Must-Haves for Term 2?

[sid_g]

I'd very much appreciate it if an upperclassman could take a couple of minutes to list what books they think would be indispensable for entering Term 2 students, assuming that there's largely a consensus on this.

I looked at the bewildering list of "requirements" and "recommendations" on the online bookstore and I just have a feeling that I'd to alot better off by getting first-hand information from someone who's already "weathered the storm", so to speak.

In particular, besides BRS for Physio, what "bona fide" textbooks would be most helpful for Physio, Immuno and Neuro? And did you find you needed the recommended Genetics text? Finally, is the med kit required at all for Term 2?

Much Obliged.

[Ishie1013]

I only needed the neuro book for the first quiz and could have borrowed it. I would get a neuro atlas. I had the Haines but wasn't a big fan of it; a friend had the Netters, which I liked.

Physio, I've heard wonderful things about the Costanza textbook, and I didn't use the required one, which I have.

Immuno, lots of people recommend getting her spiral bound textbook, which probably isn't a *bad* idea. But otherwise, I did second term primarily book-free.

[argazul]

which is the required Physio book? i got Guyton and Hall for Ross but now i am wondering whether to save it till term 2 or sell it.

[Ishie1013]

The Boron was for our term.

[sleebs]

BRS physio is a good resource to have. I personally never opened the Boron book but I too heard the Costanzo book was really good. For Neuro a majority of the info for the exams is from the packets they give out which are actually really well done. As Ishie mentioned, you only "needed" the book for the first online quiz. I also agree with ishie about the Atlas. It was awful. try and find a better one, netter i heard was pretty good.

For Genetics, I never opened the text book however, I heard this last term used the book more often as the prof was preaching it every class. truly depends on who is teaching it this semester as it usually is a VP. For parasit Dr. M has his own book which is really helpful but all his test q's come from the lecture notes and class slides.

For immuno, Dr. S hands out massive handout before each exam. the slides and class notes are awful however, included are two yellow packets that are consolidations of her textbook. that is what I used for the class. If you are a textbook person I do believe a copy of her text is on the MacDaddy.

No, you do not need medical kit, only starting 4th term will you need it.

Good luck

I'd very much appreciate it if an upperclassman could take a couple of minutes to list what books they think would be indispensable for entering Term 2 students, assuming that there's largely a consensus on this.

I looked at the bewildering list of "requirements" and "recommendations" on the online bookstore and I just have a feeling that I'd to alot better off by getting first-hand information from someone who's already "weathered the storm", so to speak.

In particular, besides BRS for Physio, what "bona fide" textbooks would be most helpful for Physio, Immuno and Neuro? And did you find you needed the recommended Genetics text? Finally, is the med kit required at all for Term 2?

Much Obliged.

[CANeh]

http://www.valuemd.com/st-georges-university-school-medicine/150736-guide-term-2-tips-advice.html

I asked this question when we started and we got some answers and some of us posted what we found useful.

I only bought Neuro text and atlas. I wish I never bought the text. I ended up selling both to a lower term the day we finished the final.

Genetics and Parasitology: I did not use a book
CPM: I did not use a book
Physio: I bought the BRS (aka castanza) and just used it for reference. I will need John Best Pulmonary book (since pulmonary notes at SGU were horrible).
Immuno: A rough course to get through with just the notes. I would get lipincotts or Janeway, appearently some liked her little book, I didn't. However for the final immuno exam get her Immuno Prob Based book (most people did not know she had two she was promoting). The second Immuno book she helped put together is actually very useful for clinical immunology.

[MrBurns]

What you need:

1. Costanzo Physio textbook - great book - a keeper.
2. BRS Physio Cases and Problems (yellow book) written by Costanzo too - another great book - another keeper.
3. MacDaddy (has a better version of the immuno book and it has the neuro atlas and it has good slides for parisitology)

What you don't need:

-Neuro textbook - waste - if you need it for an assignment library has copies on reserve (to do very well just know the packets from front to back)
-Neuro BRS - waste
-Immuno books - waste
-parisitology spiral bound book - waste

Optional:

-BRS Physio (blue book) - questions are too weak but outlines the sections okay
-Neuro Atlas - hardcopy useful in the labs but not that useful if you know what I mean (BTW it's on the macdaddy)

-Genetics book - tough call - you don't have much time but it does give you some comfort - I might recommend picking up a cheap used copy just in case

[shadyhtown]

CANeh.. it seems you didn't rely too much on books, but used class notes instead. Was that enough to get you A's? (since that's what I'm aiming for)

[CANeh]

CANeh.. it seems you didn't rely too much on books, but used class notes instead. Was that enough to get you A's? (since that's what I'm aiming for)

In some course yes. But for others I am a member of the 89% club... meaning I was 1% away from the A. But it is not because the info was not in the notes, its because I made mistakes on the test, which I later kicked myself for.

