any system-based microbiology book?

[yanon]

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Most micro books organize their bacteria list by morphology and species (Gram +/-, cocci, rod, and etc).
However, my professors are using an organ system approach to teach micro .
Thus, I would like to buy a book that organizes bacteria by organ systems.

For example, the book should have a list of cardiac diseases (signs and symptoms)--> a list of bacteria that can cause each disease --> a list of dx technique to distinguish between those bacteria --> treatment for each bacteria infection.

Furthermore, I think a micro questions book with questions organize by organ systems would be a great learning tool.

Please give me some recommendations.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

I haven't seen any books that use this system.

 

[Jack Daniel]

I assume you're interested in review books, so one that I have, Microbiology Recall by Diallo/Chandrasekhara (Lippincott) has a section dedicated to organ system review.

However, if you're looking for a text, check out "Mechanisms of Microbial Disease" ed. by Schaechter and others (Lippincott). It is organized by sections. Section III looks at micro from a systems perspective.

 

[yanon]

I assume you're interested in review books, so one that I have, Microbiology Recall by Diallo/Chandrasekhara (Lippincott) has a section dedicated to organ system review.

It is funny that I happen to have that book but I never notice that it has an organ system section until you mention it. So, I just browsed throught that section. It is pretty slim (lacking some details) plus the Q&A format is a good way for review but not for learning new material. I guess I will learn the bugs from CMMRS and then review them using Microbiology Recall. Thanks for your help.

 

[Jack Daniel]

It is funny that I happen to have that book but I never notice that it has an organ system section until you mention it. So, I just browsed throught that section. It is pretty slim (lacking some details) plus the Q&A format is a good way for review but not for learning new material. I guess I will learn the bugs from CMMRS and then review them using Microbiology Recall. Thanks for your help.

Absolutely--hope it helps.
You know we're hopelessly outnumbered by these critters. We humans have to stick together.

 

[Terpskins99]

Most micro books organize their bacteria list by morphology and species (Gram +/-, cocci, rod, and etc).
However, my professors are using an organ system approach to teach micro .
Thus, I would like to buy a book that organizes bacteria by organ systems.

For example, the book should have a list of cardiac diseases (signs and symptoms)--> a list of bacteria that can cause each disease --> a list of dx technique to distinguish between those bacteria --> treatment for each bacteria infection.

Furthermore, I think a micro questions book with questions organize by organ systems would be a great learning tool.

Please give me some recommendations.

Our school is systems based as well, and we had micro spread out over our two years of basic sciences. But the thing is, we had to learn how the bugs affected every system EVERY BLOCK. By the time we finished MS2 year, we had been tested on virtually every bacteria/virus/fungus literally 7-8 times.

Long story short, we had to know all of it from day one.... and it just paid off in the long run to learn it right the first time.

 

[yanon]

Terpskins99,

My school's curriculums are divided by subjects but my professors coordinate their lecture topics such that they lecture on the same organ system for each block. I think the organ system approach is a good way to help students integrate their medical knowledge but it also creates some problems for the students since not all the required textbooks are designed for organ system classes. Furthermore, my professors tend to ask exam questions that go beyond the scope of their classes since they felt that their students probably acquired those knowledge from other classes.

 

[Terpskins99]

Terpskins99,

My school's curriculums are divided by subjects but my professors coordinate their lecture topics such that they lecture on the same organ system for each block. I think the organ system approach is a good way to help students integrate their medical knowledge but it also creates some problems for the students since not all the required textbooks are designed for organ system classes. Furthermore, my professors tend to ask exam questions that go beyond the scope of their classes since they felt that their students probably acquired those knowledge from other classes.

And so..... you probably should do what I recommend and get a non-systems based micro book to study from (which is how most of them are formatted anyway).

As you constantly review micro, you're going to notice a trend. A lot of bugs are known for doing something much more commonly than others. Likewise, you'll recognize that certain scenarios are much more likely to involve certain bugs first. If I asked you the number one cause of large staghorn calculi in kidneys? Proteus mirabilis. Bacteria in fried rice? Bacillus cereus. #1 osteomyelitis? Staph aureus.... etc. In the long run, thinking clinically will be of the best use for both boards as well as rotations/residency. But this takes a lot of practice and may be pretty difficult to study the bugs like this cold turkey.

 

[DragonWell]

Mim's Micro is a "full sized" systems based micro textbook, but IMHO opinion, it pretty much sucks. They go through each system, leaving out all the critical details which you need to know (ie gram rxns, lab dx, etc.) and refer the reader to the appendix which lists the microbes using the traditional, gram rxn type scheme. I guess this might sound like a good idea, but it hasn't really worked for me to keep flipping to the appendix every time I encounter a new bug in my reading.

I would highly recommend Problem-Based Microbiology. In the interest of full disclosure, Dr. Nath is my professor, but I honestly think this is a great book.

It is organized by systems and presents a classic scenario, then goes on to describe the differential, lab diagnosis, tx, etc. followed by a discussion about distinctive features, pathogenicity, toxins, etc. The cases are only 2 or 3 pages, so it is a fast read, but still covers everything you need to know. There are also summaries and appendixes for each system, as well as for lab techniques, antimicrobials, etc, which are pure money. Feedback from students at our school who have taken the boards was that it was the perfect amount of detail for the boards.

 

[yanon]

Terpskins99,
Yeah, you're right about it is important to think clinically but for some unknown reasons my brain is stuck in a basic science mode. So, I am just searching for a book that can help guide me toward thinking clinically when solving problems.

I would highly recommend Problem-Based Microbiology. In the interest of full disclosure, Dr. Nath is my professor, but I honestly think this is a great book.

It is organized by systems and presents a classic scenario, then goes on to describe the differential, lab diagnosis, tx, etc. followed by a discussion about distinctive features, pathogenicity, toxins, etc. The cases are only 2 or 3 pages, so it is a fast read, but still covers everything you need to know. There are also summaries and appendixes for each system, as well as for lab techniques, antimicrobials, etc, which are pure money. Feedback from students at our school who have taken the boards was that it was the perfect amount of detail for the boards.

Damn, another good recommendation. That book looks good too. You're making me take out another $10K in loan just to buy all those great books.

 

[etudiante04]

Cases in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease by Gilligan/Smiley/Shapiro is organized by organ system.

Hope this helps