Book Description

Indispensable survival guide for students transitioning from the preclinical to clinical years! This portable, pocket-sized manual provides essential patient care information in an easy-to-use format. The 10th edition is thoroughly updated and revised, with particular attention to topics such as clinical microbiology, critical care, emergencies, and commonly used medications. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

very handy manual
i found your book excellent in bedside procedures and normal values but unfortunately i have not found enough guides in clinical pictures (diagnosis)and full investigations for separate disease entities to help in query bizzare clinical presentations in our wards

Great reference book
I highly recommend this text for third year medical students. It properly assumes that the third year medical student knows next to nothing about clinical medicine and proceeds to explain abbreviations, commonly used drugs, procedures, protocols on rounds, and a whole host of useful things needed to survive and thrive in the hospital setting. I used it not only in medical school, but during my residency as well (especially during the first two years), especially when learning critical care medicine. Definitely shell out a few bucks and buy this book before you start your clinical rotations during medical school.

The best since M.A. Krupp's Physician's Handbook 21st ED.
It takes seconds to find what you need to know, and as you see from the table of contents it truly is a fantastic all-in-one must buy, must have for the serious medical student or pharmacist intern. This book will make you shine. ... Read more

Book Description

Designed as a study aid to review for the Physician Assistant National Certification and Recertification Exam. It contains over 1200 questions, detailed explanations, a 200-question practice test and is packaged with a CD-ROM in the back that contains all of the questions and answers in an electronic format. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Useful but not without plenty of typos and other errors
I passed the NCCPA board exam using this book and 2 review books on Internal Medicine. I did not even review the NCCPA blueprint (which you should not do by any means). I put in a total of 4-5 weeks of good study. This book certainly covers all the terrain you will need in terms of scope. The questions are excellent and the answers are thorough enough. By the time you finish this and take the 200 Question test at the end (I scored 95% after reviewing the whole book...but would have done much worse without the former)you will certaily feel stronger with your general knowledge.

My criticism are limited to typos and mistakes in terms of right answers in the answer key. For instance you will answer "B" and the correct answer is supposedly "A"; you read through the explanation and it does NOT accord with choice"A" but in fact "B" or maybe "C". That was often the case but just reading through the answers made it obvious which choice was correct so don't give up on buying this book just because of that. Its worth the purchase. The CD was a waste of time however. It contains the identical 200Q test at the end of the book (which itself contains not new Qs but the same as those in the book, only randomly selected).

The actual test has a 30 minute computer orientation period which is not counted towards your exam time so don't worry. It is an intuitive and straightforward user interface. I took 5 minutes to know how to use it and so will you. Last comment - for a review book that supposedly prepares you for the test there was NOTHING on hypertension - go figure! GOOD LUCK!

priceless study guide
Use this guide along with Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, Current Surgical Diagnosis and Treatment, plus a comprehensive board review course and you'll pass everytime. My husband and I ,both very specialized P.A.'s, have passed 3 times each ,plus the additional surgical boards, and are now getting ready for the 4th round! There have been questions on the exam that were right from the book EVERY TIME!! So, the above new grads are indignant about the occasional misinformation, but the reality is that this is a GUIDE not a bible, and that one must study TO the exam-which is rarely a reflection of practice.

Buyer Beware
This review concerns the 4th edition. As a new graduate, I am using this text, amongst others, to prepare for the PANCE. First of all, it is a productive study tool for that purpose, but despite what Anthony Miller, MEd, PA-C (one of the editors) states in an earlier review (see above), it is still littered with incorrect information. The authors state that 75% of the info is new, and maybe it is, but that doesn't alter the facts. Some of these answers and explanations really make you scratch your head frustration and disbelief. In addition, some of the sections, the pharmacolgy section in particular, are filled with irrelavent trivia. Its almost as if the author of that section was deliberately trying to impress us with his command of obscure information, not directly related to clinical practice... Also, some of the question writers insist on using the old fashioned terms for diseases or syndromes, rather than the newer term that describes the pathophyiology. Some of the sections contain very outdated clinical practice information, the pulmonary section in particular. I found the use of the term "rale" particularly annoying. It's just a small thing, but that tells me the writer is not one who keeps up with current practice.

It's really frustrating to look up all 5 answers in Current or Cecil's, find that they concur about the correct response, and then read the answer and explanation in this review and find it totally different.......

This text IS a good review for the PANCE, but only if the student is good enough to recognize the incorrect/out-of-date information and adjust their thinking accordingly. A marginal student might be led astray by this text. So buyer beware..........

Confusion included
Appleton & Lange's Outline for the Physician Assistant Examination is seriously deficient in content regarding the NCCPA Examination Content Blueprint, there are many subjects from the blueprint that are not covered in this review. It also does not cover up to date treatment practice guidlines. It is also seriously riddled with incorrect information when compared to many medical textbooks such as Current's Medical Diagnosis & Treatment and Harrison's. The combination of these deficiencies will erroneously lead the aspiring PA into confusion and error on the exam. Even using the USMLE books will not be enough of a guide so I suggest that all subjects in the blueprint be reviewed individually with other sources and corrections made by the student into this book before attempting the exam.
Hopefully a new book edition that is edited more thoroughly using more accurate sources will become available soon since this one is already three years out of date.