It seemed like for most exams the questions are right out of the handouts. But beware, something could me mentioned only once and in brackets and it was on the test.

If it makes you feel better get some text books used/new and sell them after the term is over. There are always many students from term before you who will buy them.

[shadyhtown]

I don't like texts too much. Will get them only if they have useful end-of-chapter questions or images that may be used in the tests.

[djhc]

PHYSIO
buy brs (read all, did all the q's)
recommended/maybe: costanzo text (only read respiratory chapter), west respiratory text (read all). both are good to have but there are pdf/chm files floating round. i read them b/c we didn't get handout. might change next term since they are hiring new prof
dont need "required" boron text. even if you buy it, you will never open it
after midterm, pay attention to respiratory section and master it, then final exam is a breeze. it seems like they make endoc and renal q's somewhat easy (comparatively) to compensate for the respiratory q's and to keep the average where it belongs

NEURO:
buy atlas
check out text from library for the 1 point online assignment the first week, never need it again

IMMUNO:
buy sprial book (read all). you can do fine without the book and the book itself is neither good or bad, but it's nice to have since it matches lectures very closely

[superso]

did any of you ever use the Peter Parham text, "The Immune System"? It's supposed to be pretty standard and supposedly an easy read even though its 450 pages. Anyhow, it sounds pretty good based on the reviews so I was thinking of reading it this summer. Anyone use it or have it?

[ecela7]

I personally went through her purple textbook twice (post mid term for final), one highliter tour and then a high yield tour. Post midterm I didn't even look at her slides, pre midterm I certainly needed to for the ....midterm.

[rage medicine]

PHYSIO

IMMUNO:
buy sprial book (read all). you can do fine without the book and the book itself is neither good or bad, but it's nice to have since it matches lectures very closely



what the hell is the spiral immuno book? what's the title? where can I find it on amazon????

[Reilly]

what the hell is the spiral immuno book? what's the title? where can I find it on amazon????

The book is called "clinical immunology".

Amazon.com: Clinical Immunology: An Introductory Text (Vademecum) (Vademecum): Books (http://www.amazon.com/Clinical-Immunology-Introductory-Text-Vademecum/dp/1570596255/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211773716&sr=8-4)

My suggestion is not to buy the book. Everything you need from the book is basically from her notes, and the rest of her objectives you can learn from using a real book like Janeway.

Personally pre-midterm I used a book called Immunology:A short course by Coico. Post midterm I used various books. Her notes are ok, but the objectives ask much more than the notes she gives. Her clinical book and case book are decent, but personally the course is so poorly structured that I don't feel it is morally right to recommend that other people buy her books. Hell her notes are so lazy they are basically cut and pasted from her clinical book without much explanation. But again, thats just my personal opinion.

The ONLY reason I would recommend her books would be to get a feeling of how she asks multiple choice questions. She has a certain way of asking questions and if you get used to it, the tests are cake. Though I hear the macdaddy has these questions in them.

[sleebs]

Personally I would not waste time and money on the books. All of what you need she gives you in her handouts. her slide handouts are useless, but she includes two yellow packets that are sort of like cliff notes of her text. That is all I used for that class as did most of my friends and we came out fine in that course. If you need a book, I believe her book is on one of the MacDaddy's. I bought one book at the beginning of the semester and did not even open it


what the hell is the spiral immuno book? what's the title? where can I find it on amazon????

[NasW]

I bought the spiral book, Clinical Immunology, and didn't really use it, I just used her notes for the pre-midterm section. but, I found her "Problem based Immunology" book VERY helpful for the final and I actually enjoyed reading it.

[niceMD]

For immuno I say you don't need the spiral book but she does get all her figures from the book and explains things poorly so I know some pple preferred to just read the book than go hear her ramble on and on.
The purple book (problem based immuno) I felt was great and makes you think about the material so you understand instead of just memorize. I read all the cases for the final and did all the practice questions in the book and macdaddy and killed it.

Physio: Costanzo if you must get a textbook but you don't have to. Whatever you do, do not get the required one.
BRS for sure very good for practice questions

Neuro: Atlas only. Everything else you need is in the packets. I used the required atlas but I was not a fan.

Genetics: We did not need the book but the class after us had assigned readings. So I can't say. Their exam was easier though.

Parasit: Just memorize the slides.

CPM: Are there even books for this class?

Goodluck :-)

[Kongakut]

Neuro: Atlas only. Everything else you need is in the packets. I used the required atlas but I was not a fan.

When you say atlas only, just wondering which atlas you thought was good since you were not a fan of the required one? Is there another atlas? Thanks.

[Crispy]

I used the Netter Neuroanatomy atlas. I thought it was much better than the required.