Family Medicine Shelf exam books

[lemonpeel]

Hi:
I know that Swanson is suppose to be great for family practice, but does anyone have any suggestion on a good review book that I could use? Thanks in advance.

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[squeek]

Actually, Swanson's IS a review book...it's structured around clinical scenarios with board style questions plus outlined review. I found it to be a great book, quite comprehensive, and it helped me pull a very decent score on the shelf exam. Our primary care rotation is 8 weeks long, so I tried to read ~75 pages a week. I finshed the book in plenty of time, and it's not so torturous to have to read only 7-10 pages a night.

Good luck!

 

[Doctor Wyldstyle]

I'm looking for recommendations for a good text for my Family Medicine rotation. I have 4 weeks to learn enough to do well on the shelf even though this is only my 3rd rotation and as you all know, Family Med covers everything.

Thanks,
wyldstyle

 

[DOtobe]

I used the Blueprints book, which gives a good overview. However, we don't have shelf exams, so I don't know if the book will help with the shelf. The Blueprints in Medicine book might also help, because it goes into more depth with a lot of the things encountered in family practice (diabetes, hypertension, etc.).

 

[m4kim]

i would suggest that you use blueprints to get a general idea and then use question books to study for the shelf exam. Two good ones are NMS family medicine and the book by Swanson...

 

[Blade28]

I'm using Blueprints, though it just seems like a more condensed version of the medicine version. The little red book is great for quick review too.

 

[lf777]

Hi

Maybe Swanson's Family Practice might also be a good start.

lf

 

[Jaded Soul]

Hi

Maybe Swanson's Family Practice might also be a good start.

lf

Swanson's is pretty old now (published in 2000) and the reviews on Amazon say it has errors in it.

 

[DeLaughterDO]

There's a new Swanson's coming out next month (July 2004). Maybe it will be better?

 

[Legion560]

Okay, Ive gotten mixed responses on this. Some people say dont use it because it has a crap load of errors. Other people say that this is the best book they could have used for their family rotation. I checked the bookstore and there is a new edition coming out early this month. So.. what do you guys think?

Legion.

 

[DoctorG]

I found Blueprints and Step 2 secrets to be very good for the Family shelf.

 

[Mossjoh]

I'm currently reading taking notes on "Essentials of Family Medicine"

This is the book required for us, however in our family medicine rotation we take an exam written by our faculty (not the national shelf exam..our only rotation that does this).

I agree its hard to study after being in the office all day. I was there from 8-5 today, and reading is difficult after that. Of course, I also have an oral presentation Friday (making powerpoint now) and also a write up H & P due next Tuesday, so no time to slack.

Mossjoh

 

[b&ierstiefel]

If you want a quick and easy read, take a peek at Outpatient Medicine Recall. It's got some good high yield facts in there. Regardless, I too did family before internal medicine. The word on the street is, if you do internal med before family, the family shelf exam is do-able. If you do family first, the shelf will be hard. It really does test a wide variety of topics.

I even got a question regarding the bite of a brown recluse spider...apparently some stupid kid went into the attic, got bit by something, and necrosis n stuff happened.

Having just taken step 1 I think you fare much better than I did on the family shelf.

 

[Carm]

Our department handed out a copy of "Swanson FP Review: A Problem-Oriented Approach". I thought that it was pretty good. It is a review book in question format. It consisted of the current "Gold-standard" guidelines for treatment. I am a big fan of question guided study. That is what works best for me. I had family as my last rotation of 3rd year and used this book during rotation to prep for step II.

 

[drRumi]

i cant find one decent rotation book for my family med rotation.

any ideas ?

thinking about using step-up for medicine for my family med rotation, but its my first rotation. i havent had medicine yet, so i'm kinda goin in blind.

 

[ericdamiansean]

If I'm not mistaken, there are quite a few, but we use these:

John Murtagh's General Practice

or

Iowa Family Practice Handbook

 

[CityIvy]

Swanson's is a really great book...

 

[community]

Use the St Frances Guide to Outpatient Medicine. It is a great guide. It is also concise.

 

[medstudam]

Swanson's Family Practice (The CURRENT Edition)!

-'Nuff said!

 

[Cpt.Hook Hamate]

Essentials of Family Medicine Is a wonderful book. It is easy to read, has questions at the end of each chapter and is very sufficient.

No matter whatever text you may get, one of my strongest recommendation for text books during third year is the NMS question book for Family Medicine. It has great vignette style questions that you will see on the shelf and has great explanations. It is a must have for this rotation. I am surprised it hasn't been mentioned already.

 

[voltron77]

Can anyone recommend any good question books/textbooks for the Family Medicine rotation/shelf exam? Thanks in advance!!!

 

[deleted109597]

Must....resist....urge....to....make....fun...of.....F....M....

First Aid?

 

[superoxide]

Can anyone recommend any good question books/textbooks for the Family Medicine rotation/shelf exam? Thanks in advance!!!

I haven't started my family medicine clerkship yet, but I found this text during my search for a family medicine textbook.

http://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/product.jsp?isbn=9780779699063

There are several more here: http://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/specialty.jsp?lid=1&sid=61

Sorry, I dont't have any experience with any of the textbooks listed there.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Must....resist....urge....to....make....fun...of.....F....M....

First Aid?

Why resist? It's very cathartic and even allied health providers do it.

 

[deleted87716]

Can anyone recommend any good question books/textbooks for the Family Medicine rotation/shelf exam?

Swanson.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Swanson.

Great avatar Kent.

 

[katrinadams9]

Just wondering what everyone else thought before I bought my books.

 

[m1234d]

we use the sloan(e?) book at my school. we take an in house exam, is there a shelf exam? i never cared b/c i didn't like fm at all, but the book did it's trick, i did well. they also provided us w/ a practice test, that was helpful as well.

edit - just kidding, sorry, its the essentials of FM book. the swanson thing threw me off. that's why i'd take an essay exam over a MC exam any day of the week, in any subject.

 

[8744]

The most useful book for an FP resident? Easy.

http://www.amazon.com/Isersons-Getting-Into-Residency-Students/dp/1883620090

 

[watermen]

Anyone knows what question book to use? or any online source?

 

[deleted87716]

Swanson's is popular: http://www.amazon.com/Swansons-Fami...=pd_bbs_1/104-0351894-6383157?ie=UTF8&s=books

Practice exams here: https://www.theabfm.org/cert/practiceexams.aspx

 

[watermen]

Swanson's is popular: http://www.amazon.com/Swansons-Fami...=pd_bbs_1/104-0351894-6383157?ie=UTF8&s=books

Practice exams here: https://www.theabfm.org/cert/practiceexams.aspx

Aren't these for physicians? I am only a lowly MSIII.

 

[manta]

based on someone's recommendation here, i used student mksap, and focused on family medicine things (HTN, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, etc.) - i was very forgiving with myself, considering that i hadn't done medicine yet. i also tried to read up on the basics of the top 3-5 diseases in the specialties that i hadn't rotated through yet. i think it helped.