Book advice

[Sanad]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Im lookin for the best handbook of surgery right now. I've heard Mont Reid's Surgical Handbook's pretty good. Also heard good stuff about the washington manual. Need advice from people who've used these handbooks or better ones. For core text, my heart's set on Greenfield. Also, i need a handbook for medicine as well which'll help me immensely in wards. Recommendations people!

 

[Blade28]

What year are you in? Are you planning a career in surgery?

Usually the big textbooks are only advised for those planning to go into a General Surgery residency (too much reading otherwise!).

 

[njbmd]

Moving to Clinical Rotations where those who are in clinicals currently can advise.

 

[Terpskins99]

Im lookin for the best handbook of surgery right now. I've heard Mont Reid's Surgical Handbook's pretty good. Also heard good stuff about the washington manual. Need advice from people who've used these handbooks or better ones. For core text, my heart's set on Greenfield. Also, i need a handbook for medicine as well which'll help me immensely in wards. Recommendations people!

Handbook (read pocketbook): Surgical Recall 👍
Textbook: Schwartz's Principles of Surgery (chances are your school already has access to it online).

 

[Sanad]

Our system in Pakistan is 5 years MBBS. Our clinical rotations start from 3rd yr alongwith basic subjects. Im in final yr which has medicine, surgery, gynae/obs, paeds alongwith clinical rotations till evening. Im planning a career in neurosurgery.

 

[Terpskins99]

Our system in Pakistan is 5 years MBBS. Our clinical rotations start from 3rd yr alongwith basic subjects. Im in final yr which has medicine, surgery, gynae/obs, paeds alongwith clinical rotations till evening. Im planning a career in neurosurgery.

I don't mean to discourage you, but neurosurgery is going to be extremely difficult to match as a foreigner.

It is difficult to match even for american medical grads (their matched board scores are on par with the most competitive residencies such as radiology and derm), and neurosurgery is notorious for being self-selective. They prefer their own medical school graduates and they ALWAYS select someone that at least rotated at their hospital. The vast majority of neurosurgery programs have a whopping two slots per year.

Essentially, if you are unable to perform an elective rotation at the site where you intend to match for neurosurgery, you will not even be ranked. Likewise, if a site that you intend to match does not have a track record of taking foreign medical grads (most do not)... chances are you will not be seriously considered.

 

[Blade28]

To the OP:

As I posted in your other thread: **Links to threads on books for MS3 & rotations**

 

[domer621]

I don't mean to discourage you, but neurosurgery is going to be extremely difficult to match as a foreigner.

lol, way to ruin a person's dreams!

 

[Terpskins99]

lol, way to ruin a person's dreams!

Well, that wasn't my point obviously. Just trying to relay some of what I picked up when I was considering neurosurgery.

Actually, I have an interesting side-story... when I took my boards, I noticed this one blonde woman from Germany that was also taking the exam at the same testing center. She had just gotten married and her husband got this big-time job in the states. She had also just completed her neurosurgery residency. 😱

But somehow, she made arrangements to join a specific hospital and they told her that she didn't need to repeat her residency... she could just jump right into a neurosurgery fellowship.

So I guess there are loopholes here and there.

 

[Blade28]

So I guess there are loopholes here and there.

There are, but they're few and far between.

 

[Sanad]

Yea i know about it being impossible and all. Still, i'll try my level best and then some. There's always a chance, no matter what! For every 9 depressing stories, there's a success one! I'm in touch with some program directors who graduated from my university and are in some really good hospitals in the states. They told me the same thing that although it's next to inpossible to match for a neurosurgery residency, there's always the chance but i do need to put in some extra years in research as well. Still, pretty passionate about neuro but if not, then there's always cardio-thoracics! Please dont tell me it's impossible to match for that too!!!

 

[Blade28]

I'm in touch with some program directors who graduated from my university and are in some really good hospitals in the states.
...
Still, pretty passionate about neuro but if not, then there's always cardio-thoracics! Please dont tell me it's impossible to match for that too!!!

(1) There are multiple US General Surgery/Neurosurgery program directors who all came from your med school in Pakistan? 😕

(2) Cardiothoracic Surgery is a fellowship (done after General Surgery), with very few exceptions.

 

[Sanad]

Yea they've been workin there for almost 20 years now. A counselling session is held every year here in King Edward Medical University by these alumni who come here in December and discuss post-graduation options with us. Cant attend this year cuz i'm back home in Muscat!!

 

[Blade28]

How many current program directors came from your med school? I didn't know there were that many IMGs, IIRC.

 

[Sanad]

I met like 2 or 3 here at the conference. A few of my friends know 4 or 5 more. There's one in UPenn i think. Im not sure but my friend's been in touch with em for quite some time now. There are plenty of graduates from King Edward Medical University in USA. It's the oldest and best University here in Pakistan and at least 100 graduates get matched for residencies in the US in different fields every year. The thing is, USA is one of the best places for post-graduation which is why a lot of graduates aplpy for residencies there.

 

[Blade28]

I met like 2 or 3 here at the conference. A few of my friends know 4 or 5 more. There's one in UPenn i think. Im not sure but my friend's been in touch with em for quite some time now. There are plenty of graduates from King Edward Medical University in USA. It's the oldest and best University here in Pakistan and at least 100 graduates get matched for residencies in the US in different fields every year. The thing is, USA is one of the best places for post-graduation which is why a lot of graduates aplpy for residencies there.

Ah, you were talking about different fields, not General Surgery, right?