MedStudentBooks - Books for Medical Students!

Medical Interviews: A Comprehensive Guide to CT, ST & Registrar Interview Skills

2011-08-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

This is an excellent book! Used this recently in preparation for academic foundation programme interviews. I know, I know, this book may be slightly more advanced than FY stuff, but it does help you prepare your answers, and encourages you to think and approach things in a different way that would impress your interviewers. This book compiles the experience of interviewers, and gives you model answers, both good and bad, so that you can see which one you should be aiming for.

Like I said, this book may be a tad too advanced, but it never hurts to start early!

Obstetrics and Gynaecology by Impey & Child: "...the only book needed to pass finals in obs and gynae"

2010-08-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

"This is a great book...the only book needed to pass finals in obs and gynae" is how the StudentBMJ described this popular textbook. It's certainly no exaggeration, as this book covers every topic in sufficient detail for you to cover your final year objectives in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

The book has been hugely successful since it's first publication and the reason is simple. Books are often described as "well written, easy to read and well illustrated", but "Lawrence and Impey" (as you will come to know it!) goes one step further. Every area of O&G for undergraduates is backed up with an introduction to the basic sciences which helps set the scene and the structure of the text encourages a management based approach to learning, which trains you to start to think about how you might manage patients that you are bound to see during your "on call" sessions. You will find the succinct summary boxes peppered throughout the chapters and at the end of chapters invariable when it comes to revising the key topics nearer to exams.

The "Management" sections at the end of the book lay down management approaches to common scenarios encountered in O&G including antenatal bleeding, placenta praevia and cervical cancer. These sections are particularly useful for revising for SBA type questions and OSCE stations.

Another part of the book that I personally found very useful was the section on contraception and family planning which is very well written and serves as a very good reference on the different types of contraception and their various nuances.

This is one of the first books that will be cleared off library shelves within an hour of O&G firms beginning, so it's worthwhile having your own copy to refer to and annotate as you go through your firm. I'll certainly be holding on to my copy for the foreseeable future.

MedStudentBooks Rating: 10/10

Gray's Anatomy for Students (McDreamy recommends!)

2010-08-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

More anatomy, this time Gray's Anatomy. Now, this is the one that pretty much everyone will recommend you to buy, and they are right (sort of). It is very well presented, the illustrations are great and it does not come across as wordy as Moore & Dalley. The content is well laid out, the order of things is slightly differently to other anatomy text books (i.e. Moore & Dalley), you'll get used to it quite quickly. Not as wordy as Moore & Dalley, and some of the illustrations are better as well.

George's, some lecturers use this book to make lectures and handouts, so it might be good to have this. Another thing about this textbook is that it is part of the Elsevier publishing company, you will get a code in the book, so you can access the online version of this book and others (provided you buy them first!).

MedStudentBooks rating 8/10

PasTest 300 Single Best Answer Questions for Medical and Surgical Finals

2010-04-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

This set of 300 Single Best Answer Questions by Satyen Gohil (or SBAs as you'll come to know them as) are what most medical exams (finals anyway) are made up of these days. It's important to get lots of practice in and this book certainly helps you get started on that front.

It's split in to 2 sections: 1) Scenario-Based questions, 2) Knolwedge-Based Questions. As you can guess, the former are sets of 3 or 4 case based questions. You're usually given a short history and then a number of questions based on investigations, treatment options and pathology (sometimes!) The Knowledge-Based Questions test a whole range of stuff from across the medical curriculum.

The questions on the whole are of a very good standard and act as a good test of your knowledge. Whilst this might not be the first book you buy as a medical student, it certainly will be on you'll be getting to know better nearer finals!

Overall Rating: 9/10

PassMed - Exam revision and tips

2010-01-18T04:04:00.000-08:00

So, they teach you clinical skills, and tell you to look out for all these signs i.e. clubbing, you know what it looks like and when to look for them, but what does clubbing mean??? Well, www.passmed.co.uk provides notes on clinical examination (which are excellent) and goes through the common findings which is very helpful!

MedStudentBooks rating 10/10

Are you kitted up?

2009-12-28T07:32:00.000-08:00

Click here to buy your Littman stethosocpe for next year!

Wheater's Histology

2009-08-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Wheater's Functional Histology...mmm...where to start??? Well, this is probably the least used book that I've bought, because after our first year, when we had histology practicals St George's stopped these practicals, and after that, we never really touched on histology again.

However, things aren't all doom and gloom. This book is very good, the images are excellent as well as the text. Also being another Elsevier publication, you can get an online version of the book as well once you've bought this. We also had some questions on histology in our OSPEs, which is where this comes in handy.

MedStudentBooks rating 6/10

Cardiovascular physiology (this is THE book!)

2009-08-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

Levick's An Introduction to Cardiovascular Physiology is the textbook for any St George's student (medic or biomed), because Levick pretty much wrote the entire cardiovascular module based on this book, so all of his lectures came from this book as well as everything you need to know.

