Raven Neurology Review: For the Medical Student Clerkship (2018)

Raven Neurology Review: For the Medical Student Clerkship (2018) is an excellent clinical neurology book that is geared toward intermediate-level medical students, particularly those who are taking a neurology clerkship or studying for the shelf examination.

Presentations are mostly case-based. For example, the book (page 135) provides a case of a young female with obesity who presents with complaints of progressively worsening headache and vision changes. Physical examination is positive for papilledema, but the MRI of her brain is normal. Takeaway points, which are presented in the form of multiple choice questions and answers, are that (a) the presentation is suspicious for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (“pseudotumor cerebri”), (b) the best next diagnostic test is lumbar puncture with measurement of opening pressure, and (c) treatment is with acetazolamide.

There are several dozen rather classic cases that are presented in this way: you get the case presentation, including relevant images, and then are given the most likely questions you might be asked about the case, along with sufficiently detailed explanations. Fluff, controversy and ambiguity are avoided, which is exactly what medical students need.

(The book hits the mark nearly 100%. The only thing I’d consider changing in future editions is the way images are presented. Right now, images are shown along with their interpretations. So, for example, in the case of idiopathic intracranial hypertension mentioned above, the brain MRI is shown and the caption says “no acute intracranial pathology.” I think it would be better if images were presented as-is, and then the learner was asked, in the form of a multiple choice question, to interpret the image. This would provide an important additional Socratic learning opportunity with respect to the interpretation of radiographic findings).

But the book is excellent as is. What’s more it’s available at no extra charge through Amazon if you subscribe to KindleUnlimited. I recommend it very highly to all medical students, particular those on neurology rotation.