How would I get a basic overview?

[krob2]

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I'm not a medical student, nor am I interested in pursuing that career choice. This may already mean that I'm in the wrong place, but I couldn't think of better forum or sub-forum to ask this question.

I want to know what some of the best, most concise books are on certain medical subjects, for the purpose of attaining a decent overview of how different bodily systems work, what goes wrong and how, etc. I understand that this is an extraordinarily vast subject, so I'm asking only for what would be the most efficient overview for practical knowledge in one's own life.

You may say that it would be irresponsible for a layman to try to diagnose his own problems, assess his own symptoms, or come up with his own treatment, and I certainly agree. If I ever present with a major medical problem, I will certainly seek professional advice and treatment. I'm not some crazy person trying to become a "doctor" without going through the responsible track. I'm just looking for how to build a practical knowledge base for my own life.

I remembering thinking about this sometime in the past, like maybe a year or so ago, and coming up with books like Clinically Oriented Anatomy and Netter's Atlas, both of which I'm sure everyone here will know about. But I'm sure there are others, or perhaps these are overkill for my purpose, or whatever, which is why I'm posing this question to a community that should be able to give me solid advice.

Sometimes it's difficult to know whether certain problems you have even are problems, for example because they've been with you for longer than you remember, or came about in a way that didn't seem alarming. This plus a thousand other things suggest that even those not interested in a medical career should get a solid overview of the science, that is unless they have the cash to get constant checkups for every little symptom that may not even be an issue at all.

If this is in the wrong place, feel free to move it, lock it, or delete it. But I would appreciate an answer from those who would know. Thanks.

 

[Dapado33]

Try The Merck Manual of Medical Information. It started out as a reference book for physicians, but this edition is a "laypeople version" that uses everyday language instead of medical jargon yet still covers all the same stuff. Amazon lets you preview the book (including the table of contents), so look at this and see if it's the type of book you were looking for.

 

[CatFactorial]

For an overview of how the body works, learn physiology. Berne is a good text, but even the BRS review book I think would suffice.

Then you can go onto pathology, histology, pharmacology, or other ologies as you see fit.

 

[redsquareblack]

I hear what you're saying. Same reason why I feel that everyone should at least know how a car works, and know at least some basic troubleshooting. Don't need to be a mechanic, but at least be able to change your oil.

You'll want to get a good atlas of anatomy. Netter's is popular, but it can be fairly busy, and they keep taking things out of it from edition to edition. The Gilroy Atlas of Anatomy from Thieme is beautiful, if not particularly detailed. Grant's Atlas can be a little old-fashioned, and has perhaps a bit more information than you really need, but it's very detailed. For the sake of clarity and basic, all-around ability to name muscles and bones, I'd personally go with the Gilroy, but YMMV.

You'll want to get a copy of Bate's Guide to Physical Examination. You can get an older version for somewhat cheaper. That'll give you a good feel for techniques of physical examination, and features lots of excellent photos to serve as a reference. It doesn't go too terribly in depth, but it would at least give you the ability to "kick your tires", as it were.

I second Dapado's recommendation of the Merck Manual.

If you want to get a feel for the gestalt of human physiology, then I would recommend (I $h!t you not) David Macaulay's The Way We Work. Don't be turned off by the fact that it's actually a children's book; if you're familiar at all with Macaulay's other work, then you know it's certainly not exclusive to that crowd.

I disagree regarding Berne; I had a hell of a time with that book, and found the explanations wanting. It was most helpful in consolidating information gained from other sources, but as a primary source, I found it useless.

Hope that helps. Reminds me: I should go learn how cars work.