Customer Reviews

Elsevier's Integrated Pharmacology: With STUDENT CONSULT Online Access, 1e

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is THE book for USMLE Step 1 Pharm Review. It's filled with "big-picture" diagrams and concise captions. The chapters are organized according to major drug classes and mechanisms of action, but unlike the other pharm review books (Katzung/ Trevor's, Lippincott's), there's NO minutia.
The color schematics are useful for reviewing more complicated signaling mechanisms (Beta and G protein-coupled receptors). I kept it open while reviewing answers to practice questions, and it quickly cleared up any confusion.
There are especially high yield chapters on antibiotics, cholinergics, and chemotherapy drugs-exactly what gets tested on the boards. Tables that show microorganisms and appropriate antibiotics are better than the ones in Micro Made Ridiculously Simple. Every section also has boxes showing the MOST relevant side effects. I highly recommend this book; you'll get points on the exam and even remember the drugs when the test's over... and you're in the clinic!

I got this book for med school. They put a fair amount into tables and figures, which helped condense the material. As a result, I also found the book a little more engaging than others. I thought the sections on cardiovascular and antibiotic drugs were the highlights of the book. They were in-depth and well-organized, yet still accessible. I also felt they were useful throughout the entire two first years. Some of the other sections only seemed to carry me through the first year before I started looking at other resources. Still, it is reasonably priced, and that made me lean more towards the 4th star.