Reading Harrison's

[NewYorkDoctors]

yeah I know only fossils read this. UpToDate is better... MKSAP16 is more relevant to me right away... maybe I should even get Pocket Medicine into my brain first...


but perhaps at some point in my career I should be reading this back and forth? Often the older attending physicians always boast about knowing Harrison's inside and out... perhaps... but maybe this will be more of a career thing long term than a resident thing... right?

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[gutonc]

yeah I know only fossils read this. UpToDate is better... MKSAP16 is more relevant to me right away... maybe I should even get Pocket Medicine into my brain first...


but perhaps at some point in my career I should be reading this back and forth? Often the older attending physicians always boast about knowing Harrison's inside and out... perhaps... but maybe this will be more of a career thing long term than a resident thing... right?

Harrison's is outdated 2 years before the most recent edition comes out. If it makes you feel like a stud, and you don't want to do anything useful or fun with your time off then go nuts. (Protip...nobody but you and your 92yo emeritus professor mentor will care that you did it.)

The guys who are talking about knowing it inside and out are talking about the 3rd or 4th edition...what are we up to now? 18? Back when it was 300 pages long, and dinosaurs roamed the earth, it was a reasonable read. Now that it's 1500+ pages it's just ridiculous. Is it still a good reference for fundamentals? Sure. Should you be using it to make up to date treatment decisions? Probably not.

 

[krps85]

Actually 3500 pages now. Does look nice on the shelf though.

 

[DIce3]

I read the 12th edition cover to cover and think it made a significant difference in my ability to practice general internal medicine. I have purchased every edition since and find Harrison's explains a problem much better than Up To Date.

There is an even better way however... get NEJMOnline and read every Case Record and Review Article over the past ten years.. that would get you even farther toward becoming a master internist.

 

[galactica2001]

I think for your speciality you kind of have to know it inside out (I mean, it's not THAT comprehensive after all).
Personally, for me Harrison was daunting when I was a student, but now with some clinical mileage, it's a very nice and organized read. I don't expect to find the very latest, but heck, I'm a fellow, thus I still need to learn stuff, right? And Uptodate is not quite as educational, though a good reference when you're at a loss with some clinical problem that doesn't fit into standard textbook stuff.

 

[cbass1350]

Actually 3500 pages now. Does look nice on the shelf though.

Yes. Even if not read, it's a great way to impress dates.

 

[NewYorkDoctors]

I have the 18th edition as one big PDF on my ipad...

I showed it to the older attendings, who loved it and that convinced them to buy an IPad.

 

[jdh71]

All the cool kids are doing it.

I always thought the big H was fairly deece at describing the pathophys and the general ideas behind treatment

So if you like a big picture can be helpful at times. But specifics and nuance of treatment you will not find which is the devil in the details of today's medicine.

 

[Bostonredsox]

I put mine on ebay end of second year. I regularly read NEJM, Annals of IM, CHEST and SCCM. Harrisons is outdated and not something to pick up and quick read for explanations. There are far more efficient ways of doing this then the 40 pound 4000 page beast that is that book.