I am starting residency and want to hear what books helped them during their various rotations (IM, MICU, Peds, Plastics, Hand, OB/GYN,…)
Thank you
Hey Rachel, it is SO good to see you back here. Are you doing E-med or what? I look forward to seeing some answers to your question… right now all I know is that I am going to price Griffith’s 5-minute Clinical Consult for my PDA as the ultimate quick resource.
And then there’s the question of spending money on stuff that you won’t have time to read…
Are you looking for stuff for Step 3 prep? I’ve heard from lots of residents that Swanson’s Family Practice (definitely not its exact title) is a great overall review. Since I am living that review this year (3 mos medicine, 2 mos ICU/CCU, 2 mos surgery, 2 mos OB, 2 mos peds and 1 month FP) I have no intention of studying whatsoever, actually. And the residents in my program have assured all of us that passing Step 3 will not be a problem after our intern year. I would think every day in E-med, if in fact that’s what you’re doing, would be the same - built-in board review, no extra charge!
Mary
who actually DID get some sleep last night, amazing
Mary,
I am so happy to hear from you too. Congrats on starting your FP program. I also followed my dream and started in an EM program in Pittsburgh.
Actually, I was looking for reference guide recommendations for our different rotations during internship. I have heard that Swanson’s is the best for boards, wasn’t sure if it would help with everything else. I haven’t even thought about whether to get a book for Step III yet or not, probably not. Like you said, I will have live experience and all I have to do is pass.
Talk to you soon
Step III:
Swanson’s Family Practice Review & Appleton&Lange has a step 3 prep book that was solid. I “used” (sorta) both of them not too vigorously…ahem…& I felt no less confused & befuddled than anyone else drudging thru step 3. Should get my scores end of this month/beginning of next - will let y’all know how it turns out.
IF I pass, I was planning to donate them to OPM. But, if either of y’all want them, just let me know.
Rachel, books for the different rotations… I’m sorta flying by the seat of my pants right now. I have a Harriet Lane for my months of peds, a Ferri’s spiral-bound medicine text (name is escaping me right now, I swear to God I feel sooooo stupid on rounds every day, like nothing is sticking in my brain), I’m getting a 5-minute clinical consult for my PDA. For my two months in the units, two months of surgery, and two months of ob/gyn… 
hell I don’t know. Hopefully Nat will chime in at least with a surgery recommendation. To be honest I don’t want to spend beaucoups bucks this year as I rotate through every freaking service in the hospital, but I DO want to learn stuff.
Dave, I would be interested in your Swanson’s and would gladly make it a transaction through OPM for donation purposes.
Mary
looking at my third call without a day off tomorrow… mmmmm how many more days til Saturday?
Mary,
I am sorry that you are having a rough rotation. I am fortunate in that my first 2 months have an easier schedule. However I am not looking forward to my MICU month, in September, and the call that goes with it.
I am looking at Pocket Medicine for my IM & ICU months. The ISBN is 0-7817-4447-4. It’s new edition just came out on June 2004. I looked on amazon and they don’t have it listed, but it is on Lippincotts web page for $32. Since I have a little time, I may wait a little. It is supposed to be good. It is small enough to carry in your pocket and has a ringed binder to add more notes to it. It also has evidence based medicine. Per a review that I read: it needs a neuro/psych section to cover CVA/Seizures, delirium/dementia and ETOH withdrawal management.
Haven’t heard any reviews of Ferri’s, I have seen it around. Do you like it?
For OB I heard there is a “little red book” that I am supposed to get. Not sure of the name if it.
ICU - I heard the ICU book - however it’s edition is from 1998 - a little outdated, so I am not sure what to use for that.
Surgery, I have no clue. They dropped our gen surgery rotation this year. We do 2 weeks of plastics and hand surgery to cover RRC requirements.
Hopefully others will chime in with their thoughts. OMD any other suggestions?
Oh…you meant “residency” books… 
First, don’t buy most of them - go to the library & check them out. Works out very well since library usually lends you the book for 30 days - the length of most rotations. The first list is the ‘borrow from the library’ group. Below that is a list of books to buy & tote around in your pocket…or to have installed onto your handheld 'puter.
Library
Surgery - Mont Reid Surgical Handbook
Surgical Intern Pocker Survival Guide
OB - Williams OB/Gyn pocket guide
&/or the trusty OB/Gyn Bluebook, same one you used to study for boards
Anesth (if you’re fortunate enough) - Basics of Anesthesia (Stoelting & Miller)
Peds - Harriet Lane, nuff said
ICU - The Instensive Care Manual (Apostolakos & Papadakos - met these guys at URochester)
Handbook of Surgical Intensive Care (a Mosby publication)
Psych - you will desparately need 1x get out of jail/hell card!!!
IM - they have their own guid MCAPS or something like that - Nat has mentioned it somewhere recently…
Buy these & Carry in Your Pocket
1 - Maxwell Quick Medical Reference
Massively helpful, esp in the beginning when you’re trying to recall what lab value goes where in the secret physician’s format or lab norms or the mandatory components of the variety of notes you will be writing - probably the most useful book you will carry!
2 - ePocrates Rx (for your handheld) - meds, meds & more meds, excellent pharmacopea (sp?) - if anything is as worthwhile to have as Maxwell’s, it is this program. You can synch w/ your home 'puter & keep bery up to date info on meds, mech of action, dosing (peds & adult), costs, contraindications, most common & most severe side effects…awesome!
3 - Medicine: Current Clinical strategies - quick reference guide to treating common & uncommon lab abnormalities (Na, K, Cl, HCO3, Phos…). Also gives excellent txn strategies for an array of illnesses & situations that you will encounter AND, it is small, legible & weighs next to nothing.
4 - Fred Ferri’s Care of the Medical Patient - recommended by many, although I did not use mine once I left med school
Wash Manual &/or 5-min Clin Consult (variety of versions: General, Peds, OB…) for your handheld - did not use them, but I can see where they’d be valuable on occasion
For ER - the Bible - Judith Tentanalli’s “Emergency Medicine”: the text weighs 12 to 15 pounds; so obviously not a carry-around. But, there is a pocket version that I found very useful on many rotations outside of the ER.
IMHO, a Waste of Money
ANY pt tracking program for the handheld - use paper & pencil/pen: faster, easy to edit & update AND pt’s no longer hang around in the hosp for the hell of it…it is a dynamic place & I found myself expending for too much time & effort dealing with the program instead of the pts
ePocrates ID - totally worthless
Nat - what you got to chime in with?
Hi there,
In terms of books:
For Surgery:
Mont Reid
For Plastics and Hand:
Mont Reid
For ICU:
House Officer Guide to ICU Care by Elefteraides (Out of Print) but the best ICU book in existance.
For Trauma:
Jeff Young’s Trauma Handbook of Trauma Managment (Best Trauma Manual in existance)
Natalie 