Customer Reviews

Pocket Medicine: The Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Internal Medicine (Pocket Notebook)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've used this book for three years and it is by far the best handbook. It provides a quick prep for attending rounds and morning report. I also have used it in preparation for the in service exam given each year. While obviously not an all encompassing text (and not intended to be) it is surprisingly complete. A good deal of information covered on the ABIM exam is actually in this book. My only gripe is the text - too small. Every IM intern and resident should carry this book and learn it in and out. Worth the 37 bucks.

Although I consider this to be one of the best handbooks for a quick superficial review, there are several other books which allow for more in depth learning while on the wards... such as The Consult Manual of Internal Medicine & of course... The Washington Manual. I would definitely carry around, or at least have handy, one of these while on the wards. If you get Pocket Med, make sure you get the new edition (2nd) as there is a new neurology section which is very nice.

Read an UpToDate article and then read about that topic in Pocket Medicine and you will see 99% of the information from Uptodate but in concise format, including references to key articles. This book is packed with information. However, it's more in bullet and table format than in paragraph form, so not easy to read from if you're learning about a topic for the first time. More of a reference to the key points in each disease process assuming that you know a little about it beforehand. For that, you need 5 minute clinical consults or something similar. Also, the index could use some more cross-indexing, it can be tough to find subjects sometimes if you are in a hurry. It's available for handhelds too...haven't tried it yet though.

I agree with the last reviewer on all points. This book is quite disappointing. The content is superb but the presentation is horrendous. The publisher did a very poor job. Ringbinder is bulky, impossible to open quickly and flip through pages, pages are too thin, and font is ridiculously small. There are large portions of the pages left blank for "note taking" but ink bleeds through the "tissue paper" pages (You're lucky if you don't poke a hole through it first with the tip of the pen). The favorable reviews sound like suck ups. I give it 5 stars for excellent content, but subtract 3 stars for lack of usability in the real world

I've heard that this book is really only used in New England (obviously since it's published by MGH) but EVERYONE here uses it. The best recommendation for any medical book is how many people use it, and by far and away it was the book every resident had at my medicine site. The algorithms are wonderful, there's room in the back to add your own notes and the fact that it has rings and can open flat is a great touch. Plus it fits in the pocket of your white coat. The only problem my classmates and I have found is that the holes in the pages in some of the newest editions don't quite line up with the rings, which makes the pages a little hard to turn. But over all this was one of the best books I've bought for my clinical years.

I bought this for my medicine clerkship because all of the medicine residents swore by it (and they all carried a copy in their coats). It covers every medicine topic, gives the information you need to know, and it's small enough to carry around in your coat. Perhaps most impressive is that it actually includes references to key articles! The references are in the text, they are unobtrusive, and if you need to read up on a topic, you know where to start. This book is perfect for medicine clerkship (and residency, according to the residents with whom I worked).

At my institution, virtually all of the students and housestaff that use a pocket manual use this one. Unbelievably complete and succinct, this book made my internal medicine clerkship much easier. I used this book every single day and found it to be the best book I have found for the wards to date. I only wish there was a surgical counterpart for this book.

This reference has been incredibly helpful during my 3rd and 4th year of medical school to gain an appreciation for evidence-based medicine and an approach to patient care. It is not a tell-all book on pathophysiology - that not the point of the reference. While it lacks in volume (thank goodness), it is amazingly packed full of useful information to make informed decisions surrounding patient care. If I wanted to read more about the pathophysiology of a disease, I would look on UptoDate or Currents b/c I knew that Pocket Medicine wouldn't have enough. However, if I wanted to review a differential, review what I know about SBP and whether antibiotics should be given prophylacticlly to patients with cirrhosis, or whatever - Pocket medicine was great. I'm starting internship in a couple of months and will be carrying two references with me: 1. Pocket Medicine; 2. UCSF Housestaff Handbook.

This book will save the rear-ends of both you & your patients. I rarely find a topic which isn't covered in this book when I need it. The index is superb, and full, concise explanations are there to guide your diagnosis/workup. It fits nicely into my white coat, and I feel pretty vulnerable without it.. especially doing new admissions or consults. Get yourself this book and do everyone a favor.

Clear concise review of all essential topics encountered during Internal Medicine Clekship/Residency. Always found helpful during morning round discussions, in clinics and when admitting patients. Gives the most pertinent points regarding signs/symptoms, diagnostic tools and management with reference to latest published articles. Buying and reading this book would be the best investment you can make to your clerkship/residency.