, these texts are more manageable. As for deciding which one to use, one major factor to keep in mind is your own learning style. Too often (I know I was guilty of this when I was a student), we buy books at the recommendation of others without giving enough thought as to whether the book is a good fit for you.
3) Handbooks
As you know, there are a number of handbooks that are available. I often encourage my students to initially start with a handbook because the information is easier to access when you are on the run (unless you have a Palm) and then turn to one of the larger textbooks of Internal Medicine. As to which one to use, it's a matter of selecting one that fits with your learning style. Popular choices include Wash manual of medical therapeutics, Ferri's Guide, Saint-Francis guide, etc.
There are also other handbooks that will help you with certain aspects of the rotation. For example, if you are having difficulties with working up patients (symptom-oriented), lab tests, EKGs, X-rays, etc., - there are handbooks devoted to each of these areas.
As you progress through the rotation, the key thing to ask yourself is whether your resources are meeting your needs. Are you finding the information you need to take care of your patients? Is this the right book to prepare you for the exam? Are you able to answer the attending's questions in rounds?
The final piece of advice I can give you is to be flexible. In other words, adapt as the rotation progresses. For example, if the attending keeps asking you about abnormal lab tests but your sources are not providing you with the answers, consider getting a handbook on lab test interpretation.
I hope this advice helps. Good luck with the IM rotation and hopefully my response will encourage others to reply to you as well.
Samir Desai, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine