Best Textbooks for Surgery

[LongChainPUFA]

I couldn't find a particularly recent thread on the topic, so decided to make a post. What are the best textbooks that will provide a good foundation before my surgical rotation starts in 2017. I am pretty well versed in the very specific area of shoulder surgery (as that is my thesis topic), but looking for a broader understanding of the field to impress my regs.

4th year Australian btw.

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[dynx]

I couldn't find a particularly recent thread on the topic, so decided to make a post. What are the best textbooks that will provide a good foundation before my surgical rotation starts in 2017. I am pretty well versed in the very specific area of shoulder surgery (as that is my thesis topic), but looking for a broader understanding of the field to impress my regs.

4th year Australian btw.

Been a long time but seems this is medical school rotation and I'm assuming general surgery. Not sure why you bring up shoulder surgery. Nobody cares about shoulder surgery in medical school. If this is not about a general surgery medical school rotation then learn how to ask a question. Anyway...
The only recommendation that can be made is Lawrence's essentials of general surgery.
Read it. Front to back. Memorize it. That's it. That's all you need to know. Some people may say "hey, it's not very detailed" and that's true. But if you know it cold you'll know more than 99.999% of the other students that take the rotation and that's all that matters. Somebody may say "that's not true!!! I knew more!!" They're a liar. And an idiot. Read it. Learn it. Love it.
Moderators, you can know close this thread.

 

[rigid]

I find textbooks to be obsolete at this point,

UpToDate tends to have everything you could ever need nowadays

 

[mimelim]

I find textbooks to be obsolete at this point,

UpToDate tends to have everything you could ever need nowadays

Certainly true for me, but some people like to have a textbook at the right 'level' to read cover to cover.

Based on that OP, it depends on the level that you are looking for. Assuming you are an MS3, I'd recommend Essentials of General Surgery by Lawrence. If you are planning on going into surgery and want something a little more substantive, it is a different story and everyone has different opinions.

 

[dynx]

For the OP:
Disregard the folks above. Lawrence is it even if going into a surgical residency.
Up to date is great. If you know what questions to ask/ subjects to search. Anyone that suggests it as a stand alone resource and replacement for a text is a fool. You can't look up subjects/surgical procedures and obtain a good overview of a field on up to date...it's for those students that can't shut up when the topic was announced 3 days before the discussion in class and they (and somehow unknown to them EVERYONE ELSE in the room) knows the answer because they looked it up and you just want to kick them in the back of the head when they won't stop talking like they just happen to know that **** cold out of the blue but suddenly look like dolts when asked questions on a consult that just came in before rounds.
Residents were you a couple of years before. Attendings were you 3-10 years before. We know what's going on. If you give a masters thesis on small bowel lymphoma when it's an announced topic but can't give me treatment options for PUD on the spot I know you're look it up on UP to date the day before I need to know it kind of guy. And I'm not impressed.

 

[Hangry]

Yes, wrong answer.
Thanks
Exactly what I would expect from somebody that thinks they can do well on a rotation reading uptodate. Congrats on sucking. I'd explain but it'd fly over your head. Maybe if you had some clue what you didn't know you could make a suggestion that was helpfull to the OP. But then again knowing what you don't know would have made your suggestion useful. It's a tricky situation.

For the OP:
Disregard the folks above. Lawrence is it even if going into a surgical residency.
Up to date is great. If you know what questions to ask/ subjects to search. Anyone that suggests it as a stand alone resource and replacement for a text is a fool. You can't look up subjects/surgical procedures and obtain a good overview of a field on up to date...it's for those students that can't shut up when the topic was announced 3 days before the discussion in class and they (and somehow unknown to them EVERYONE ELSE in the room) knows the answer because they looked it up and you just want to kick them in the back of the head when they won't stop talking like they just happen to know that **** cold out of the blue but suddenly look like dolts when asked questions on a consult that just came in before rounds.
Residents were you a couple of years before. Attendings were you 3-10 years before. We know what's going on. If you give a masters thesis on small bowel lymphoma when it's an announced topic but can't give me treatment options for PUD on the spot I know you're look it up on UP to date the day before I need to know it kind of guy. And I'm not impressed.

You make some good points (and we all hate "that guy"), but 1) you are doing a solid job of living up to your Calvin and Hobbes sig, and 2) you can definitely get through a surgery rotation and do great without a textbook. I read from uptodate/similar online resource every night on cases for the next day on top of studying shelf resources/onlinemeded and did very well on my rotation. I'm sure textbooks are great for some learners, but I guarantee I would know less if I had replaced some or all of my studying with Lawrence's.

Edit: now if you are referring to only studying topics piecemeal without having a comprehensive resource to go though we can certainly agree on that.

 

[rigid]

Yes, wrong answer.
Thanks
Exactly what I would expect from somebody that thinks they can do well on a rotation reading uptodate. Congrats on sucking. I'd explain but it'd fly over your head. Maybe if you had some clue what you didn't know you could make a suggestion that was helpfull to the OP. But then again knowing what you don't know would have made your suggestion useful. It's a tricky situation.

Did someone forget to take their happy pills this morning?