Impressive
I have critiqued many of the PA review books available today. Only two are being recommended for my clinical year students to prepare for End of Rotation exams and the NCCPA exam. This is one and the other is Appleton and Lange's Outline Review for the Physician Assistant Examination by Albert F. Simon (Editor), Anthony A. Miller (Editor).

Roger D. Jones, PA-C
Clinical Director
Bethel College PA Program ... Read more

Book Description

_______

This review is ideal for medical students & residents who are looking for the ultimate board review book for the **USMLE Steps 2 & 3**. Students who are preparing for these exams and are thinking about a residency in medicine, as well as internal medicine residents will ALSO be way ahead of the game when it comes time to sit for their **MEDICINE BOARDS**, that one last boards you’ll take in your third year of medicine residency. This book is concise, thorough, and fully-outlined, so you will clearly see the relationships between all the concepts you’ll have to know. It also features tons of great MNEMONICS you’ll thank your lucky stars for.

Speaking of stars, we know you’ll appreciate our ample use of formatting, especially the use of ***STARRED ITEMS*** which highlight all the recently asked and most commonly asked material on the exam. You should know that this book is an excellent companion to the Frontrunners’ INTERNAL MEDICINE 2004 Q&A REVIEW: Self-Assessment & BOARD REVIEW, which features over 1200 Q&A to prepare you for your boards.

If you’re a mnemonics fan (and who isn’t when there's so much to know?), or like the ones here, then you’ll definitely want to check out TURBO MNEMONICS FOR THE BOARDS 2004: Memory Aids to Commonly Asked CLINICAL Material You GOTTA Know for the USMLE & Medicine Boards. It features OVER 400 truly excellent mnemonics that, we promise, will make your life a whole lot easier. At the same time these resources are outstanding study aids for medical students, residents, internists, and other health care professionals who simply want the best no-nonsense review of internal medicine. Originally designed as the syllabus for the FRONTRUNNERS' INTERNAL MEDICINE BOARD REVIEW COURSE, this book remains today much of the same core material for the board review course, which has seen unparalleled pass rates among its students on the boards. The course has been widely and enthusiastically received for its unconventional, no-nonsense approach to the review of internal medicine.

All major subsections of the exam have been represented with each section bearing its own chapter. Aren’t you tired of reading and rereading (or even falling asleep!) amid long-winded paragraphs from standard textbooks that never make it clear what’s important to know for the exam? So were we, and that’s how this book came into being. This book is completely outlined, so that the relationship between concepts is CRYSTAL CLEAR—no more guessing! You’ll also find tons of key mnemonics you’ll definitely be using on your exam, along with CONTRIBUTIVE FORMATTING through the use of bolds, underlining, italics, boxed-in points, and of course, the ***STARRED ITEMS*** to help call your attention to particularly important material, that the boards like to ask--an outstanding way to capitalize on those last few hours before your exam.

Having said all this, we also realize that there are individuals who have, over the years, grown weary of tedious self-study and who want to take advantage of a sit-down, "feed-me" style of board review, with all the same core material, slides, cases, and more, even if the syllabus can come to them. For this reason we continue to offer our formal WEEKEND MARATHON BOARD REVIEW, covering 18 hours of intensive internal medicine review of all the subspecialties over 1 Sat/Sun. 9 hours each day. Fast paced. High yield items only. Typically the first weekend in August. Don't miss it! Call 866-MDBOARD or 866-IMREVIEW for enrollment details and dates or to order any of our OTHER board review materials, including: 1) TURBO MNEMONICS FOR THE BOARDS, featuring > 400 anagrams and other mnemonics to markedly improve the efficiency of your board review studying; or 2) the Q&A REVIEW, featuring > 1200 Q&A, see the "Quick Order Form" at the very end of this book or just call 866-MDBOARDs or!866-IMREVIEW to order OR inquire. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

We're ALREADY Recommending It
My friend and I studied together last year, using Nail the Boards as our primary study aid, and we both did really well. There was a ton of stuff on the exam right from the book, and a well-organized, completely-outlined format saved us a lot of time. The mnemonics were great we got a lot of points on the exam from those alone. Tables and algorithms were equally well-chosen. The index is well-designed too and made it easy for us to look up specific topics where we were weak. She and I would recommend this review book for sure. The 2002 edition is actually even better. I'm recommending it now to my second and third year residents who are preparing for THEIR exam and am very happy I learned about the book before my exam.

EXCELLENT REVIEW ! * * * * *
I used this book for my step 3 and did very well, so I'm recommending it highly to any of my friends or anyone still looking. I used the starred items to cram a couple hours before the exam and got a ton of points just from those! I also used ALOT of the memory aids from the book on my exam! My friend used it for her step 2 as well and did great, but for step 3 I can definitely say you GOTTA have it.

THANK MY LUCKY 'STARS'...
I TRULY want to 'thank my lucky stars'. I went thru all the starred items in the book, which are all the most commonly-asked material on the boards, then went thru everything in detail, and finally reviewed the starred items only 2 days before the exam and scored 98%ile on my USMLE 3. I got TONS of questions just from those starred items. So, truly, I'm thanking my lucky stars. The 2nd & 3rd year residents are using it for ther medicine boards curriculum as part of our in-house board review. I guess I'll be ahead of the game. Anyway, I'm giving it a HUGE RECOMMEND.

