Posts tagged resource
Chest Pain Evaluation.
The other day, my friends and I got into a discussion about what resources we use on the ward; this is opposed to the resources we use at home. At home we can afford to have a thick textbook that looks and weighs as much as a phone book; on the ward, compact and light is the name of the game.
The above scan comes from one of my more oft-used ward texts, SOAP for Internal Medicine. Each book in the series presents topics in concise two page spreads that focus on the key pieces of information on the history, physical, investigations and management.
More importantly: it fits in my bag; it fits in my scrubs; and it is light.
While it might not be the most comprehensive text, explaining pathophysiology, nuances and every sign and symptom, it does gives me a starting point for when I see patients.
Becoming a Physician
For many students, finding the right specialty for themselves is a nebulous process. The direction one’s career takes slowly crystallizes in third and fourth year of medical school. It is during this time period that students are exposed to every major specialty and differentiate into their areas of interest.
In a previous post, I wrote about a Canadian guide to residency programs. While it is a good primer for medical students edging closer to graduation, it serves little practical purpose for the outside.
For the prospective medical student, here is a guide to 35 different medical specialties created by the Canadian Medical Association. Follow the link for more details.
That is a very broad question. It really depends on what you are looking for. Off the top of my head, I am thinking of possibly the British Medical Journal, New England Journal of Medicine, Canadian Medical Association Journal, and the Journal of the American Medical Association etc.
For websites, you could maybe try the Science Daily or Medgadget.
There is more information than you can handle out there and if you know where to look they should be readily accessible to you.
11 Apps for the Medical Student
The recent rise of smartphones and tablets has opened up the doors for new ways we can use technology in our day-to-day lives. From reading news to playing games, it seems that we suddenly have a lot more options and a lot more flexibility.
Medicine has leveraged these advances to make tools and utilities that can take advantage of the new market, where a computer and more importantly the software that is on it has become portable.
Nearing the start of my clinical years, I present to you my list of phone and tablet apps that I currently use or have used in the past that I feel will continue to be useful for any medical student.
Disclaimer: The following apps are all available for iOS. Availability online, on Android, Blackberry, or any other operating system may vary depending on the author of the respective programs.
Canadian Medical Residency Guide
Third year is an opportunity for us to be exposed and familiar with all of the various specialties of medicine. In the second half of the year, we must also begin choosing electives for fourth year, specialty experiences in our fields of interest.
This guide, recommended to us by fourth year students, is a primer that goes through the programs available, where they are and what they entail. As I go through the specialties, this will be something I will need to keep in the back of my mind.
Hi there Tom, thanks for writing.
I cannot say I have seen any physiology videos floating around in the ether but I do have a set of anatomy videos. The University of Wisconsin Medical College created a set of gross anatomy dissections that are available online here. The videos are quite lengthy but thorough and was a very useful resource when studying for my anatomy exam. I’m sure I don’t need to explain that these videos are graphic and are performed on cadavers.
All the best to you. I hope you find that which you seek. Good luck!
