textbooks?

[flpostbac]

For those who have experienced the first year(s) as a med student, I am interested in your opinions on which textbooks worked best for you for the following courses:
Microscopic anatomy, gross anatomy biochemistry, pathology, neuroscience, immunology, microbiology, pharmacology.

Any response will be greatly appreciated.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Iron Horse]

Histo: Wheaters and to a lesser extent Ross
Gross: Netter, Rohen, and Chung's board review
Biochem: Champe and Harvey
Neuro: Purves, Haines, Manter and Gatz, and BRS
Immuno: Stites

Path and Pahrm are 2nd year

 

[Dodge This]

I couldn't have gotten through Year One without everything in bold.

Microanatomy: Gartner and Hiatt text; Kerr atlas

Gross: Moore and Agur text (aka "Mini-Moore"), Netter atlas; Rohen and Yokoshi photo atlas; people like Board Review Series ("BRS") Gross Anatomy; "Lachman's Case Studies" has good clinical correlations; Weir atlas for radiography

Path: Robbins is supposed to be the bible, but I didn't use it; BRS Pathology; do NOT invest in Chandrasoma and Taylor

Neuro: Nolte text; Nolte atlas (for neuroanatomy); "The Practice of Neural Science" has good clinical correlations

Biochem: didn't use any texts; Lippencott is supposed to be good

Microbiology: didn't use any texts; people like Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple (or something like that)

Immuno: Kuby (not commonly used, I had it from undergrad)

Pharm: didn't use any texts; Katzung is supposed to be good

Do yourself a huge favor and get BRS Pathology and BRS Physiology now and use it to supplement your studies. Things were so much clearer doing that.

 

[Dodge This]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Iron Horse:
•Path and Pahrm are 2nd year•••••Not if you have an organ systems based curriculum!

 

[Mango]

I know you're all excited to start school, and getting books seems fun right now, but the best advice I can give you is to WAIT! Wait till you get to school, and have talked to the upperclassmen at your own school. They will be able to tell you which books complement the courses. Also, they may have a booksale for you (we do here), where upperclassmen sell their books to incoming first years for dirt cheap. Or you may get some handed down to you if your school has a big/little program.

So, because of all these things, I'd wait. Nobody gave me this advice before I started my first year, and I had shelves of books I never used because of it (I have since sold them to first years).

 

[Iron Horse]

I guess some 1st years do see pharm and path. We are on an organ systems curriculum, and although there is some path it's minor -- only used to illustrate normal phys.

 

[neutropeniaboy]

I am someone that used BRS review books, but I was and am firmly against using them as primary textbooks. They are, IMHO, wholely inadequate for learning the material in the first place. They are review books, and you can't review what you haven't already once learned.

I think they're great for USMLE review and for introducing you to the subjects you're about to encounter. I read the relevant chapter(s) in BRS Path & Pharm before starting the units in class. Helped a lot in organizing.

I suggest that you NOT gte BRS Micro. Unless they've updated the book in the last 1-2 years, the previous version was riddled with errors.

My recommendations:

Histology: Ross
Biochem: none
Anatomy: Baby Moore and any atlas
Neurosci: Kandel and Schwartz and any atlas
Immunology: Roitt
Path: Big Robbins
Pharm: Katzung or Goodman and Gillman
Medicine: Current Dx and Tx (or if you intend to go on into medicine, Harrisons)
Microbiology: Murray