Need help from any US medical students!!!!

[EdmontonAB]

Hi. I’m from Alberta, Canada. I decided to go to Ireland to study medicine after doing Biology at Queens University in Canada for a couple years. I am currently attending University College Dublin in my first year of medicine. My goal is to study medicine in the United States…. at this point (with my limited knowledge and experience) I am wanting to do Internal Medicine.

I’ve enjoyed my first year so far and I’m doing quite well but I’ve had a HUGE PROBLEM with picking an appropriate textbook for physiology. I want to do well on the USMLE step 1’s so I want to study the same textbooks as students at US medical schools. I already know what books I’ll need when Im actually studying for the USMLE’s (Board review series, First Aid etc.) but I want to study in a way that will prepare me best for them now. I was hoping some of the US medical students could let me know what TEXTBOOKS YOU HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED TO USE OR THAT YOU LIKE USING. Our school has recommended Berne and Levy but I’ve been told by many people NOT to use it. I don’t like it either. Here are some of the textbooks that have been recommended to me…

Guyton
Costanzo (not her board series review but her main text)
Sherwood
Gangong



I have always liked studying out of textbooks and have never liked lecture notes. I only like to use them to get an idea of what to read out of the textbook. I’m wondering how it is structured in the US … do you guys do most of your studying out of NOTE PACKAGES OR DO YOU USE MAINLY TEXTBOOKS. A textbook like Guyton is very large but I like learning out of larger textbooks that give a lot of explanation. At the same time I find it very difficult to get through all the material and realize that medical students aren’t meant to know everything out of a physiology book as detailed and as large as Guyton. I find myself spending hours trying to figure out whether I should be studying my notes, or taking notes out of Guyton, or trying to do both … its driving me crazy and wasting lots of my time. I am a hard worker and am willing to put in the time to do well in my course and score high on the USMLE’s but I find myself always wondering whether or not I’m taking the right approach to studying. Please help.

[mtt]

Originally Posted by EdmontonAB

I’ve enjoyed my first year so far and I’m doing quite well but I’ve had a HUGE PROBLEM with picking an appropriate textbook for physiology. I want to do well on the USMLE step 1’s so I want to study the same textbooks as students at US medical schools. I already know what books I’ll need when Im actually studying for the USMLE’s (Board review series, First Aid etc.) but I want to study in a way that will prepare me best for them now. I was hoping some of the US medical students could let me know what TEXTBOOKS YOU HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED TO USE OR THAT YOU LIKE USING. Our school has recommended Berne and Levy but I’ve been told by many people NOT to use it. I don’t like it either. Here are some of the textbooks that have been recommended to me…

Guyton
Costanzo (not her board series review but her main text)
Sherwood
Gangong

I used Berny and Levy when I was in graduate school. It's ok.

In medical school, we used Constanzo and Guyton.

Constanzo is good for people who don't like to read but want to learn the main concepts in a hurry. Both her book and BRS are the same. In her book, she just adds some more details here and there but they are pretty much the same. Both are sufficient for the Step I. The board exam cannot test you on everything and you just have to know the core stuff.

Guyton is a very good book but it is superfluous. It's good for the person who likes to read a lot. I think it's overkill for the USMLEs but it will help you for your IM rotation. I just completed my IM rotation and I saw physiology concepts everywhere.

[k240]

Well, I don't actually have the book myself, because she's probably not allowed to require it for her own classes - but I go to Virginia Commonwealth University (Masters in Physiology), and L. Costanzo is one of my professors...

as a matter of fact, we just finished our renal phys. block - which she taught.

If her books are anything like her lectures, she explains things in a very reasonable way - and makes it make sense.

She is easy to learn from, but not because she makes the subject easy - if that makes sense!

on a side note, did you apply through the "atlantic bridge" program to UCD? I've been looking at that myself.

good luck!

[EdmontonAB]

Thanks for your input guys. I decided last year to work from Guyton and if I am short for time I turn to Costanzo. Im liking this strategy. We are starting pharm, micro, path, neuro in the next semester so now I'm trying to figure out what books to use for those. I think Im just going to contact a handfull of medical schools in the states and ask for their textbook list.

I did apply through Atlantic Bridge. This program is very helpful and efficient. I am absolutely loving it over here. Thanks again