EXCELLENT BOOK
This is an excellent book. This book was a major part of my success on Steps 2 AND 3. I support it whole-heartedly. From my experience, if you want to PASS USMLE STEPS 2 AND 3, this book is a MUST. Guaranteed, you will do much better than your fellow-mates.

Without a doubt, the best
Without a doubt, the best feature of this book is the STARRED items (*) which basically gives you all the commonly asked material on the exam. For me, it was a gold mine. I went thru all of the starred items the day before my exam. I know I got an extra 20-30 points on my STEP 3 from those items alone. Like one of the other reviewers, I also thought the Frontrunners q&a companion was a great way to prepare. It also had alot of stuff right out of the exam. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very Practical
Looking up the diseases and starting the work-up are a snap with this book. Not as comprehensive as Harrison's, but very handy in a busy practice. Diseases are listed in alphabetical order with easy to find signs and symptoms, prevalence and differential diagnosis. Especially helpful are the labs and special procedure sections (e.g. radiology) for each disease. Also helpful are the coding (ICD-9) sections. ... Read more

Book Description

An outline review of medicine. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

#1 Med Text
I love this book. I used it in my second year for pathophys and used it again during third year. The book is very concise and easy to read. I went throught his book about a total of four times leading up to my exam and aced it. THe earlier you start using it, 2nd year, the better off you'll be.

A book with a peculiar style
NMS Medicine is a book which has its own peculiar style that is a reflection of some of the other NMS books as well. The students have tried to master this book over the past few years because it is concise and has alot of MCQ's in the USMLE format.But now it has become very much evident that the book is not very helpful for USMLE because of unnecessary emphasis on low yield subjects and missing out on some of the high yeild material ,moreover many students find it very difficult to memorize the material presented in the book because of the one two three format which breaks the continuity of the text.

Excellent for cardilogy reveiw
If you want to do well in USMLE step 2/step3 the cardiology section of this book is your best bet,as it x-rays the very silient points you need to answer the exam test. This book is excellent overall, but may be boring to go through. Read the cardiology section and you will love yourself for taking this advise and buying the book.

Not as other books of NMS series!
After reading NMS surgery , i really trusted NMS series as review book for boards and end of clinical rotation exam. During my pediatrics rotaion i bought NMS pediatrics and start to notice the differences between the books of this series. But when i read NMS Medicine, i felt like reading newspaper about medicine! it is very boring and dry. It is not usfull (at all!!) for your medicine rotation since it doesn't give you management plan. The heamatolgy and neurology chapters are the worse, but i should say that it contains good respiratory diseases chapter. At the beginning of each chapter, there is introduction about history taking and clinical examination, which i used to skip when i satart to read any chapter! because it is wasting of time, it does not inculde the important points. For board review i suggest you to search for another book!

What i understand after i read this book is that the author is very talkative and boring!!

Excellent for third year clinical then follow up for USMLE 2
I found this book a valuable tool for my core and electives in Medicine. Once prepareing for the USMLE step 2 it was easy to read the book for the second and somtimes in certain sections a third time. I found it valuable and am now purchasing a copy for my girlfriend who is entering her third year as well. ... Read more

Book Description

Just 1 of 5 successful titles in this USMLE Step 2 & 3 Review Series.The goal of Blueprints in Medicine is to enable the reader to review the core material quickly and efficiently.The topics within this review book were chosen after analyzing over 2,000 review questions representative of the Internal Medicine questions on the USMLE Steps 2 & 3.Rather than comprehensive coverage of Medicine, this book is composed of the "high-yield" topics that consistently appear on the exams.All material in this book is presented either as the work-up of a symptom, or as a discussion of a particular disease, to better prepare you for the new "Clinical Vignette" format of the USMLE Board Exams. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Not bad, but not the final word, either
This is a decent book for an introduction to the wards, but is certainly not the be all and end all for step 2. It should be targeted much more for second year students getting their first exposure to bedside medicine, and presents a nice and digestible look at approaches to various common conditions.

Use it for what it is and don't expect it to save your life, either on the wards or the USMLE, and it'll do just fine by you. Not bad, but again, not complete enough or in depth enough to make it a must-have resource.

read this and flunk the step 2
seriously, its a nice read....but it totally lacks the detail you need for the step 2
i found it off the point totally. after reading it twice, i thought "i know nothing".....and that was probably true. i aced the step 2, but thats not cos of this book. it may be a great book for whatever purpose......but not for the step 2 exam. try adam brochert's secrets or crush series. they are like 100 times better. i mean it. trust me on this one.
if you are looking for blue prints books for the step 2....i highly recommend the OBGYN and pediatrics ones.

Excellent for STEP 2
This book and the whole collection of blueprints are the best sources for the USMLE step 2, they are a killing combination with Crush the boards, they are easy-to-read and they cover the most high yield stuff, also you got to use a good source of questions and practice a LOT, this is the secret to acing the USMLE.If you want to practice clinical vignettes, the Underground clinical vignettes are great . I got an amazing score in the step 2 thank to these books. Good luck !

Helpful resource for students creating case histories.
If you're a librarian serving first year med students who need to create case histories for hypothetical patients, you'll love this book. Blueprints in Medicine contains the information the students need, usually at a level they can comprehend (with the aid of a dictionary), and contains very little "excess" information.

