List of advanced txtbooks to throw away or keep? Please, help :)

[658809]

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Hi there,
Is it useful to keep any txtbks or notes from advanced, upper-level undergrad study for medical school?

Here is what I have in mind for keeping:

Genetics: the textbook is easy to read and seems to go in depth (more than the lecture class did for sure), but the notes don't seem very useful because I don't know how time-efficient it would be to go back and re-orient myself to notes that I took years ago if I could just look this stuff up online?

Lehninger's Principles of Biochemistry: the textbook is Lehninger's Principles of Biochemistry, which I've heard is a good reference. However, the notes, as I have them now, are not in the best order. Also, they seem sparse and repetitive at some parts and looking back, I'm unsure if I even remember enough material from biochem to find these notes useful as they are written out and organized now. I suppose I could take time to sort them out?

Animal physiology: for a class that compared animal physiology across all sorts of kingdoms and species, not human-focused but does seem helpful for some basic science stuff

Becker's World of the Cell: I've been told that any cell bio review is helpful?

Statistics: once heard a medical student say she was thrown off by some of the stats she needed to know and would have liked to still have her stats text? I think this comment is somewhat strange, but any other ideas?

The core question here is, is it useful to keep this material? I've heard contrasting views from different people, some who say that anyone can look up anything on the Internet and get access to what they need.

Here is what I think I'll donate/get rid of:

organic chemistry, chemistry, physics, intro psyc textbook, intro bio . . .

Thanks so much for your help!!!

 

[VisionaryTics]

Get rid of them all.

 

[Psai]

Keep stats if you really want. Rest are garbage

 

[cbrons]

Even the stats is probably not that helpful, the medical stats is much more focused.

 

[Jabbed]

lol Lehninger

 

[658809]

lol Lehninger

Sorry, but what do you mean by "lol Lehninger"???? 😵 Thanks 🙂

 

[658809]

Get rid of them all.

Wow, a very precise answer. If you don't mind elaborating, if you're learning something in medical school and it has roots to something you learned back in undergrad and you're feeling very fuzzy about the whole topic, how do you "review" that? For example, will I need to know about enzyme kinetics, metabolism, etc (and all other sorts of things that I've learned about somewhere along the line...)?? Thanks for your patience 🙂

 

[VisionaryTics]

Wow, a very precise answer. If you don't mind elaborating, if you're learning something in medical school and it has roots to something you learned back in undergrad and you're feeling very fuzzy about the whole topic, how do you "review" that? For example, will I need to know about enzyme kinetics, metabolism, etc (and all other sorts of things that I've learned about somewhere along the line...)?? Thanks for your patience 🙂

Yes, you need to know those things, but there are dedicated texts and review books for medical students that are more appropriate. The pace of med school makes poring through texts designed for undergraduates very impractical.

 

[658809]

Yes, you need to know those things, but there are dedicated texts and review books for medical students that are more appropriate. The pace of med school makes poring through texts designed for undergraduates very impractical.

Ahh, I get it now that you've put it in those words. One last comment from you, please. I take it from your replies to me that you never actually had to go back and look at anything from undergrad? Sorry if these questions seem elementary, but this is helpful to know.

 

[VisionaryTics]

No, never cracked an undergrad text once.

 

[658809]

No, never cracked an undergrad text once.

Thank you. Case closed 🙂

 

[MedWonk]

Sorry, but what do you mean by "lol Lehninger"???? 😵 Thanks 🙂

Lehninger is probably great if you plan on being a biochemist (I didn't even bother reading it in my undergrad biochem class). For med school, it's way more depth than you'll ever want or need. To get an idea of kind of stuff you'll learn, look at Lippincott Biochem. Even then, you likely won't cover the everything that's in the book. I would just sell all your books and see what the school recommends, though if the textbooks they tell you to read are dense behemoths, then I probably wouldn't even bother unless they pull material from the books on the exams that isn't in your lectures. The only behemoth that I've bothered with so far is Robbins. It's unlikely I'll read the whole thing, but so far I find that it's just so damn well written I constantly go back to reference it.

 

[operaman]

Never even took a science class in undergrad - you don't really need any of it and whatever you need, they cover at the start of M1 anyhow.

Never wished I had another book. You will absolutely not need them. Sell them to underclassmen and be done with it.

 

[NontradCA]

I have about 60 medical texts and I hardly use them. Maybe once a week I'll crack one open. You definitely don't need undergrad ones.

 

[cbrons]

Never even took a science class in undergrad

How did you get into med school then?

 

[Chipster.]

How did you get into med school then?

Who said he went to med school?

 

[organdonor]

Sell them all while you still can. When the next editions come out they will cost more to ship than people are willing to pay. Half.com NOW!!!

I did what you are contemplating and kept 5-6 undergrad texts which I thought may be useful. This was woefully wrong. We even used the exact same text for genetics and I still didn't use it. Your classes will distribute lecture material that goes over exactly what you are expected to know. You will not have time to reference textbooks. Some use review books which depending on your style can be helpful since they are focused towards med students and therefore much more high yield.