Customer Reviews

First Aid for the Wards

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I agree with the other reviewers that when it comes time for each rotation, you probably will end up turning to more focused review books in each specialty.

On the other hand, if you are disciplined enough, this is a great quick read to do before each rotation. It'd be much harder to finish Step-up or impossible to read to Washington Guide in a weekend for internal med! The hard part is motivating yourself to sit down and work during your golden weekend!

Also, I find myself frequently getting bogged down in the nitty-gritty during each rotation and forgetting to get a big picture overview. It's great to read uptodate all the time, but the shelf exams don't really care about the most recent meta-analysis on prophylactic antibiotics for pancreatitis, for example. This is a good book to give you a quick broad-picture overview and make sure you know your basics.

I decided to write this review to give the book credit b/c right now I am doing an Emed rotation without having rotated in Peds. First aid for the wards is giving me just what I need - a QUICK reference on peds. I'm probably going to re-read the surgery part to review abdominal complaints. And maybe the ObGyn part too if I have time.

So, yes, you will get this info in other books. But it is useful. It covers 7 specialties, so even if you don't read three of the sections, you're paying about 10 dollars per specialty. It's up to you if that's worth it.

Oh yeah, other nice perks that I haven't found elsewhere are their "ward tips" sections for each specialty - it tell you the general structure, what attendings expect, etc. Also, at the end it has a database of references/books. This is similar to the back part of First aid for USMLE I. I found it useful to see what other books are out there and how they are rated.

I love the fact that this book has just a few pages dedicated to each discipline which allows for it to be read rather quickly. It is perfect for those 10 minute periods of down time you frequently get on rotations. This book doesn't dawdle on the tiny details, but it focuses on the key points needed to succeed without leaving important information out. A must have for any 3rd or 4th year student!

best thing about it is the review of what other books to buy in the back of it. Good to read before a clerkship starts. Certaintly not even close to complete, but I felt more confident going into clerkships and the familiar format as first aid step 1.

this is bare minimum, this will not suffice your clinical rotation whatsoever, you'll need case files, BRS series, blue prints are good, read read read

Great book to review key info to know before each core rotation, but will not suffice as the only text book. I think the most useful section was the section that recommended which pocket and core text books to purchase for each rotation.

This book is a great starting point at the beginning of a rotation; it will help you know what is going on and get a few pimp questions correct at the beginning before you have had a chance to really study. It also has a great introduction to clinics; it explains what you need to bring and who the different members of the team are. This was helpful to read before my first rotation started. It is not designed as the study guide for the shelf; more material is needed to prepare for the shelf exam.

Of all the books to own right at the absolute beginning of your clinical rotations, this is the one. The first couple of chapters are an excellent orientation as to what will be expected of you at the hospital and then each subsequent section serves as a brief, yet extremely valuable introduction and review for each core rotation. Highly recommended. - Gabriel Labbad

Very useful- better for some rotations than others (not very indepth for surgery) but the psych and obgyn sections are great!

This past year, I have been a student member of my school's curriculum committee, and one of our areas of focus has been on finding ways to help our students move from the preclinical to clerkship years. Every year, our school surveys clerkship students, and we hear the same thing - our students are stressed, feel lost at the beginning, get comfortable toward the end, and then have to rotate off and start another clerkship. One of our tasks was to review the available books in this area:

1) First Aid for the® Wards: Fourth Edition (First Aid Series)

Advantages - brief sections on each core clerkship allow for quick reading before new rotation, book begins with orientation to third year, has reviews on books to purchase for each rotation (not offered in other books and a great feature), offers general tips for conduct on the wards

Disadvantages - too large to fit in a coat pocket, huge chunk of the book covers subject matter in each core rotation but information is too superficial for shelf exam.

2) How to be a Truly Excellent Junior Medical Student

Advantages - fits easily in your pocket, provides detailed instructions on writing notes/prescriptions/orders, offers great tips on performing procedures

Disadvantages - small print is not easy on the eyes, material is somewhat outdated as the book was published in 2001.

3) Success on the Wards: 250 Rules for Clerkship Success

Advantages - detailed chapters on each core clerkship (templates, step-by-step approaches, and guides for writing notes, doing H & P, and presenting patients that are clerkship-specific), excellent chapter on how students are evaluated (not offered in other books), actual quotes from clerkship directors and residency program directors on clerkship success and positioning for residency, uses evidence/research to back up recommendations

Disadvantages - too large to fit in a coat pocket, does not cover procedures

4) 250 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make And How to Avoid Them

Advantages - uses mistake-based instruction helping students avoid commonly made errors, can fit in a coat pocket

Disadvantages - no clerkship-specific chapters (more general advice which may be appear to be common sense to students with job experience)

I didnt find this book very useful. You'll end up needing to buy the individual books for each rotation, so i'd save the cash and buy those instead. This book really dosent contain much that those dont. I went out and bought it at the start of rotations, looked at it briefly, and shelfed it. There just isnt time to use multiple sources to study. I'd recomend a specific book like Step up or Blueprints for each rotation along with a question book like MKSAP.