Category: Medical Students

  • Book Review: Robbins and Cotran Atlas of Pathology, 2e

    Book Review: Robbins and Cotran Atlas of Pathology, 2e

    Robbins and Cotran Atlas of Pathology by Edward C. Klatt MD contains more than 1,500 high-yield medical images, including clinical and intraoperative photographs, pictures of gross pathology specimens, blood smears, H&E stains, electron micrographs, funduscopic and endoscopic images, plain radiographs, CTs, ultrasonographic images, MRIs, and many other. The pictures are generally clear and clinically relevant, with  authoritative and concise…

  • The Best Basic Sciences Books for Medical Students

    The Best Basic Sciences Books for Medical Students

    Here is my list, in no particular order, of the best basic sciences books for medical students: Robbins and Cotran Atlas of Pathology by Edward C. Klatt MD (2009, reviewed here) Basic Clinical Neuroscience (2007) by Paul A. Young PhD. Netter’s Essential Histology. 2007. William K. Ovalle PhD. Molecular Biology Made Simple and Fun. 2010. David P.…

  • How to Become a Superstar Diagnostician Within the Span of One Lifetime or Less

    How to Become a Superstar Diagnostician Within the Span of One Lifetime or Less

    To become a great diagnostician, you need to excel in six different diagnostic modalities: (1) history-taking, (2) physical examination, (3) laboratory medicine, (4) medical imaging (including point-of-care ultrasonography), (5) electrocardiography, and (6) bedside diagnostic procedures. History-taking The two most important components of history-taking are knowing what to ask and how to ask questions. Prepare and perfect scripted questions for…

  • Book Review: Primary Care Otolaryngology

    Book Review: Primary Care Otolaryngology

    Primary Care Otolaryngology is a free downloadable publication by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. You can get it here. The original version of the book was written by J. Gregory Staffel, MD more than fifteen years ago and was most recently updated in 2011. It was written primarily for medical students, but it would serve…

  • Neurology: A Curriculum for Self-Guided Learners

    Neurology: A Curriculum for Self-Guided Learners

    Here is my proposed curriculum for learning neurology: Step 1 Nail down your neuroanatomy with Basic Clinical Neuroscience by Paul A. Young (2007). If you are planning to become a neurologist, neurosurgeon or radiologist, use Sidman’s Neuroanatomy: A Programmed Learning Tool (2007) to help gain a deeper understanding of anatomic and functional neuroanatomy. In the alternative, or as an…

  • Electrocardiography: A Curriculum for Self-Guided Learners

    Electrocardiography: A Curriculum for Self-Guided Learners

    “If you think there’s another specialist who has all the answers, someone else who’s going to bail you out of trouble every time you have a question about ECGs, you are mistaken. That person may just as likely be wrong, so YOU must strive to become THE expert.” Amal Mattu MD, ECG Interpretation of STEMI:…

  • Teach Yourself Radiology!

    Teach Yourself Radiology!

    Radiology is by far the most challenging specialty in all of modern medicine in terms of the sheer quantity and breadth of information one needs to acquire in order to become competent at it. You can, however, teach yourself radiology by focusing on the highest yield items: Step 1 Master radiographic anatomy. Radiologists need to know least four…