Need help from any US medical students!!!!

[EmontonAB]

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Hi. I’m from Alberta, Canada. I decided to go to Ireland to study medicine after doing Biology at Queens University in Canada for a couple years. I am currently attending University College Dublin in my first year of medicine. My goal is to study medicine in the United States…. at this point (with my limited knowledge and experience) I am wanting to do Internal Medicine.

I’ve enjoyed my first year so far and I’m doing quite well but I’ve had a HUGE PROBLEM with picking an appropriate textbook for physiology. I want to do well on the USMLE step 1’s so I want to study the same textbooks as students at US medical schools. I already know what books I’ll need when Im actually studying for the USMLE’s (Board review series, First Aid etc.) but I want to study in a way that will prepare me best for them now. I was hoping some of the US medical students could let me know what TEXTBOOKS YOU HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED TO USE OR THAT YOU LIKE USING. Our school has recommended Berne and Levy but I’ve been told by many people NOT to use it. I don’t like it either. Here are some of the textbooks that have been recommended to me…

Guyton
Costanzo (not her board series review but her main text)
Sherwood
Gangong



I have always liked studying out of textbooks and have never liked lecture notes. I only like to use them to get an idea of what to read out of the textbook. I’m wondering how it is structured in the US … do you guys do most of your studying out of NOTE PACKAGES OR DO YOU USE MAINLY TEXTBOOKS. A textbook like Guyton is very large but I like learning out of larger textbooks that give a lot of explanation. At the same time I find it very difficult to get through all the material and realize that medical students aren’t meant to know everything out of a physiology book as detailed and as large as Guyton. I find myself spending hours trying to figure out whether I should be studying my notes, or taking notes out of Guyton, or trying to do both … its driving me crazy and wasting lots of my time. I am a hard worker and am willing to put in the time to do well in my course and score high on the USMLE’s but I find myself always wondering whether or not I’m taking the right approach to studying. Please help.

 

[edik]

You are asking a very hard question actually. My school could not agree on one book either. We got a list of 5 suggested books, and had to pick ourselves. So there is no agreement on any one book.
In my class many have found Costanzo useful. Other raved about Johnson. Few liked Berne and Levy.
Plus there were special books on kidney, and other organs...
Good luck

 

[ball372]

many people just study from their lecture notes (and only use a textboook for clarification, if needed).

however, since you want to do well in boards - I've heard that BRS Physiology is really good. (perhaps the review books are the way to go for you....)

 

[edik]

many people just study from their lecture notes (and only use a textboook for clarification, if needed).

however, since you want to do well in boards - I've heard that BRS Physiology is really good. (perhaps the review books are the way to go for you....)

I have BRS Physiology. I find it useful only for review, not for study. Nothing is explained, everything is mentioned and nicely summarized.

 

[Murdawg]

I STRONGLY reccommend Boron and Boulpaep. It is extensive, well-written, and filled with great illustrations. Buying the text also gives you access to a lot of online interactive stuff (animations, explanations, etc.) The book is fairly expensive @ close to $100, but a good phys book is very useful in your personal med library as a reference, not just for your phys class. Hope this helps!