Good IM Textbook to read over in a few months

[Neurontin]

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I'm (hopefully) starting residency in 2009 in Medicine, and I feel that my knowledge in basic internal medicine is quite lagging (I've been in graduate school for the last 4 yrs and didn't decide on medicine until mid-summer).

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good IM textbook I can read over in a few months -- and understand? I'm not looking for an answer like "Harrisons" I think it's impossible for me to get through 2000 pages and still remember something, but something that's a bit more manageable, and a bit more detailed than a standard review book (like Blueprints).

Thanks!

 

[nasdr]

Pocket Medicine + Step-Up to Medicine (just my .02)

 

[dragonfly99]

Pocket Medicine is good to have on the wards...though I wouldn't call it a "book" per se.

Could try Kelly's textbook of medicine (there's an abridged version I think).

But I actually think Harrison's is very good...and I think you could read quite a bit if you started now. Could skip some the less relevant chapters (like the intro one(s), etc.).

 

[howelljolly]

Depending on how fast you read, and how much you can retain without seeing the actual patient...

I read Washington Manual in a couple of weeks before my IM core rotation, and it was very helpful.

Harrisons, if you can get through it. But I think you'd forget most of it anyway, even during your intern year when you're seeing patients.

Davidson, the British text is a bit smaller.

Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment sounds to be about the right size.

 

[Neurontin]

Thanks guys,

I've started going over some books and I feel like CMDT and Davidson's are pretty decent. There's another book that I picked up recently written by the faculty at my home institution - Johns Hopkins called "Principles and Practice of Medicine", the 23rd edition of the original book written by William Osler. Unfortunately, the last edition is from 1996, so it's somewhat outdated, but it certainly has a number of important pearls and I seem to really like the style of the text.

Thanks again everyone. If you have anymore suggestions please keep posting.

 

[agk]

Cecil's Essentials of Medicine - it's the abridged version.. still pretty thick, but it maybe less than Harrisons (i think)

 

[drfunktacular]

I also want to do something along these lines... I got Cecil's Essentials and Medicine Secrets to read through. I'd also like to spend some time with some practice guidelines/review-type articles from NEJM and elsewhere.

 

[QuinnB]

Thanks guys,

I've started going over some books and I feel like CMDT and Davidson's are pretty decent. There's another book that I picked up recently written by the faculty at my home institution - Johns Hopkins called "Principles and Practice of Medicine", the 23rd edition of the original book written by William Osler. Unfortunately, the last edition is from 1996, so it's somewhat outdated, but it certainly has a number of important pearls and I seem to really like the style of the text.

Thanks again everyone. If you have anymore suggestions please keep posting.

I think some of the books that have been mentioned are good choices (namely cecil's, davidson's and CMDT). If I were you, I would really re-consider harrison's (newest edition) and would skip the first ~400 pages and get right into the specialties.

I would not read the PPM from 1996. Medicine is unbelievably differnt from that time. The book would essentially be useless for much of cards, critical care (which are the two most important intern rotations), HIV/AIDS care, DM, etc...essentially all of the most important/common conditions have had significant advances in therapy. This is my opinion.

 

[Captopril]

I was trained on the other side of the world where British books are the standard. For a quick yet comprehensive medicine read, we would always turn to the Kumar & Clark pocket text. It was money for me during rotation and boards (which just happened last 2 weeks ago)

 

[Amy B]

For fast reading - Blueprints Medicine.. Short and a very fast read. Not detialed, but just a skimming book.

NMS Medicine is also a fast read.

Our program bought us the 2 edition Harrisons as well as Cecils. So we read those now as residents. Personally I believe those are too detailed for a quick read as you said you want to read something in 2 months.

Good luck