Washington Manual or MGH Pocket Medicine

[pugsly]

Which one to get??

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[dragonfly99]

Definitely MGH Pocket Medicine for carrying around in your pocket.
Washington Manual is more detailed, but it's not really a quick reference guide...more like for reading in the call room, etc.

 

[asmallchild]

Seems like all my co-interns are snapping up the Washington Manual. Is it that vital/awesome?

 

[gutonc]

Seems like all my co-interns are snapping up the Washington Manual. Is it that vital/awesome?

Nope. It's good, does the job, but way too involved for a quick pocket read. As a student I used Ferri...as an intern I used my mad skills...as a resident, I used Pocket Medicine...as a fellow I borrow Pocket Medicine from my resident.

 

[skypilot]

Learn this book inside out and you will be a great intern.

 

[subtle1epiphany]

I'm an incoming intern 🙂scared🙂
I heard about Pocket Medicine from SDN during MS3 and haven't really looked back since. (although I do look to supplement it at times)
While I can't compare to the Wash Manual, I got the "pocket" Ferri's Guide. It's solid, has pretty much the info you'd need, but is substantially less pocketable, not as durable as Pocket Med, and can be rather verbose...like me!
Regardless, Pocket Medicine is able to convey a massive amount of information in such a concise text. I think that's its greatest strength.
Just my opinion.

 

[asmallchild]

that's nice to hear, I've already got Pocket Medicine (invaluable since 3rd year)

guess I'll pass on the Washington Manual

 

[dragonfly99]

skypilot is right
Pocket Medicine would be very helpful for a medicine intership. For one thing, it has a lot of useful info that is concise, it's a little small 3 ring binder so it's durable and has removable pages, and it has spaces for adding your own notes.

 

[iatrosB]

that's nice to hear, I've already got Pocket Medicine (invaluable since 3rd year)

guess I'll pass on the Washington Manual

I've got pocket medicine...and for the Wash Manual, I bought the Intern Survival Guide. It's a super condensed form of the Washington Manual (written by same people).

 

[Tigerz_Fan]

You can get both for the iPhone under Skyscape.

Also, Sanford Guide will be coming out soon for iPhone.

I know it is also available for Palm, and I believe Blackberry as well....

 

[Adcadet]

I've found the Osler Medical Handbook to be very useful, although it's about the same size as the Washington Manual and better references, but probably a bit too big to be a regular component of the white coat.

Where are you guys going where you don't have easy access to a networked computer? I find that on call I have more resources available than I can possibly use - UpToDate, Harrison's (full text and Practice), Hopkins Antibiotic Guide (free with registration), my own hospital's anitbiotic guide, ACP Journal Club, PubMed, full text access to all the major textbooks, etc, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Osler-Medical...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240629394&sr=8-1

 

[ThinkTooMuch]

any sense in a premed reading PM just casually? will it hurt?

 

[Tigerz_Fan]

any sense in a premed reading PM just casually? will it hurt?

For simple browsing, no. But remember by the time you are in clinicals many recommendations will have changed.

 

[drfunktacular]

any sense in a premed reading PM just casually? will it hurt?

It will probably hurt your chances at having any friends in college. Just read an Atul Gawande book like every other pre-med.

Or, if you really want to know what's good in medicine, I would highly recommend you (and every other pre-med) read:

1. Lewis Thomas' The Youngest Science: Notes of a Medicine-Watcher.
2. Bernard Lown's The Lost Art of Healing.

 

[dragonfly99]

I don't think there is any use in a premed reading Pocket Medicine. It's more of an outline/reference book, not something for reading. And you won't understand the stuff...and it won't be that interesting right now. And it will be out of date by the time you can make use of any of the information. You'd serve yourself better by just learning your basic bio, chem. and physics right now.

 

[iatrosB]

any sense in a premed reading PM just casually? will it hurt?

You're screen name is dead on!

 

[Hova2005]

Pocket Medicine for the white coat - great for quick reference, looking up basic workups while writing orders, etc. Keep the Washington Manual in your bag in the call room for reading during down time.

 

[NJWxMan]

I have four months of off service IM. Any point to me reading the important topics in Harrison's?

 

[ThinkTooMuch]

It will probably hurt your chances at having any friends in college. Just read an Atul Gawande book like every other pre-med.

Or, if you really want to know what's good in medicine, I would highly recommend you (and every other pre-med) read:

1. Lewis Thomas' The Youngest Science: Notes of a Medicine-Watcher.
2. Bernard Lown's The Lost Art of Healing.

thank you.

 

[drfunktacular]

thank you.

Read 'em buddy. If you can absorb half the lessons in those two books, everything you will learn in medical school is just icing.

 

[jabreal00]

Pocket Medicine. ---------------- Listening to: Project Skyward - Between Two Worlds via FoxyTunes

 

[DrJosephKim]

They are both excellent resources. Either one will serve you well. Just make sure you actually use it!

 

[stankem]

random bump. anyone know if a new edition of the washington manual is coming out? nearing three years of age.

 

[Frugal Traveler]

I vote for the MGH pocket medicine.

I have the Washington Manual, which I refer to infrequently.

 

[stankem]

random bump. anyone know if a new edition of the washington manual is coming out? nearing three years of age.

just a f/u to answer my own question new wash manual coming out in march