The Best Basic Sciences Books for Medical Students

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11 responses to “The Best Basic Sciences Books for Medical Students”

1. 

   Patrick

   15 August, 2015

   Brilliant list!

   I’d add the latest editions of these basic sciences books:
   -Berkowitz, Clinical Pathophysiology Made Ridiculously Simple
   -Costanzo, Physiology
   -Cui, Atlas of Histology with Functional and Clinical Correlations
   -Ellis, Clinical Anatomy: Applied Anatomy for Students and Junior Doctors
   -Felson, Principles of Chest Roentgenology
   -Gladwin, Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple
   -Goljan, Rapid Review Pathology
   -Hampton, The ECG Made Easy
   -Lily, Pathophysiology of Heart Disease
   -McPhee, The Pathophysiology of Disease
   -Robbins and Cotran, Review of Pathology
   -Sattar, Pathoma
   -West, Respiratory Physiology: The Essentials

   On a different note:
   -Freeman, Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty

   Reply
   1. 

      Mark Yoffe, MD

      15 August, 2015

      Wow, Patrick. Thank you for your comment. There are lots of really excellent books on your list – makes me want to update my own list!

      I agree with almost everything you wrote.

      A few comments:

      1. Pathophysiology of Disease: An Introduction to Clinical Medicine 7/E: while it may be the best of it’s genre, it has little or no competition, and I think it might benefit from more cohesion/conciseness. I favor Pathology for the Health Professions, 4e by Ivan Damjanov MD PhD. It is much more basic, but really nicely written.
      2. West, Respiratory Physiology: I didn’t find it to be too relevant to my clinical practice. I might need to have another look at it, though.
      3. Freeman, Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty – I’ve seen it, but haven’t read it.

      Reply
      1. 

         Patrick

         16 August, 2015

         Thanks so much for your reply, Dr. Yoffe! 🙂 I’m just a mere med student making my way through med school (one more year to go!), so what you’ve said here is very helpful.

         Thanks for recommending Pathology for the Health Professions! I hadn’t heard of this book before. I’d like to read it now. However I noticed Damjanov wrote another book called Pathophysiology. Would you say Pathology for the Health Professions is better than his Pathophysiology? They both seem very similar, judging by what’s on the Amazon previews. But Pathology for the Health Professions was published in 2011 while Pathophysiology was published in 2008. Perhaps Pathology for the Health Professions is a more up to date version?

         Reply
         1. 

            Mark Yoffe, MD

            16 August, 2015

            I think that Pathology for the Health Professions (2011), which I recommend, is the most current edition. I think it’s an update of Pathophysiology for the Health Professions. Perhaps they changed the name to “Pathology” because there is a different book, by a different author, with the same title.

            Happy learning!

      2. 

         Jonathan

         16 June, 2016

         Thank you Dr. Yoffe! Would you say Pathology for the Health Professions is good for med students learning pathology for the first time? Not necessarily for Step 1 per se, but just for learning pathology in general? Like read Pathology for the Health Professions then move on to something like Robbins or Goljan’s Rapid Review Pathology? I’m just looking for a good foundational book to learn pathology from.

         Reply
2. 

   Mark Yoffe, MD

   16 June, 2016

   Yes, Jonathan. I think it’s a terrific entry level book for medical students in general.

   FYI – It looks like the next edition might be coming out in October 2016.

   Thank you for your post.

   Reply
3. 

   Jono

   2 October, 2018

   Cheers, this is quite helpful!

   I’m surprised there’s no mention of First Aid for the USMLE Step 1, but perhaps that’s because it’s not so much a proper book as it is a review resource?

   As well, what do you think of non-book resources (e.g. Pathoma, Sketchy Medical, Doctors in Training)?

   Reply
   1. 

      Mark Yoffe, MD

      2 October, 2018

      Thank you for your comment, Jono.

      I loved First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 as an exam study aid. I didn’t find it all that useful for long term memory and retention. But if it works for you, that’s all that matters! Happy studying!

      Reply
4. 

   Harmony Joshua

   7 July, 2022

   Hello, thanks Doctor Yoffe. I have a question, though. I just wrote my high school certificate examination a month a go and I’m looking for materials that will prepare me for medical college. Please can you refer some books to read or, could I possibly go by the ones already listed by you?
   Thanks alot.

   Reply
   1. 

      Mark Yoffe, MD

      12 July, 2022

      I can answer your question from the perspective of someone looking back and thinking about what I wish I knew better before medical school, throughout medical school, as well as during residency and beyond.
      I can definitely say that the answer for me would be a better understanding of psychology, particularly personality disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), as well as grief. In my opinion, nothing helps you get through the day–both clinically and administratively–better than understanding human psychology.
      There are many YouTube videos and books about psychology and personality disorders. My favorite single book is The Soul in Anguish: Psychotherapeutic Approach to Suffering (2015) by Lionel Corbett, MD. The purpose of medicine is to alleviate suffering, and this book tells you how to do it.

      Reply
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