INTRODUCTION
In general, you will not need to buy the recommended text for the clerkship you are on, unless you just want a reference for later. You can easily get by on a rotation without having opened the text once. Neurology and Psychiatry will provide texts for the duration of their clerkship.

Medicine
Ferri's Practical Guide to the Care of the Medical Patient is invaluable on the wards. The new version's expanded differential diagnosis section is a great resource when you write your assessment and plans. Most residents use a Washington Manual, and the two spiral-bound books complement each other pretty well. Another good book to have if you're at Cooper Green or any of the outside hospitals is the Current Clinical Strategies - Medicine handbook, which provides templates for many of the orders that you will be writing. . Blueprints in Medicine is probably the most used study guide, though it can be lacking in some areas, the questions and answers in the new version are a good and quick review. Pretest - Medicine is very helpful as well. Some have even tried NMS Medicine, if you just read selected portions-- it is very comprehensive.

Ob/Gyn
Blueprints in Ob/Gyn is the only book you need for this rotation. It is easy to get through during the rotation, and covers all aspects of obstetrics and gynecology well. Supplement your studying with the case studies that have been written up by the Class of 1998. These case studies are the perfect preparation for the oral exam!

Pediatrics
We recommend Blueprints in Pediatrics, although it is much too comprehensive for a third-year clerkship. Many people also swear by Pretest - Pediatrics. There is a lot of down-time on Pediatrics, and getting through at least one of these texts is do-able during your two months. You do not need to buy a Harriet Lane Handbook unless you are really interested in pediatrics - most of your residents have one anyway. Know your rashes!

Surgery
Surgical Recall is a definite must. Carry it around with you on the wards. Some people swear by it for studying for the mini-board, which might be the hardest of all of the shelf exams you take during third year. Other than that book, the jury is out. Blueprints in Surgery is a very thin book that you could probably get through in one night, but covers just the basics. By contrast, NMS Surgery is extremely thick, but is presented in outline format, and may be more palatable than Lawrence's or Sabiston's "Essentials" texts. Pretest - Surgery may or may not be worth the time. It's a hard exam and even harder to study for.

Family Medicine
There aren't too many good review books for this rotation. A lot of people use NMS Family Medicine Questions and Answers, but there have been complaints that its questions are too picky. Our advice for this deceptively easy miniboard is to study a lot of general medicine concepts - there isn't as much Pediatrics or Ob/Gyn as has been rumored, and most of it is easy (vaccinations, vaccinations, vaccinations when someone is pregnant, etc.). This is not easy to do, though, especially if you are taking this rotation earilier. You could use a Step 2 review book, such as First Aid for Step 2, Prescription for the Boards, or Crush the Boards. Another good resource in general to have is the Current Clinical Strategies - Family Medicine handbook, which has templates for Medicine, Pediatrics, and Ob/Gyn orders (the Ob/Gyn section is very good). Just know that this test covers a broad range of material, nevertheless. Know your preventative medicine (i.e. when to start screening colonoscopies, mammograms, etc.)!

Psychiatry
The most recent edition of Blueprints in Psychiatry is the most used book. It is short enough to get through during your 5 weeks and not too in-depth. It is a good overall prep for the mini-board. You will also have to know your psychiatric medications. You will receive a package of handouts at orientation that has some great information on these meds. Burn them into your brain! One method employed by some is to read the DSM-IV, which is not hard to do if you just read the criteria for each disorder. If you know the DSM-IV criteria well, then the mini-board should be no problem. For the oral exam, good luck! It all depends on which professor you get. Some are more lenient than others. No special preparation needed for the oral exam except knowing your psych meds and DSM-IV criteria as you WILL be asked.

Neurology
You will receive a book at the clerkship orientation which you NEED to read cover to cover. Note: you will not take a mini-board exam for this rotation. The exam for this rotation is different and all the information you need is in this book they give you. Sometimes questions on this test come verbatim from this book! Read it well. For the oral exam, again good luck. It all depends on who you get. You should be familiar with all the basic neuro stuff (know the treatment for status eptileptius, brain tumors, headaches, etc.). You will get lectures on all this stuff so pay attention and take notes.