Excellent review for wards and Step 2
This book helped me rock Step 2. It may be inappropriate for Step 3, but for Step 2 it's very good. If you want concise review of relevant, high-yield topics in internal medicine, look no further. Helps for 3rd year rotations too. ... Read more

Book Description

You will automatically receive a 3 month FREE subscription to Harrison's Online 2.0with your purchase of the HARRISON textbook.

Eminently readable, completely current, and dramatically revised, the new fifteenth edition of Harrison's PRINCIPLES OF INTERNAL MEDICINE raises the bar for internal medicine references. Featuring over 90 completely new chapters, HARRISON'S continues to provide the most authoritative record of internal medicine as practiced by the leading experts in the field. And it gives you the one comprehensive database that covers the full spectrum of issues you need to know NOW - basic science, pathophysiology, presenting clinical signs, diagnosis, and the latest treatment guidelines.

More than 90 New Chapters

* Expanded treatment with more algorithms and diagnostic decision trees
* A new feature, Genetic Considerations, describes how new advances affect patient care
* Clinical Guidelines now added throughout, provide evidence-based treatment strategies
* Alternative Medicine...a detailed chapter covers this emerging field
* New Chapter on Late Problems in Patients with Cancer
* New guidelines on Adolescent Health Care
* The latest in Gene Therapy with a new chapter on Screening, Prevention, and Counseling for Genetic Disorders
* New chapter on Infertility and Fertility Control
* Neurobiology of Disease highlights numerous advances made during "The disease of the Brain"
* Late-breaking treatment information on multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and more
* A new color atlas of malaria-infected red blood cells ... Read more

Reviews (36)

A MUST BUY for the future Internist
This book is the Bible of Internal Medicine. Anyone considering a career in medicine should have this book in their library. Comprehensive and well written, it is the gold standard of medical textbooks.

Just entering Medical School
Harrison's is one of the leading authorities on internal medicine. Access to Harrison's is an ABSOLUTE MUST for any medical student! However, you might want to consider your options before sheeling out all of this money.

The first consideration is that your medical school library probably has access to the online version of Harrison's. You may even be able to access it from your home from your school library's website. this doesn't work that well for me, because I hate reading long articles online. I need to be able to make notes and highlight. You can print from the website, but it is a hassle.

The second, and I think best option, is to buy a used copy of Harrison's while in medical school, and then maybe get the current edition when you graduate. The basic information doesn't change that much from year to year. you can use an old copy of Harrison's to get the basic concepts down and then use other resources to get the most up-to-date info. I bought a copy that was 2 years old... and I am pretty happy with it.

Harrison's keeps being an authority in medicine
This book is a medical tradition, and it is as important to doctors as their stethoscope.
It is very complete, there is no doubt about it. Every subject of medicine is covered, and for a reference book is a must-have. It is also written in an easy-to-read way, but some chapters are more difficult to understand than others, and like a good meal, in excess it can get heavy and occasionally become a brick, so slow-reading is advised. Also worth to mention are the atlases, that give a lot of pictographic information.
I would recommend it only as a reference book, because for the USMLE, or as a course textbook, it is impossible to read it all, especially if time is scarce.

Not For the Layperson
Is nothing sacred? There are people who are actually rating Harrison's. Those people in medicine (regardless of specialty) will already know that Harrison's is considered the Bible. The layman may be better served with the Merck Manual ( which is less expensive and easier to read than Harrison's). Medical students would probably find Cecil's an easier read also.A layperson reading Harrison's would understand Hippocrates' Aphorisms in the original Greek better.

Wonderful home reference!
Great reference, even for non-MD's. The book's chapters are a great read for anyone interested in health matters, and also for those who desire a really comprehensive medical tome.

The thing is pricey, but well-worth the cost. ... Read more

Book Description

REAL ANSWERS TO CLERKSHIP QUESTIONS
* The only student-to-student, step-by-step guide to clerkship
* Detailed how-to-succeed and what-to-study guidance from medicine clerkship vets
* Hundreds of recently tested high-yield topics from shelf exams and the USMLE Step 2
* Insider tips for outstanding performance from students who've been there
* "Classifieds" do the research for you, featuring high-yield websites and top extracurricular opportunities and scholarships
* Tear-out cards with essential internal medicine concepts in pocket-ready format

The Student-to-Student Guide
* Discover med students' "secret weapon" for the clinical clerkship
* Get answers to shelf-exam questions from students who passed
* Save time with high-yield topics, mnemonics, and pocket-ready reminders
* Apply the First Aid formula for clerkship success! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

First Aid for the Medicine Clerkship
This is a concise book, perfect for MSIIIs starting their IM Clerkship; it is also great for Step 2 review and the Medicine Shelf. MSIIIs can use this as an IM starting point and fill in the details concerning their own patients using Harrison's, Up to Date, or Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment.

Very useful but not by itself
First Aid for the Medicine Clerkship is a great book that gives you the key facts about many diseases. This is information that will help you answer questions during rounds and on exams. It's very well done, with nice illustrations. It's easy to get through, which is important since there's so much to learn during the Internal Medicine rotation (and not enough time!). I also recommend:

1) Practical Guide to the Care of the Medical Patient by Ferri because you need something to help you take care of patients. First Aid for the Medicine Clerkship isn't great for managing patients or working them up

2) Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia because you need something for drug information (if you have epocrates, then you don't necessarily need this). First Aid for the Medicine Clerkship doesn't have much about drugs. Another plus is it's fairly cheap.