Alas, I must be honest, Levick will be retiring, so the lectures could change by how much I don't know, but this book should cover all bases. If you buy this, which I did, I didn't use any other textbook on Cardiovascular, how much of this applies outside St Georges I dont know, but for us, this is a must-have!

MedStudentBooks rating 10/10 (it's that good!)

Pharmacology (blue pill or red pill?)

2009-08-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

Now, this book is all about pharmacology, like it says on the front cover, but it's more than just pharmacology when you use it! (Don't worry, I'm not going to take you on a magical journey here)

When I started med school back in the ice ages, this was one the first textbook that I've bought. Rang and Dale's Pharmacology could be one of the most useful books that money can buy! It covers quite a bit of physiology, at least enough so that when it talks about how and why drugs work, everything would make sense. It has an excellent section drug receptors, which corresponded to our lectures (at St Georges at least), and also as a recommended textbook, many of us bought one. There isn't much wrong with this book, so I'll stop here.

Hang on, knew I forgot something, as this book is published by Elsevier, there will be a code on the inside cover, which will allow you access to the online version of the book!

MedStudentBooks rating 10/10

St George's Medical School Reading List

2009-07-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

Anatomy

Gray's Anatomy - Click here for review

Clinically Oriented Anatomy - Click here for Review

Essential Clinical Anatomy - Click here for Review

Pharmacology

Pharmacology - Click here for Review

Physiology

An Introduction to Cardiovascular Physiology - Click here for Review

Principles of Physiology

Vanders Human Physiology

Clinical Medicine

Clinical Medicine

Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine

Medicine

Pocket Essentials of Clinical Medicine - Click here for Review

Clinical Skills

Macleod's Clinical Examination

Clinical Examination: A Systematic Guide to Physical Diagnosis

What books to buy for medical school?

2009-07-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

This is a question bound to be going through everyone's mind while they start to make preparations for medical school. We'll soon be posting essential reading lists for medical students at St. George's, which will no doubt be of use to medical students at other universities around the country too. So keep an eye out for news on updates..! The best way to do this would be to sign up for updates by RSS on your right!

How to make learning anatomy that much more fun?

2009-07-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

Over at the Wiggle - a blog run by Dr Brownleader, a Camden based GP - there's a really good link to the Anatomy Arcade which has some very fun looking flash based games to revise your anatomy. Poke-a-muscle is one i like in particular!

Atlas of Human Anatomy. A picture book

2009-07-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

More anatomy, I know, I know...I promise this will be the last one (well, maybe). So, Netter's is basically a big book of illustrations, which is very helpful when it comes to learning your anatomy and revision. The illustrations are better and clearer than those in textbooks, which would make this the perfect companion for any anatomy studies. If you don't want a big book, this also comes in a flash card series, which is very handy.

MedStudentBooks rating 9/10

Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Daddy Moore

2009-07-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

Anatomy is a very important subject, and the anatomy lecturers will make sure that is drummed right into your heads. So, choosing an anatomy textbook, well there are two big names to choose from, Moore & Dalley with their Clinically Oriented Anatomy, and Gray's Anatomy.

Well, let's start with Clinically Oriented Anatomy. It is a good textbook, good illustrations, and good explanations. Another good thing about this textbook, is that there are clinical examples dotted throughout the book in blue boxes, which is nice, as you can see the clinical aspects of various anatomy. As a medical student, this is one of the must-have books!

However, this isn't the best thing since wikipedia...it does come across as a bit wordy, but I still liked it (enough to buy it!). As students, I speak for myself at least, I wasn't bursting with money, and this was around £10 cheaper than Grays, so I bought this!

MedStudentBooks rating 9/10

Running out of space to carry things on the ward?

2009-07-21T08:44:00.001-07:00

There's already a whole lot of stuff to carry around with you on the ward. Your stethoscope, patient list, pen (or pens because one's never enough), pen torch...forgetting something right? The Oxford Handbook. That, if you don't know already, is probably your best freind on the ward and now it's even easier to carry around this gem of a book because it's even smaller now! The new MINI Oxford Handbook of Medicine amazinlgy measures only 12.6 x 7.6 x 2.4 cm, whilst retaining all the brilliant pages of managment guidelines and treatment options that is become renowned for. That is quite something. A friend of mine has this and I remember thinking what a great little invention! And although the typeface is invariably a little on the small side, its still readable so two thumbs up for this one!

BMJ Careers Fair coming to London in October 2009

2009-07-21T02:33:00.000-07:00

BMJ Careers jointly with the London Deanery will be hosting the biggest medical recruitment fair in the country! It will be taking place from October 2-3 2009 in London's Islington Business Centre. The best thing is, its open to medical students too! And...entry to the fair is free if you pre-register online! So go on ahead and click here to register: http://careersfair.bmj.com/en/1/national.html

Essential Clinical Anatomy: All you need to know as a medical student (and more!)

