education and training

Bhushan and Le have created a guide that is most useful as an introduction to the ward experience for medical students. They discuss particulars about each rotation and this information is certainly important for students to read before each rotation. Although I do recommend this book to my students, I also encourage them to use another book entitled the 101 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make and How to Avoid Them. This latter book is the only book I know of that helps students recognize the major mistakes that are made during clinical clerkships. By using First Aid for the Wards and 101 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make and How to Avoid Them together, students will place themselves in a position to do their best work during their clinical clerkships.

I bought this book to use as a review for the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA)(the pratical texy that all the FMG have to do in Philadelphia). It was great because it helped me to practice writting clear medical hystories, in the same manner I had to write in the real (CSA) test in english. It was also very good because it list the major symptoms, signs and differential diagnosis of the more common clinnical problems. By the way, again useful for the CSA, because they request us to give the dif diagnosis in these test.

I highly recomment this book as an adjunt for the preparation for the CSA. Of couse, should be useful also for the wards.

Don't forget also to use: Mastering the OSCE/CSA: Objective Structured Clinical Examination/Clinical Skills Assessment...

I found this book to be quite helpful in alleviating those third year jitters. So much of the third year is spent trying to figure out your role on the team, and how to look like a star. This book gives some useful pointers.

If you have liked other books from the First Aid series, this book will also be well liked and used. Well written and to the point.

Each chapter gives pointers for a particular clinical rotation - explaining the role of a student as well as who the typical other team members will be. Also, gives a general breakdown of what to expect for a typical day.

Each chapter then has some vital clinical information that you need to know for each rotation. The chapters end with a review of which text books are most helpful for you to read.

Good book!