3) Internal Medicine Clerkship: 150 Biggest Mistakes because you need something that gives you the nuts and bolts of the rotation. This book tells you how to preround, give great oral case presentations, prepare complete write-ups, and impress during attending rounds. A lot of tips on how to get great evaluations. Not much of this is is in First Aid for the Medicine Clerkship.

4) Access to uptodate or some other medicine reference to help you work up patients.

5) Pretest book - you need to do questions before the shelf exam.

Bottom line is First Aid for the Medicine Clerkship is a great book but you need other things to help you do well during the rotation. Good luck!

Dr Schumacher MD
This is one of the best usmle review books available.The whole First aid series is the best to do well on the Usmle

First Aid for the Medicine clerkship
The best book I have used in medical so far. Questions I was pimped on during rounds, issues relevent to patient management, weird physical exam findings, strange syndromes (Felty's anyone?)were all covered in this book. I pretty much memorized the whole book, and all my attendings and residents during my medicine clerkship commented that my fund of knowledge was excellent. Everyone gave me honors, and it was literally all because of this book. Probably not adequate enough for the NBME shelf exam however, but combine it with some old kaplan step 2 questions and honoring that should be no sweat either. GET THIS BOOK!

Excellent book. Maybe only book you need for this clerkship.
Great book. It's like a potent offering of what you need to know for your Medicine clerkship. It is highly distilled, has quick easy-to-read facts/pearls, and leaves out the crud. I lost mine but I am constantly wanting to go back and review it. I may just buy it again, even though I am done with my Medicine rotation and I am pursuing Surgery as a career. ... Read more

Book Description

Conformal radiation therapy represents a new challenge for radiation oncologists. It offers the prospect of either increasing the radiation dose to target tissues while delivering a similar dose to organs at risk, or reducing the dose to organs at risk while maintaining the dose to target tissues. First, lymph node areas at risk are established using the available data from pathological examination of surgical specimens and/or pattern of locoregional relapse. Then, based on a three-dimensional description of the anatomical regions where the areas at risk are located, guidelines for the delineation of the clinical target volumes are proposed. The data presented should enable the reader to make appropriate decisions regarding the selection and delineation of the target volumes when confronted with the most frequent tumor types and sites.The book will contribute to paving the way for more effective radiation oncology in the twenty-first century. ... Read more

Book Description

Information on virtually every known disease (approx. 600) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Professional Guide to Diseases
This is an excellent book, pure and simple. It covers a wide variety of diseases, and explains each one well without going into excess and causing "information overload" (as some other medical reference books tend to do). Its format is clear and easily readable. It offers sound clinical and laboratory findings, making it a great resource material for students (such as myself). What impresses me the most is its coverage of the more rare diseases, something often neglected in other texts. I have found it invaluable in my studies, and highly recommend it.

Professional Guide to Diseases
This is the BEST medical book to have in your home health care library. I have the second addition and have used it countless time to look up ailments for my family and friends. Although it is written for the medical professional, I find it very readable for a layman like myself. When I became very ill with viral encephalitis, this book helped me understand what was happening to me, how to take care of myself, and to show my family what I was going through so they wouldn't worry. ... Again, I would recomend this book to the non-medical reader as a wonderful reference they will come bact to time and time again. ... And as an author, this text offers good hard facts on medical conditions my fictional characters have. ... Good book, I'm ordering the newest version today.

Professional Guide to Diseases 6th edition
The information is given to the reader in segments that are easy to follow and concise in content. It is organized well with contents at beginning of each chapter as well as an index in back of book for more specific topics. This book covers lab findings, signs & symptoms, nursing interventions and nursing diagnosis on each topic as well as much, much more. It does not limit itself to only the most common ailments but includes information on rarer diseases, as well. It has been an invaluable tool in my nursing practice. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great Book!
I found Cecil's essentials to cover just enough information to be readable. The explanations are much more concise and easier to understand, too. If you are one of those annoying overachievers who must know the full story, then take a year off med school and read Harrisson's. If not, this is the book for you.

Why did I buy Harrison's?
I get a hernia when I pick up Harrison's. I've used it twice this year. I'm a graduating senior, and I've collected all of my upperclassmen's suggestions of books. Cecil's has a bit more info than I'd like, but it's a readable length if you're not a procrastinator like me!
It's extremely well written, and easily understood. It stresses only those topics that we graduating seniors absolutely have to have a clue about by graduation, and it doesn't waste too much paper. It's not a pocketbook, but at about half the physical
size of Harrison's, it's not easy to carry around, either.
If I had to buy only one book out of Harrison's, Cecil's, NMS, and Blueprints, I'd get Cecil's. It's well worth the money.