2009-07-21T02:17:00.000-07:00

When you start out as medic, it might be tempting to go for one of the big anatomy books (Gray's, Moore etc) but then you come to realise that these big chunky textbooks aren't really more than an excuse to take up more space on your book shelf. They do often containt lots of lovely images, which is great, and nowadays most come with CD-ROMs or online access with extra features (Gray's Anatomy for Students is a good example). But if you're after a smaller anatomy book that doesn't compromise on detail or illustrations, then Moore's "Essential Clinical Anatomy" is your answer. It features all the big topics you'd expect to find in an anatomy text book, and there is just about enough detail to get you through your early OSPEs. I find this book particualry useful as its one you cna carry round with you if need be, and it's invaluable when you get to your more senior firms like Cqrdiology say adn you need to quickly go over some of the relveant anatomy before you go and watch some cardiac catheterisation or some cardiothoracic theatre. This is definitely another one of my essential buys as medical student!

JVP explained...!

2009-07-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a very nice, illustrated explanation of the JVP, what it is and what it does! The illustrations are brilliant and really help visualise what's going on. Do have a look!

http://www.blobs.org/science/article.php?article=50

Scrubcasts

2009-07-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

I like these. They're a bit old, but they're quite good to listen to on the go.

I like the Atrial Fibrillation podcast set to "Billie Jean" as background music. That alone is worth listening to - throw in one of the most common arrythmias around, and you've got a winning formula! http://scrubbingup.libsyn.com/

CRASH COURSE: Cardiology

2009-07-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

A really good introduction to Cardiology. Features chapters on all the big topics for finals from Arrythmias to History and Examination skills! I found the chapter on Valve defects particularly good as the book lists in illustrative form signs and symptoms of the common defects. The only downside I would say is that at times it feels like a lot has been crammed in - an obvious thing to say you might think, but at times perhaps this is to the detriment of the book. That said, it is a really good basic text for Cardiology, whether you're revising or starting one of your firms. I've certainly found it a very good book for looking up things on the go - I carried it with me all the way through my Cardiology firm!

The ECG Made Easy by Hampton - Fear ECGs never again...

2009-07-18T03:42:00.000-07:00

Does it get better than this?! You can now read Hampton's brilliantly easy to follow The ECG Made Easy online...for free!! Click here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/4429407/ECG-made-easy (NB: This is the 5th edition. You can grab a hard copy of the new edition here)

Breakthroughs in DNA medicine to revolutionise doctors' training - Times Online

2009-07-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

Could Genetics play as big a part as say Pharmacology in future training? It could be argued that both are as important as each other in making good doctors. The Times report on developments in genetics prompting re-evaluation of medical curricula. It's an interesting read.

Breakthroughs in DNA medicine to revolutionise doctorsÃƒÂ¢Ã‚â‚¬Ã‚â„¢ training - Times Online

Skeletal Embryology - a series of lecture notes

2009-07-02T03:45:00.000-07:00

http://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/Notes/skmus8.htm
Very well done notes on embryology provided by The University of New South Wales.

About us

2009-07-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome to MedStudentBooks.

We are two medical students from St. George's, University of London and we are currently in the 3rd and 4th years of our studies.

Buying books during medical studies is at times a hefty investment. We wanted to make the process of finding the right books that much easier. We hope to provide honest and reliable reviews for medical textbooks that we've read ourselves to make it easier for you when it comes to buying books.

Buying books alone won't get you through medical school, which is why we've also collected various online resources over the years which we will be sharing with you.

We know how dificult it can be at times trying to get your head around things at medical school, so we'll also be sharing tips and advice on how to cope with med school.

We hope you find our website helpful.

Please get in touch with us if you have any comments or have any questions for us.

If you feel there is a book we should review, please get in touch as well!

Thank you for visiting.

All the best with your studies.

MedStudentBooks

Pocket Essentials of Clinical Medicine - The gospel for 3rd years...

2009-02-14T07:18:00.000-08:00

Is there really anything that can be said about the greatness of this book that hasn't already been said by cohorts of medical students all over? No is invariably the answer, because you'll find that from the moment you pick this book up, it will become one of your most trusted and most turned to quick references for all things clinical medicine.

PROS: The Pocket Essentials of Clinical Medicine has a very nice layout with clear headings making it very readable and with close links to the daddy of clinical medicine books: the Kumar and Clark proper, you're never unsure of where to look to get that extra info on investigation or management!

It is affcteditonalty called "Baby Kumar and Clarke" by medics around the country and it has become an invaluble revision aid for 3rd year and 4th year exams for medical students everywhere. I don't know any medical student who doesn';t own a copy, it doesn't rank far behind the Oxford Handbook (of Clinical Medicine) in terms of ubiquity.

What's found here that's often lacking in other books of this nature, are a few words on pathophysiology which you will find incredibly helpful as you try to make sense of what's going on when you're looking at a patient and trying to put together their symptoms and signs!

CONS: The only complaint would be there isn't much coverage of the "specialties" (for the uninitiated, that is eyes, skin, that sort of thing) but you'll find there are other books that cover the "specialties" in much more detail.

FINAL WORD: I didn't have one of these when I was doing CBLs or PBL as they are called now, but this would definitely come in handy for all those case based scenarios, because its very well structured for answering all those questions on investigations and management!

MedStudentBooks Rating: 10/10