Customer Reviews

Pocket Medicine (Pocket Notebook)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Unfortunately, the previous reviews have failed to adequately address the role and purpose of this publication. Pocket Medicine, at least as I have used it, is the most concise and accurate reference for the practice of Internal Medicine in the United States as conducted at most teaching institutions today. It essentially covers all the major organ systems and disease processes as the most recent literature and textbooks recommend. Possession of this book will allow students, residents and staff to give patients the best care possible from evidence based medicine. You will shine on the wards and at morning report with this material. In fact, you could easily pass the Internal Medicine board certification exam if you knew everything in this book. For those practicing internal medicine from med students on up, it renders Scut Monkey, Ferre, Wash Manual, tarascon ICU books etc, all obsolete. Just look at the section about Swan Ganz monitoring -it's all there. Look at microscopic polyangiitis- it's all there. These are all real patients I've treated and this book works. More than half of the residents, students and staff in my hospital use it. Even surgeons own it. As medicine becomes more complex and scientifically based, publications such as this will be the only way to keep up. In fact, it's very inexpensive for what you get. One caution is that it may be too advanced for 3rd year med students with a poor knowledge base. A wash manual may be a simpler way to start. Unfortunately, those people who gave it a poor review have simply demonstrated their complete ignorance of the modern scientific practice of medicine. I simply hope they never treat any of my relatives!

As a former Mass General resident, I got a kick out of seeing our humble housestaff manual transformed into a glamorous pocket notebook. And apparently a somewhat controversial transformation, given some of the extremely negative reviews that have been posted. Ignoring the commercial aspects of this debate for a moment, I think the manual contains solid and comprehensive information that should serve any housestaff well (it certainly did for me for 3 years!). It probably does not contain enough explanation for most 3rd and 4th year medical students and, as such, should be used to supplement another manual (such as Washington or Ferri).

I agree w/ many of the other reviews. This is a fantastic book for RESIDENTS, not medical students. It tends to gloss over basic information that any resident should already know. For that reason , the book is concise and has all the relevant info in order to manage patients. I also like the small notebook format, so I can add additional pages of info. I agree that this book does need a neuro/psych section to cover CVA/Seizures, delirium/dementia and ETOH withdrawal management. I've already worn my book out in the past two years and look forward to future editions. I have recommended this book to every intern I have supervised on the Wards...It is the only reference book I carry.

This small ring bound book is an excellent
resource for the most current diagnostic,prognostic,
and therapeutic information when evaluating many patients
during a limited time frame.Typically, the authors provide references after each subject, to which you can "quote"
to your senior resident or attending or make a dash to
the library, only to return with copies of an up to date journal
article to distribute on rounds while discussing your patient.
One suggestion I offer for improvement would be to include
a brief review of the basic neurological events that we are often
faced with on the wards, such as: CVA (ischemic/thrombotic), seizure,etiologies of dementia/delirium.

I see a lot of both good and poor reviews for this book. Personally, I like the book a lot. What it has that Ferri's doesn't is evidence-based medicine. Several major studies (PIOPED, and the like) are summarized. Yes, it is someone's notebook in fancy form. But it's cheap, it's small, and it's good. I found that it was too light on details when I was starting out, but once I felt a little more comfortable with my ability to come up with a basic differential, this was the book for me. It was great help for those long medicine write-ups, providing clinical research correlations. Now it is the only book that I carry in my pocket, full of micrographic notes that I have made from lectures, other books, etc. Ferri's isn't exactly pocket-friendly.

I have found this book to be extremely useful during my third-year internal medicine clerkship. It's the only pocket book I carry with me on the wards.

Pros:

1) Tons of up-to-date practical information covering definitions, predisposing conditions, clinical manifestations, physical exam, diagnostic studies, treatment, etc.

2) Well-organized charts and tables balanced by information in outline format.

3) Ring binder and extra space on each page lend themselves to taking notes within the book.

Con:

Tiny font size.

Succinct, up-to-date, and expandable (via nifty three-ring-binder format) -- ideal for housestaff, star students, and even as a general medical reference for specialists! I think this is the best book of this type on the market.

This book covers 80% of the information given this year at the Harvard "Intensive Review of Internal Medicine."

This book is the best one to come along in a long while. It is much more succinct and more readily fits in coat pockets than the other manual do. I am a PGY 3 IM resident and use it all the time. It is actually the only book I carry with me.

This concise manual is an outstanding addition to my white coat pocket! A life-saver on the wards, for internal medicine rotations/ residency. Well organized, outstanding synopsis of pertinent topics. It's a must-have!