DESIGNED FOR BOTH DOCTORS AND STUDENTS
Accessible and highly useful, the format of "Cecil Essentials of Medicine" is unique. This is one of the few broad-scope medical texts, which used simple language to present advanced information. The book is dynamic; and very easy to understand. Its strengths lie in the methodological manner with which it tackled clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and therapeutics. It gives detailed information in each case, without dabbling into anything that is unnecessary.
Anybody who reads this book will appreciate the depth of its coverage. It is a quality designed: a valuable compilation with both doctors and students in mind.

the right focus
I am a 4th year medical student and have referred to this book contantly on my rotations. i find that the chapters were lucid and covered just the right amount of depth for each topic. Best of all, the authors focused on all the clinically relevant points of each disease which is a must for the busy clinician. Get it now! ... Read more

Book Description

The source of choice for concise and easy-to-use guidance on the latest advances in therapeutics. More than 300 leading practitioners from 15 countries describe their preferred techniques for managing hundreds of common disorders affecting every organ system. With more than 90% new authorship, each chapter offers fresh perspectives on the hottest topics. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Conn's Current therapy
I have been using Conn's therapy for many years and have always been satisfied with the broad range of pertinent topics and the in depth review of them. I have found this book to be the most frequently referred to "manual' if you will, by all of my colleagues in Internal medicine. Each yearly edition has always been donated to the medical library at our hospital and is always thoroughly worn from use. I would easily rate it a 5 star reference. ... Read more

Book Description

Arms medical students with a complete guide to the seven subjects covered on the USMLE Step 1, including anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, and behavioral sciences. The book features over 1,200 exam-type questions, answers with detailed rationales, and two integrated practice tests. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Excellent review
This book has a lot of important information that anyone taking the USLME should know. It has pretty good questions and answers and I like how the book explains the various USMLE topics. It's much easier reading through this book then some long textbooks. However, I also used the following which is also available on amazon.com:
Microbiology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers by Patrick Leonardi
This questions were on target with the type of questions asked on the microbiology section of the boards. Get both books.

Helps to review small importand details
I have just passed Step 1 and I do believe that this book helped me to get a good score. Despite the fact that the questions in this book do not mimic the exam's questions they highlight many details, which may be missed even in good review books. If you use only one book to study one subject, you will definitely miss some important facts. To cover those facts I did the following. First, I studied the subject using the main review book and answered questions in it. Than I answered questions in this book and always found missed important details, which were not mentioned in my main textbooks but were covered here. In other words, I would advise to read this book before the exam.

Not up to date
This review book is not up to date, specifically the questions are in a format nowhere near USMLE's exam. Memorize the newest edition of First Aid.

Good if you have time, but better exist
I like this book. I really do. However, there are better books out there (Princeton Review and J&S, for example). The tests are hard, a bit too detailed in their demands, and not as applicable to the new testing format. Still, it's a good way to study.

Excellent question and answer content.
The book gives you tremendous amount of practice with questions covering an organized amount of subject matter while giving complete and easy to understand answers. The intergration of the answers into multiple subject matter is one of the books best aspects. If you are preparing for the USMLE this book is a must ... Read more

Book Description

Updated and expanded, the new 6th edition of this popular text remains the only encyclopedic resource for veterinary internal medical problems! This internationally acclaimed "gold standard" offers unparalleled coverage of pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases affecting dogs and cats. Focusing on the clinical manifestations of disease and approaching disease in terms of the organ system involved, this comprehensive resource presents the latest information on specialties ranging from oncology, immunology, and reproductive problems, to skeletal and joint disorders, gastroenterology, and more. This new edition also includes a companion CD-ROM with references and weblinks, and is available in an e-dition package that includes the complete text with full search capabilities, frequent updates, animations and other color graphics, client information handouts, a "case-of-the-month" feature, and links to relevant websites for further information. * It's the only complete reference for veterinary internal medical problems. * Unparalleled coverage is provided on pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases affecting dogs and cats. * The first part of the book is devoted to clinical manifestations or clinical signs of disease, because animals should be evaluated in terms of presenting sign, not on the basis of disease. * The most common signs have been chosen, presented, and discussed in a concise and logical manner, starting with the physical examination and covering system-based signs and symptoms. * Algorithms present the reader with a ready flowchart for aid in the identification and decision-making of each disease anticipated in small animal medicine. * The second part of the book adopts the usual approach to disease as understood in terms of the organ system involved. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Professional standard
Used in most veterinary schools in the world. Translated into 5 languages and generally considered the most complete general veterinary internal medicine textbook. First section is very easy to read approach to clinical medicine.

Rambling Text, No Meat
Reading this book is like running in sand - much effort is expended with little progress. Generalizations and qualitative rather than quantitative facts abound. A chapter on crusting and scaling dermatoses provides vague descriptions and procedures; if you didn't know how to interpret a skin scraping or impression smear before you read this chapter you wouldn't know after reading it either. The chapters on rickettsial disease do not include the most quantitative and pivotal clinical and experimental references. Canine Rocky Mountan spotted fever for example is a fascinating, unique syndrome, but this text provides neither a clear clinical description nor an explanation of the pathophysiologic basis of this infection. The book greatly underestimates the knowledge and skill level of the graduate veterinarian.

A little review from PERU
The book its a good review about the most common diseases found in dogs and cats. Its well writen and have enough tables and flow charts to sumarize the most important diferential diagnoses, drug doses, etc. ... Read more

Book Description

A concise, portable reference that focuses on the evaluation and treatment of over 60 of the most common internal medicine on-call problems(now updated with three new problems: dizziness, overdoses, and pruritis). Each on call chapter includes a presenting problem, immediate questions, differential diagnosis, laboratory and other diagnostic data, and treatment plan. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Internal Medicine on Call
this book is very good for some one who needs fast practical note to handle the newly admitted patient. I read many books in Internal Medicine area ( washington manuel, Current medical diagnosis and treatment, manual of adult ambulatory medicine, mini cecil ) but non of those books gave me what I wanted to know about how to handle the patient that just arrived and I should admitte. this book gives you general but very important informations STEPWISE and you wont be confused as reading big textbooks. the chapter on lab parameter is excellent and very useful. The surgery edition of this series is 85% same as the Internal Medicine one and if you read one it will cover the other too.

