What Books to Buy?

[darice]

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3rd year starts in about a month for me, and I'm curious what books I need to be acquiring. For each rotation, I'd like to know A) reference/pocket-sized books for use on the wards, and B) books to use while studying for each shelf... Thanks in advance....

 

[Dr JPH]

I like the Current Clinical Scenario series, especially for medicine and critical care medicine. I also like Tarascon. I rarely even carry my PDA

 

[loveumms]

3rd year starts in about a month for me, and I'm curious what books I need to be acquiring. For each rotation, I'd like to know A) reference/pocket-sized books for use on the wards, and B) books to use while studying for each shelf... Thanks in advance....

You should do a search - this topic has been discussed several times, you just have to put it all together

 

[pillowhead]

3rd year starts in about a month for me, and I'm curious what books I need to be acquiring. For each rotation, I'd like to know A) reference/pocket-sized books for use on the wards, and B) books to use while studying for each shelf... Thanks in advance....

You should probably do a search but here's what I've liked for this year--

Family Medicine: Blueprints Family Med

Internal Medicine: MKSAP for Students, The Only EKG Book You'll Ever Need (Dubin's is most commonly used but I really liked this and the author isn't a pedophile), Case Files Internal Medicine, Pretest Medicine, and Washington Manual for use on the wards

Neurology: Blueprints Neurology, Pretest Neurology

Pediatrics: Blueprints Pediatrics, Case Files Pediatrics, Pretest Pediatrics

Psychiatry: First Aid Psych, Blueprints Psych, Case Files Psych, Pretest Psych, and Current Clinical Strategies Psych for ward use (I had lots of time to do reading on this rotation)

Surgery: Case Files Surgery, Pretest Surgery, and Surgical Recall for use on wards

 

[Medical123]

I love the Case Files series! They have them for every rotation! I pretty well agree with Pillowhead's list. I used a lot of these resources and have done really well this year.

Good pocket books: You will definitely want a Maxwell's. It is a little pocket book that has various lab values, components of the H and P, ACLS protocols, neuro exam, etc. in it. You can probably get one for around $8.00.

Another pocket book that I really liked was a little red book called "Internal Medicine: Handbook for Clinicians." It saved my butt a couple of times when I was getting pimped on PORT criteria for pneumonia or Ranson's criteria.

You will also need a little pocketsized drug book like Taracoson's Pharmacopeia or Sanford's Guide to Antimicrobial therapy if you don't have a PDA.

I also recommend Surgical Recall for the surgery rotation. Though it is not good for the Shelf exam, it is an excellent resource to review before you go into the OR. I was asked lots of questions that came directly out of that book.

 

[randomedstudent]

What I used during 3rd year:

Medicine - First Aid, MKSAP (THE question book to do, esp. if you only do one); in my pocket - Pocket Medicine (the blue ring binder book, probably the best $30 I have spent all year)

Family - we had a book given to us by our school, I thought it kinda sucked, but it was an in-house exam so I used what they gave us; in pocket - Pocket Medicine

Psych - First Aid (I thought this was the best FA of all for 3rd year), Appleton and Lange for questions, nothing in pockets - didn't even wear a white coat

Surgery - First Aid, Pretest; in pocket - Recall ; I also heard Case Files was awesome for surgery I just didn't have time

Peds - First Aid, Pretest; in pocket - none

OB - Blueprints, Case Files, Pretest; in pocket - none

In pocket for all rotations - Maxwell's, Sanford, PDA

 

[dfagod]

Step up to medicine is the best book I've bought while in medical school. It's all I used for medicine, and the MKSAP and pretest for questions.

I didn't like pretest for surgery, I used appleton and lange.

Everything else that was said I agree with.

 

[Adcadet]

Lets see....books I have used and liked:

- The Clership guide series - easy to read, covers the basics. I consider everything in there to be must know info. A great read during the first week of a rotation, and the test at the end is a pretty good assessment of your knowledge from what I can tell. They assume you know just about nothing, which can be slightly irritating if you've already done a bunch of rotations.

- Case Files Internal Medicine - awesome review.

- MKSAP - great study tool, and very good for the shelf.

- Saint Frances Guide to Psych - small, easy-to-read, condensed. Just ignore all the stuff on therapy, as it's not on the shelf exam. Great for those who want to be able to sit down and read a chapter in 5-10 minutes.

- First Aid series - I generally hate these.
- Blueprints -too condensed for my taste.

- Selected readings from your reference book of choice depending on what you have on your shelf and what your library provides electronically - UpToDate, ACP Medicine, Cecil's, Harrisons, etc. I've put chapters onto my PDA to have in the hospital, printed out sections, and read some on my computer. I think Harrisons does a great job Part 2: Cardinal Manifestations and Presentations of Disease (chapters on fever, chest pain, back pain, weakness, edema, dyspnea, etc). Every med student should read most of that section early in third year. ACP Medicine is good with practical info if you want to read into a particular disease, but is short on more basic info and pathophysiology.

- Washington Manual, Harrisons Manual of Medicine, the MGH Pocket Medicine, and (for peds) Harriet Lane all do a nice job as well as a pocket reference. Washington is more practical, Harrisons is more academic. From my short experience with MGH Pocket Medicine, it does a nice job of being practical like Washington and yet has some good academic detail including journal references. There are also PDA versions of all of these. I know Washington, Harrisons MOM, and Pocket Medicine all translate onto the PDA pretty well. I'm not as familiar with Harriet Lane.

 

[DOtobe]

I still can't live without my Maxwell's.

It got left out in the rain and all the pages are faded and falling out and it looks like it's been through a war, but I still use it at least once a week. 🙂

 

[dreds]

What's MKSAP?

You should probably do a search but here's what I've liked for this year--

Family Medicine: Blueprints Family Med

Internal Medicine: MKSAP for Students, The Only EKG Book You'll Ever Need (Dubin's is most commonly used but I really liked this and the author isn't a pedophile), Case Files Internal Medicine, Pretest Medicine, and Washington Manual for use on the wards

Neurology: Blueprints Neurology, Pretest Neurology

Pediatrics: Blueprints Pediatrics, Case Files Pediatrics, Pretest Pediatrics

Psychiatry: First Aid Psych, Blueprints Psych, Case Files Psych, Pretest Psych, and Current Clinical Strategies Psych for ward use (I had lots of time to do reading on this rotation)

Surgery: Case Files Surgery, Pretest Surgery, and Surgical Recall for use on wards

 

[Adcadet]

From ACP

 

[drthanksgiving]

medicine: tarascon pocketbook (meds), washington manual, mass gen handbook

if you are close to a computer your program may have all the best resources like:
e.g. Uptodate

if you want a quick look try this site out in Itnernal Medicine:

http://ezmedaccess.com/

 

[drthanksgiving]

i think MKSAP for students is excellent too

 

[leowolverine]

i'm going to use these books for my study
IM
-harrison manual IM
-kaplan lecture notes
- case file IM
MKSAP 5
- pretest i fi have extra time

OBS/GYN
kaplan lecture notes
case file
pretest

surgery
nms
case file
recall
review of surgery ABSITE & BOARD