Best Internship survival book?

Started by LomaLindian
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LomaLindian

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I was wondering what books all you fourth years are looking at to help you out during internship. I will be doing a prelim-med year and am looking to invest 30-50 bucks for a good pocket book. Please post what books you like and the reasons why.

TIA
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by LomaLindian:
•I was wondering what books all you fourth years are looking at to help you out during internship. I will be doing a prelim-med year and am looking to invest 30-50 bucks for a good pocket book. Please post what books you like and the reasons why.

TIA•••••Why don't you make one yourself? Seriously! 🙂

I'm putting together a little one with the most frequently encountered scenarios on the floor that an intern would actually have to deal with on a routine basis. It's funny. In the process of doing it, I've learned quite a bit since I'm doing it on my own time and drawing out the flow charts.
 
Depends on what you're looking for

For a good guide about what to do as an intern, I would say "the Intern Survival Guide". It's a tiny book that gives standard values, what to do in var med emergencies, description of tube feeds, how to write orders, and more. I think it was invaluable for a med intern. It should be avail. in any med bookstore. ask for it by name.

If you want something with more diagnosis and treatment, you can't go wrong with the Wash Manual. I still like the paper one, I found the palm based one to be hard to be clunky. See if you can't try out the palm app yourself, it'll save on real estate if you like it. Wash man is really helpful on H&P's on the assessment sect. and pt. management. It's made me look smarter than I actually is on many occasions 😀 This one is also available in med bookstores.

Finally, if you want a book on what medical internship is all about, I would recommend, "House of God". Reading it during/slightly after internship is extremely cathartic (almost as good as MgSulfate!)
Hope it helps.
 
Consider the book "On Call." It's divided into common patient problems like abdominal pain, chest pain, fever, shortness of breath, etc., gives a differential dx noting those which can be life threatening, what to look for at the bedside and in their PMH, physical exam findings to seek, and general mgmt. It does the same for common abnormal lab findings. I kept this book close to me throughout my intern year (and admittedly keep it in my backpack even as a 3rd year!). Biggest problem: it's a chunky book like Washington Manual. 😎
 
White coats need about one pocket more, or a deeper pocket: one for the toys and the other for at least two paperbacks. 🙂

The D.O.C. you took the words out of my mouth:

(1) "Intern Survival Guide", albeit dated, is still basic stuff when you really, really want to know what to do. It's about $8.00 and the others in the series are good as well, also small paperback.

(2) "Wash Manual" has been standard for decades, the 30th edition was recently published, and will help you ID the problems your patient has and what meds to order at what dosages.

(3) "Medicine 2002" (I believe that's what it's called - it comes out every year. It's also made for other specialties as well. The year I got it, it was a burnt umber color). It's a small paperback that will give you a list, literally, for the most common scenarios you'll see when you write the initial order list. This is indispensable. It will be the most used book when you do your initial assessment.

(4) Another small handy paperback is a book in outline form on differential diagnoses. This will guide you to what you want to consider is wrong with your patient as you begin the workup. Again, sorry the name is not in front of me right now, but it was a purple and white cover. I believe Mosby puts it out. I'm sure there are several on the market of this genre.

(5) "Medicine On Call" was good if for nothing else its sections on "Elevator Thoughts On The Way To The Emergency". If nothing else helps you focus, it's a book like that, that cuts to the chase quick.

I hope this is of some help.

Nu
 
just wondering if things have changed on pocket books for wards... any fresh opinions?

thanks-
sunflower
 
I use the following along with the up to date on line and emedicine:

1) Pocket Pharmacopia
2) Current clinical strategies medicine 2004. This thing is awsome. Buy it.
3) Pocket medicine. Great book, use it all the time.
4) Sanford abx guide
5) Washington Intern Survival guide (not bad, but not totally necessary)
6) Tarascon Critical Care.

I still have plenty of room for all my other crap as most of these books are small. No pda. I'd rather read a textbook or hit "up to date" vs. dealing with the washington manual.

Almost forgot maxwell's.
 
vent your avatar cracks me up.

I just have a pocket pharm, a pocket critical care, an ACLS card, and a sanford. Pretty much everything else you probably already know or can readily get off the computer.
 
Vent- where did you find the current clinical strategies medicine 2004?

Thanks
 
Sorry to bring the old subjuct!!!!😀

But this book " On Call", can any one refer to its full exact name?
When I searched "medicine on call" on amazon there are plenty of such books!
can any 1 help please?

Thanks and sorry again.
 
Did anyone try purchasing Rookiedoctor.com? could you give me some feedback on whether its a good website or not?
 
Now that everyone knows where they will be in a few months, perhaps we can get some up-to-date suggestions, especially for those going into IM:

1) Internship Survival Guide- Is the Washington Manual one any good? I heard it comes with pocket cards. Others?
2) Critical Care pocketbook- MGH vs Washington Manual of Critical Care vs something else?
3) General pocketbook- I favor Pocket Medicine. Is the Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics good to also keep near?
4) Any other pocket-sized literature besides Sanford and Maxwell?
 
The best internship survival book is called.... being trained before June 2011, where 30 hour call was a way of life. Now, working 13 hours for interns is a stretch. What's not a stretch is that some 3 year residencies will be a 5 year residency in the near future.

In all seriousness though, when a patient is sick and you are six months in your internship, you should be able to handle this and troubleshoot. Only then should you call your resident to run it by them. Don't call them, then have them do everything unless the pt is actively crashing. You won't learn anything, and, you will be fresh meat after graduating your intern year.
 
I love the Washington Manual for Critical Care!

It's perfect for ICU and inpatient medicine/surgery.

THe book has lots of algorithms. From my super limited experience though, I've noticed that some hospitals have their own institutional algorithms for dealing with common stuff, so I would try to get familiar with those first and carry them around with you. Some programs also have their own housestaff handbooks which also have algorithms, preprinted orders... that are a lot more practical than the widely available MGH, UCSF, Johns Hopkins, Oxford handbooks.
 
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