THE best on-call handbook!
This is by far the best on-call handbook written. It covers not only common crosscover problems, but has an excellent laboratory and medication reference as well. As a resident supervising procedures, the procedure section has some of the best illustrations and descriptions I've seen. In our Internal Medicine program, we often admit patients "solo" on overnight call, and this book has been a lifesaver (literally!) I forced my ICU intern to purchase this book, as I felt it was vital to getting through those late night nursing calls.

Overall very good, how about a new edition?
I am an intern in IM at the University of Florida, Shands Hospital. I have been using this book since day 1. It has saved me many times and my patients as well. The book is excellent for making a differential diagnoses and I like the fact that it lists common problems encountered while on call. It's great to follow all the recommended steps and really learn as you go along. The best example is hyperkalemia. I have used this 3 times in the last week. It's a great step by step guide to your differentials, what labs to order and what meds to push. I am using the 1st edition from 1991 and I still find it very useful as we still use most of the same drugs. I found it to be very helpful and a life saver. I would like to see a new edition with updated meds. I find myself using this book more than Wash manual or any other book I have. If I get called on abd pain, or fever, or anything, I look it up while in the elevator on the way to the floor and by the time I get there, I have a good idea on how to manage my patient effectively and safely. I would recommend this book for all residents and med students.

great book...
This text is great for its wealth of information for problems - but only for emergency on-call scenarios. (Well, that was stated in the title.) Use it only for selected encounters as it is limited in scope. Each chapter should probably be memorized at some point in your residency. Oh, and it proves a great counter weight for your stethoscope in your white coat. ... Read more

Book Description

The best-selling reference in endocrinology! Authoritative, concise, and current, this "all-in-one" text focuses on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of endocrine disorders. Written by recognized authorities and featuring more than 350 two-color illustrations, the Seventh Edition has been updated to reflect the latest in diagnostic testing and molecular biology as well as new approaches to medical management. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great even for an "amateur" studier
I first found this book at our local university medical library, then bought a copy for myself. I used it to study the possible causes of infertility. I'm not in the medical profession or a medical student (other than as a hobby) but this book was easy for me to comprehend.

GREAT
this book is the book you want to have when you're doing your endocrinology rotation. It goes step by step from the basics and it doesn't loose itself into minor not important detales ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Standard of Care
Unfortunately, the previous reviews have failed to adequately address the role and purpose of this publication. Pocket Medicine, at least as I have used it, is the most concise and accurate reference for the practice of Internal Medicine in the United States as conducted at most teaching institutions today. It essentially covers all the major organ systems and disease processes as the most recent literature and textbooks recommend. Possession of this book will allow students, residents and staff to give patients the best care possible from evidence based medicine. You will shine on the wards and at morning report with this material. In fact, you could easily pass the Internal Medicine board certification exam if you knew everything in this book. For those practicing internal medicine from med students on up, it renders Scut Monkey, Ferre, Wash Manual, tarascon ICU books etc, all obsolete. Just look at the section about Swan Ganz monitoring -it's all there. Look at microscopic polyangiitis- it's all there. These are all real patients I've treated and this book works. More than half of the residents, students and staff in my hospital use it. Even surgeons own it. As medicine becomes more complex and scientifically based, publications such as this will be the only way to keep up. In fact, it's very inexpensive for what you get. One caution is that it may be too advanced for 3rd year med students with a poor knowledge base. A wash manual may be a simpler way to start. Unfortunately, those people who gave it a poor review have simply demonstrated their complete ignorance of the modern scientific practice of medicine. I simply hope they never treat any of my relatives!

The ONLY Book you need on the wards
I agree w/ many of the other reviews. This is a fantastic book for RESIDENTS, not medical students. It tends to gloss over basic information that any resident should already know. For that reason , the book is concise and has all the relevant info in order to manage patients. I also like the small notebook format, so I can add additional pages of info. I agree that this book does need a neuro/psych section to cover CVA/Seizures, delirium/dementia and ETOH withdrawal management. I've already worn my book out in the past two years and look forward to future editions. I have recommended this book to every intern I have supervised on the Wards...It is the only reference book I carry.

Study results!
I see a lot of both good and poor reviews for this book. Personally, I like the book a lot. What it has that Ferri's doesn't is evidence-based medicine. Several major studies (PIOPED, and the like) are summarized. Yes, it is someone's notebook in fancy form. But it's cheap, it's small, and it's good. I found that it was too light on details when I was starting out, but once I felt a little more comfortable with my ability to come up with a basic differential, this was the book for me. It was great help for those long medicine write-ups, providing clinical research correlations. Now it is the only book that I carry in my pocket, full of micrographic notes that I have made from lectures, other books, etc. Ferri's isn't exactly pocket-friendly.

a "balanced" view from a former MGH housestaff...
As a former Mass General resident, I got a kick out of seeing our humble housestaff manual transformed into a glamorous pocket notebook. And apparently a somewhat controversial transformation, given some of the extremely negative reviews that have been posted. Ignoring the commercial aspects of this debate for a moment, I think the manual contains solid and comprehensive information that should serve any housestaff well (it certainly did for me for 3 years!). It probably does not contain enough explanation for most 3rd and 4th year medical students and, as such, should be used to supplement another manual (such as Washington or Ferri).

