by Steve on April 2, 2013
What books do you really need for the first year of medical school?
This is not an easy question to answer. Everyone uses textbooks differently. I am not a huge fan of textbooks, at least not as the primary way to learn something. Medical school textbooks are also notoriously expensive and I am always trying to find way to cut unnecessary spending. What follows is a brief list of books that I found most helpful (or wish I had used more) during my first year of medical school. I have divided the list into three categories:
1. Recommended
2. Mostly for Second Year, Useful for First Year
3. Optional
Recommended
Netter Atlas of Human Anatomy
- I cannot imagine making it through anatomy without Netter. The labeling can often be busy and overwhelming, but you come to appreciate the detail. Read my full review here.
The Human Brain in Photographs and Diagrams
- Our school teaches Neuroscience during the first year, which may not be the case everywhere. Whenever you take Neuro, this book is extremely useful. It displays every useful pathway in an easy to understand way.
Mostly for Second Year, Useful for First Year
First Aid for the USMLE Step 1
- One of my biggest regrets from the first two years is not getting a copy of First Aid earlier. It won’t make or break your first year, but getting familiar with the book will be helpful in the long run as you approach Step 1. Sections on biochemistry, genetics, and microbiology would be especially helpful to look over during first year courses.
Robbins
- If you’re starting med school soon, you’ll quickly learn about Robbins (everyone seems to forget about poor Cotran). Complaining about how big the book is is basically a rite of passage. If your school has access to an electronic copy, using that may be a better option than purchasing it.
Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple
- Most of this book will be used whenever you take Infectious Disease, but some schools have an Intro to Microbiology course in the first year. This book is fun and easy to read.
Optional
These books I may have used sparingly in my first year or know fellow students who found them helpful. Read a little about them and see if they might be for you.
Medical students, are there any other books that you found essential your first year of medical school?
by Steve on March 25, 2013
Perhaps you’ve noticed a lack of posting on my part. Perhaps not. Either way I want to address why I haven’t been writing much recently.
It is not for lack of ideas of what to write about. In fact it may be the opposite: I feel paralyzed by how much I want to express. I have so many stories, observations and random thoughts about my third year of medical school that I’m not sure where to begin.
Let’s start with one general observation: the third year is a lot more fun than the previous two years of medical school. Knowledge actually comes easier as I apply what I am learning to actual patients. It is much easier to wake up in the morning knowing I will actually have meaningful experiences with patients and colleagues. Lectures are fewer and generally very practical.
But there are difficulties too. Just as you start to get a little comfortable , you are shipped off to a new location to start over again. Even within each rotation I’ve been at a different site each month. At my last rotation the staff was so used to new students each month one nurse just called me “student” the whole time even though I worked with her every day. She slipped up once though and actually said my name and the other staff joked about how that was a big deal. Ha.
I can’t help but look forward to a little more stability. Working with the same people, learning their names and understanding their expectations. Working in the same place and knowing simple things like where to find a bandage. Having a well defined role. Can I look forward to these things in residency? I guess we’ll see.
by Steve on March 14, 2013
I was recently offered a pair of Dickies Scrub Pants in exchange for an honest review. How could I pass up free scrubs? I am no fashion blogger, but here is my best effort at a review.
Overall Impressions
I was sent a medium pair of men’s scrub bottoms which I have worn a couple times.
The scrubs are a huge upgrade over the basic scrubs at most hospitals. Lets talk about a few things I like about them:
- Comfort. They fit really well and I can see myself using them as just an everyday pair of pants. The material is sturdy but not irritating.
- Color. A solid navy blue that looks professional.
- Utility. Lots of useful pockets and loops for hanging things.
Cons are minimal. The only thing I don’t really like is having both a drawstring as well as button and zipper on the front. Just the drawstring would be sufficient.
I’m not sure what else to say about them. If you’re willing to pay a little extra for some comfy, useful scrubs I’d say these are a great bet. Check them out over at Uniformed Scrubs. Use the code “15PBRM” for 15% off.
by Steve on March 7, 2013
Four weeks ago I was riding my normal route to the hospital, a ten minute trip on my bicycle most days. It was cold and windy but there was no snow or ice on the roads. There is one spot along the way where I make a left and then an immediate right turn.
I make the left turn.
Then nothing. Darkness.
The next memories I have are cloudy and dreamlike. I remember handing my school ID and health insurance card to someone at a desk. I vaguely realize I am at the hospital but I don’t know why. My face hurts. A young guy tells me I was in an accident and he brought me to the hospital. He is using my phone to call my wife, I stumble through some expression of gratitude and then he is gone.
That is how I ended up a patient at my own hospital. I was on my surgery rotation, so I had been working with the residents and physicians that were seeing me. It was… a little weird. I remember apologizing to the trauma resident for creating more work for him. I was a little out of it but I legitimately felt bad. Ha.
Overall, the experience has lead to some positive things. Before I get to that, let me just say that I am fine. I was wearing my helmet. I stayed in the hospital one night as they wanted to repeat my head CT the following morning. I have a nice scar from a gash on the right cheek (see below). I had headaches for about a week, but returned to work after a few days off. I still can’t remember exactly what happened. I think my bike just slipped as I made that turn. I seem to have about 15 minutes of memory I’ll never get back. As far as I can tell there are no other residual effects, but if I failed my surgery shelf I am blaming the traumatic brain injury.
My experience with the hospital was very good. I hope I wasn’t treated very differently, but I have no way to know for sure. I did learn how overwhelming it felt to be surrounded by a team of physicians and students. It’s amazing how quickly your mind can go blank when the doctor asks “Do you have any questions?”
This whole thing has lead to a lot of jokes. It’s funny how many people will ask me what happened and before I even respond they’ll say, “I should see the other guy, right?” I wasn’t even going to say that! I also had a few fellow students accuse me of crashing on purpose so I could get out of my surgery rotation. Surgery was rough but it wasn’t that bad!
My favorite so far was a patient I had this week in clinic. She asked about the scar and I told her the story. Later we were talking about her quitting smoking, and she said “Everyone has bad habits. For you, it’s falling.” Touché.
Some other upsides: I have always been a big proponent of helmets and now I have a personal story to use when I implore people to always ride with one. Also, a random stranger helped me out of the street and brought me (and my bike!) to the hospital. Faith in humanity restored!
Today I swapped bike crashing stories with a elderly gentleman. He said that into his fifties he was riding 40-50 miles a day. I was so inspired I had to get back on the bike. He I am four weeks to the day after my accident:
It’s good to be back!
