Are these good books? your opinion please

[Jinyaoysiu]

Hi

I found some 2nd hand books and plan to read over them before school starts this summer. I know nothing about these books would just like your opinion on them in terms of their caliber and how well they would prepare me if I studied them leisurely on my own.

1) "Gray's Anatomy" by Henry Gray F.R.S

2) "Basic Human Physiology: Normal Function and mechanisms of disease" by Guyton

3) "Clinical Anatomy for Medical Students" by Richard S. Snell 3rd edition

Thanks!!!!

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[Rod Farva]

Those don't sound like books you can leisurely go over before school starts, especially Gray's anatomy. If you really want a physio book to read (and I have no idea why you would want to read physio ahead of time), get BRS physiology (BRS=board review series). That should be all you need in addition to your class notes for physio. I have gotten through most of the first two years without using textbooks at all, except for anatomy.

Seriously, though, enjoy your time off before you start school... get drunk, travel around, be lazy, because you'll soon be pissed off when you're in a gross lab for a few hours every day, and in the library the rest of the time.

 

[Bevo]

I dont know of a medical school that uses Gray's anatomy or anyone that would consider it leasurly reading...

I found the STARS physio book better than the BRS. But I like to read paragraphs instead of one liners.
I never touched Guyton. He's good on certain topics and horrible on others. He was strong on cardio, but horrible on resp.

for anatomy. BRS or baby moore.

I guess you could get a copy of Netter to read along side BRS. But I did most of my anatomy learning in the lab. Gross and clinical.

 

[Galaxian]

Put down the crackpipe...seriously! Do yourself a favor and get trashed every single day from now until medical school starts, and forget that you ever even considered opening a book to "get ready." No matter how hard you try, you're NOT going to hit the ground running, because you probably have no idea what is important to know, and neither should you, because the time you have left should be spent doing all the things that in four years time, you're gonna wish you had done! Honestly, I just don't get some people...

 

[Purifyer]

Originally posted by Jinyaoysiu
Hi

I found some 2nd hand books and plan to read over them before school starts this summer. I know nothing about these books would just like your opinion on them in terms of their caliber and how well they would prepare me if I studied them leisurely on my own.

1) "Gray's Anatomy" by Henry Gray F.R.S

2) "Basic Human Physiology: Normal Function and mechanisms of disease" by Guyton

3) "Clinical Anatomy for Medical Students" by Richard S. Snell 3rd edition

Thanks!!!!

Even though the previous posters have your best intentions at heart... I doubt you'll listen to them.. so here goes..

Grays - I saw it at a book shop once.. didn't look very good (the pictures, if I recall). Do you have any idea as to the layout of your anatomy curriculum? ie will you study the axial anatomy first, limbs?

I have no idea how much Americans know before they enter med school - I presume you're familiar with the skeleton (eg. you know from biol 111 that the hip bone is actually 3 bones). If you don't know this... learn it.

After learning something simple like that, a good idea might be the general layout of the blood vessels (eg heart -> ascending aorta -> arch -> descending -> common iliac -> ext/int ->->-> dorsalis pedis etc.) It's a pretty simple system, just stick to the main vessels. Try to be able to understand the pattern of blood flow through the body (eg if you inject something into the antecubital fossa.. wheres it going to go)

I'm assuming you're aware of the heart... that it has four chambers.. if not learn basic heart anatomy (maybe learn the valves, where they are. Realise that there is smooth parts and rough parts inside the heart but don't bother yourself with it. Learn all the names of the vessels sticking out of the heart and we're they're going (as in the above paragraph).

If you want to start the boring rote memorization early - and you are doing the limbs first - memorize all the muscles of the forearm, arm, thigh and leg... you'll have to do it anyway. Don't bother with attachments yet but try to be able to 'see' the muscle in your head, and thus work out its action.

Don't bother with abdomen, hand, feet, or head.

"Basic Human Physiology: Normal Function and mechanisms of disease" by Guyton - Don't know much/anything about this book either, although it is used by some medical schools (cf. Gray's)

I don't know how much you know so I don't know what to suggest. I presume you're familiar with the basics - eg membrane potential.. the physiology of muscle contraction.. the neuromuscular junction. It might be a good idea to read through the cardiovascular and respiratory physiology chapters in Guyton. They're important, but in my opinion not that hard to understand (eg.. the heart... pumps... blood... around the body).If you don't understand them, ignore the bullsh*t work vs pressure graphs that will no doubt litter the respiratory chapters.


Note : If you're going to waste your summer studying anatomy... just memorize the pictures imo