All that you will need!
This book is the best one to come along in a long while. It is much more succinct and more readily fits in coat pockets than the other manual do. I am a PGY 3 IM resident and use it all the time. It is actually the only book I carry with me. ... Read more

Book Description

Ferri's Guide has long been an indispensable manual for 3rd and 4th year medical students to use during their clinical rotations. It is used increasingly by 1st and 2nd year students as well in programs where students begin clinical work early. It is a general manual of internal medicine with a particular emphasis on differential diagnosis.

There is less information in this book on pathophysiology than in the Wash U Manual, but there is more emphasis on practical clinical information. Tables are used throughout to summarize important material.

Dr. Ferri has responded to reviews by medical students to make the book more useful. This edition will include expanded material on Differential Diagnosis, with an additional 78 clinical topics. There is a new section on diagnostic imaging of the medical patient and an expanded section on dermatology. Other chapters have been updated to provide more current information, and the laboratory section has been amended to list the causes of lab test abnormalities from most to least common. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Buy this Book!
By far and away the best book for the fleging internal medicine resident or even a 4th year student. The "subtleties" of medicine is clearly not the goal of a labcoat reference such as this. Rather, it is a reasonably comprehensiive, easily accessible, and up-to-date guide for day to day decision making on the wards. It does not replace Harrison's, and it won't make you a brilliant physician, but for quick reminders of everyday resident level problems, it's hard to beat. It's actually quite easy to see why it's better than the prosaic and vague Washington Manual (Yawn).

The best quick medicine reference!
This is by far THE best quick reference for the Internal Medicine resident and the med student on a medicine rotation. I'm about to order my 3rd copy. It beats the Wash Manual hands down, because it ALWAYS has what I'm looking for - differential diagnosis, pertinent clinical findings and lab values, and treatment. I especially like the section on differential diagnosis of abnormal lab values (what else causes peripheral eosinophilia besides asthma?). And, if you truly want to add extra weight to your lab coat and make your shoulders ache even more than they already do, this does fit in your pocket (Wash manual doesn't)!

To the publisher
The book is wonderfull. Just about everything a resident could ask for in one source. The material is carefully chosen and explained in a straight forward easy to understand format. I like it so much I went ahead and bought the new edition. My only dissapointment is the spiral style that is still being used and how flaky the pages are. It is not meant to last very long. Maybe that is the intent. Shame on Mosby! This is one area that deserves serious improvement!

Julian DiAvnati, M.D.

A rare find
Bottom line is that this pocketbook will give you practical, useable information on how to manage patients with certain diseases. It's only weakness, if any, is that it does focus mainly on disease entities rather than presentations (eg it won't give you the workup for hematuria). However it compensates for this by giving you a list of differentials for such presentations. I haven't found a pocketbook of comparable quality and value for use on the wards.

Med Students, Buy it NOW
I am a transitional intern doing my gen med rotation. I was introduced to this book by my intern 2 years ago when I was a student during the first week of my gen med rotation. It was great then, and it is great now. I hate carrying stuff in my white coat, especially books of this size. But I refer to it constantly during the day. In rounds, in the ED while working up a patient, while reviewing a patient's labs. Numerous times each day. I have two students with me now, and I've convinced them after one week that they should buy this book. It's that good.

Details, ie, what it offers.

DDX, there is a DDX section in the front for common presenting symptoms. This is perhaps the books only weakness. It is too scant. Many common symptoms aren't included. The differentials offered are adequate, but the section could be expanded.

Systems Based Chapters. CV, Pulm, GI, ID,Neuro, Renal etc. The stuff you see everday on the wards is reviewed very well, with signs, symptoms, diagnostic workup and treatment. These chapters are not everything you need to know. I do more reading at night on specific ailments my patients are presenting with. But in the ED when you are accepting a thyroid storm, CVA, GIB, whatever, its there and it will get you through the admission and the evening until morning rounds with the attending.

Another great feature is the section that helps to interpret many labs you may order. Elevated, normal or low anything, and it provides a great differential. It can make you look smart on rounds.

Finally, there is a short formulary in the back, which I never refer to since I have both pharmacopaeia (spelling?) and epocrates.

This book is great for med students and transitional interns. Prelims and categoricals probably can pass on this. I'd say the next step is the little red book put out by Stanford (Standford Internal Medicine pocket guide? Not sure of the name.) It is much more compact, concise, etc. with citations to the literature. But if you are a med student, buy it NOW, before your gen med rotation.

Good Luck. ... Read more

Book Description

Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD. A Brandon/Hill Medical List first-purchase and minimal-core selection. Comprehensive, major reference to patient care and preventive medicine. For primary care physicians and residents, internists, and general and family practitioners in the office setting. Previous edition: c1995. DNLM: Ambulatory Care. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Supervising Physician says this is the one to have!
The SP I'm with told me this has an answer for almost all my questions. He refers to it frequently himself-- a very good reference!

A one stop shop for medical information.
You will not find a more complete and comprehensive medical resource. This book tackles every disease I can think of. ... Read more