Stedman's dictionary- do I need it?

[zeloc]

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Should I get Stedman's dictionary? Will it help with classes? I'm an M1. Also, if I do get it, should I get the abbreviated version or the full one? Are there sections in the book that will help me learn Greek or Latin roots, or something that will otherwise help me with medical school? Thanks all.

 

[LuckyMD2b]

I think it would be a waste of $. just look up the words you don't know in the index of your textbooks or in an online dictionary. Stedmans is really not worth it. You'll learn medical jargon easily enough.

 

[Wrigleyville]

It should be available for free online through your school's library. Don't bother buying it. I got one for free in exchange for joining some club I probably shouldn't have bothered to join, but I never use it.

 

[phoenixsupra]

I love steadman's. I recommend it highly. I have the big one, the midsized one, the tiny one and the cd version on my computor. I'm just fascinated by word roots in general. Yes, I am a freak about this. But there is a practical side. After a while you build up a really good understanding of latin and greek word "parts". Medical language sort of becomes more friendly. It's really just colorful working class language one step removed. Now why should you care, you ask. Just imagine how much easier it is to generate mnemonics when you know the literal meanings of all the words. Also, the history of medicine is sort of fosilized in the language we use (another interest of mine). For example the word surgeon literally means manual laborer. 🙂 On the other hand if none of this appeals to you then you probably don't need it. 😉

 

[Sweet Tea]

don't get it. my big buddy gave me his and the only time i've used it was to prop my door open.

 

[debvz]

I have a copy of Steadman's on my computer desktop. A classmate emailed it to the entire class at the beginning of 1st yr. I've never had a paper copy of it.

I have heavily used it, especially when studying for boards. Often when studying, i'd leave it open on my computer, and use it as a backup or cross reference for whatever I happened to be studying.

I'd highly recommend getting a computer copy of it - the links between entries and eponyms are a great resource and a cinch to use.

 

[omarsaleh66]

I use the small one all the time, there are so many times I read my notes and see words that I have no idea what they mean, so it does help to have it. I recomend it.

peace

Omar

 

[Mike59]

I think a nice medical dictionary is a great investment.
Especially the ones with lots of pictures (like Mosby's)...In my first year I found it helpful to get a very quick snapshot of what a particular disease is or an unfamiliar term.

After first year, having a dictionary on your PDA is very valuable cause you won't always be near a computer when traveling or on the wards etc.

 

[SunnyS81]

I find it useful on regular basis, since when the clinicians lecture us (I'm an m2), they throw out jargon that I've never heard and can't figure out based on contextual clues. I think I have the mid-size one. I got it free for joining AMA, but I think a dictionary of some sort is important.

 

[BenYossarian]

I got the big one as a grad. present. I don't know if I would fork over the cash to buy one...but I'm glad I have it for looking up stuff...as people said lecturers like to throw in jargon like "coprophagy" (look that one up!)...plus (and I just noticed this the other day) there a bunch of charts in the back with muscle and vessel information in them. good stuff.

 

[maiko82]

I'm also an MS1. Stedman's is one book I never go without. I'm going to marry it.

 

[LukeWhite]

http://216.251.232.159/semdweb/internetsomd/Index.asp?

 

[maiko82]

http://216.251.232.159/semdweb/internetsomd/Index.asp?

Nice. I hadn't seen that yet.

 

[LukeWhite]

Nice. I hadn't seen that yet.

Merck's online too!

http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/mmanual/home.jsp

Good sites for dx, etc (more 2nd year sorts)

http://www.emedicine.com/

http://www.fpnotebook.com/

eMedicine is particularly helpful. It requires registration, I think, but will take you through most any disease from start to finish, complete with treatment regimens, a special section on defensive medicine for each condition, etc. I was going to marry it, but unfortunately Stedman's got there first.

There was some unpleasantness.

 

[LukeWhite]

And (I've just discovered) you can combine the dictionary and diagnostic aspects on emedicine. If you double click a word it will automatically open a new screen with a dictionary lookup for that word from Stedman's. It will also provide links to articles emedicine has relating to the word as well as a PubMed query link.

 

[bgibney]

Stedman's is online for free (http://www.stedmans.com/)

I have both the full Stedman's in hard copy (i've opened it maybe twice - to look at proper pronounciation of a word) and I have the concise version on my palm. I use the version on my palm probably every day, and the concise stedman's along with medical eponyms on palm covers just about every word that I have come across in notes, books or lectures. Hope this helps.

 

[Barry Otter]

Should I get Stedman's dictionary? Will it help with classes? I'm an M1. Also, if I do get it, should I get the abbreviated version or the full one? Are there sections in the book that will help me learn Greek or Latin roots, or something that will otherwise help me with medical school? Thanks all.

I second the recommendation of getting a PDA version of Stedman's. I almost never used my paperback copy, but do use the PDA version quite a bit.

 

[azzarah]

I don't have stedman's...I have the abbreviated version of the other one (Sorry forget what it's called)....I use a lot as an MSII, but never used it in MSI...wait it out and see if you really need it.

 

[PianoGirl04]

I think having some sort of medical dictionary really helps for PBL. A lot of times my group will have to look something up during the first session because none of us have any idea what a particular term means. Usually someone will break out their copy of Stedman's and read the definition to the group instead of assigning "define XXXX" as a learning objective.

Of course, I had no idea the entire thing was online for free until now, so buying the book may or may not be worth the investment...

 

[Nflow]

Should I get Stedman's dictionary? Will it help with classes? I'm an M1. Also, if I do get it, should I get the abbreviated version or the full one? Are there sections in the book that will help me learn Greek or Latin roots, or something that will otherwise help me with medical school? Thanks all.

I have the abbr. version and I absolutely love it. It saves me a lot of time, searching through the index, and I am amazed about how much medical info the dictionary has.

 

[kappasigMD41]

We got the small one for free during first year orientation. I think we had to sign up for AMSA or AMA to get it though. I use mine ALL the time. You'd be surprised how often you come across terms in the notes that you don't know the definition to.