EM Clerkship Book

I am assuming you want to do EM, so my advice is from the perspective of someone wanting to do great on their rotations. If you don't really care and just don't want to totally suck on your rotation, just get blueprints. First, a lot of places have either their own preferred text that you will be tested out of, or they will powerpoints that you could use which will be their test material. Contact where you are headed before you go to buy any stuff. At UTSW they lent me a FA to study from, and at UNC they lent me a pocket Tint's (although I bought one before hand). If the place(s) you are going don't have either, FA is OK. Not great, but OK. Case Files also is OK. Blueprints is not really good enough in my opinion for someone trying to blow the doors off a rotation, only good enough to get by. The best review text that I looked at was NMS, although be warned it is extensive (in some cases too much so for med students) but very good. If are the type to start working on stuff before your rotation and can weed out the unimportant (at least at this stage in the game) stuff if will serve you very well. Also, either the pocket Tintinalli's or the "just the facts" Tintinalli make some good med student references, and from what I have been told are useful during intern year too so you are not just buying something for a few months while on rotations.

breaker1919 said:

Hi everyone,
Could you please recommend a book or two for my EM clerkship? Is there a review book that will help with the written exam as well as pimping? I've heard decent things about First Aid EM and even Blueprints EM; what would you recommend? Also, do you recommend any pocket handbooks?
Thanks.

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Case Files EM is great. Coming this summer is the long awaited PreTest Emergency Medicine

JoeG

For books, I recommend Emergency Medicine Secrets and Case Files Emergency Medicine.

For a pocket reference book, try to pick up the "Top Problems in Emergency Medicine" book by EMRA because it is excellent. Also think about getting a program called "Pepid EM" for your PDA if you have one (it is fantastic).

breaker1919 said:

Thanks for the advice. I'm not really sure which NMS you're talking about though. On Amazon, there's "NMS Emergency Medicine" which is $40, and there's also "NMS Clinical Manual of Emergency Medicine" which is $20. What's the difference between these two books?

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the clinical manual is like a pocket book, somewhat abridged version of the 40$ book. I will second the above about the EMRA student book, you get it free with membership. Another great pocket book that is a bit more extensive then the EMRA book is the Tarascon's adult EM book. good luck, where are you going to rotate?

I have become a little too overkill with some of this stuff, but the little EMRA book and the Tarascon kick butt (they each have their own focus and complement one another quite nicely). I also have the Rosen & Barkin 5 min. EM consult on PDA for a little more reading. The Case Files is money to get the basics down. I was not a fan of the "first exposure" book (not as in-depth as the Case Files, and that is saying a lot for the size of both books), if someone else wants to chime in on that one. Have fun on your rotation.

hi,

i'm not going into EM, but I will have to take a 4wk EM elective during 4th yr, and since I'll be going into surgery, I probably will need a good EM handbook.
one that will fit in my pockets?? i realize it won't be comprehensive, but i can't break my back, carrying a EM handbook in my pocket!

What do you guys(the EM experts) recommend?

Thanks!

When I was an M4, I used the First Aid for the EM Clerkship. I agree, it was ok.... but you couldn't walk around with it. It was good review when I was at home....

The EMRA handbook is fantastic.

I used during residency (and still use now), the Tarascon Adult Emergency Medicine Pocketbook. It is awesome. Really the only book I ever use besides Sanford.

Q

DrQuinn said:

I used during residency (and still use now), the Tarascon Adult Emergency Medicine Pocketbook. It is awesome. Really the only book I ever use besides Sanford.

Q

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Coincidental...I lightened up my white coat considerably when I became an attending, and the three books I carry are my Tarascon Adult EM book, the Tarascon Pharmacopoiea, and my Sanford.

Apollyon said:

Coincidental...I lightened up my white coat considerably when I became an attending, and the three books I carry are my Tarascon Adult EM book, the Tarascon Pharmacopoiea, and my Sanford.

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Same here. I need to get a hold of the new pharmacopeia... I am still using the 2005 edition. ;(

Q

DrQuinn said:

Same here. I need to get a hold of the new pharmacopeia... I am still using the 2005 edition. ;(

Q

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I got mine free for answering the quiz question correctly in the front of the book, and that was the second time. Not having any luck this time with the question, though!

I also got one free for a quote I gave them that they published in one of the flyers for it. Tarascon has been good to me.

Well, on the opposite side of the coin I have a book I don't endorse, which is EM recall. I really liked surgery recall and pharm recall, but EM recall just doesn't have much meat. It was mainly a collection of facts and pimp questions, not much in the way of patho, DDX, Labs, TX or discharge.

DrQuinn said:

When I was an M4, I used the First Aid for the EM Clerkship. I agree, it was ok.... but you couldn't walk around with it. It was good review when I was at home....

The EMRA handbook is fantastic.

I used during residency (and still use now), the Tarascon Adult Emergency Medicine Pocketbook. It is awesome. Really the only book I ever use besides Sanford.

Q

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Thanks all for the input.

I'm looking up the EMRA handbook on Amazon. What is the specific name?

Thanks!

http://www.emra.org/index.cfm?FuseAction=Page&PageID=1000946

Free with student membership.