One of my uber classmates (Brandy Becker) recently wrote a comprehensive email to incoming first-year med students. This was posted on the M1 listserv, but I think it's quite pertinent to both medical students and advanced undergraduates thinking about med school, so, just for posterity's sake, here's Brandy's message:
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. . . I can't emphasize enough to read before the lecture and come prepared and go to class even if it seems pointless. Don't get behind b/c its hard to cram for 10 tests at a time. Just keep up daily and you'll do great. Easier said than done but less stressful in the long run. Feel free to contact with questions about parking, shopping, living, etc in Champaign/Urbana.
I included the ISBN for all the books so you can look on half.com or Amazon for some bargains because U of I is notorious for ripping you off on books.
Brandy, M2
Anatomy
- Netter: 100% needed ISBN: 1929007116
- Henry's notes: they don't print off online with the correct tabs.
- Lab Guide (but not the Lab Curriculum). You can print it off online but I liked the bound booklet.
- BRS Gross Anatomy ISBN: 068301563X. I have the 2nd edition but they recently came out with a 3rd I think. I was told there were some changes but probably not enough to justify a $20 price difference.
- I also bought the Netter flashcards. They are a great tool to get all your info in one spot but you always run out of time in anatomy and I ended up not using them as much as I should have. So if you can find them online for cheap or can commit to using them get them.
**** GOOD WEBSITE: LOOK AT FOR LAB, SHOWS DISSECTIONS*****
http://www.anatomy.wisc.edu/courses/gross/index.html
Embryology
- I read Moore's Review of Medical Embryology but I think that was a little much. I personally was still confused after reading the book but who knows how confused I would have been without reading it at all. ISBN: 0721694128
- Open up the printed notes at TIS and see if you can see the figures. Colored figures will work tons better. You might just want to bring the book to class and look at the figures in there b/c he uses 75% of the slides from the text and the ones not from the text appear to be 50 years old and never as helpful.
Histology
- Print out Williams Lecture notes in COLOR! It is well worth the price of ink.
- Once again I read the text but it was probably not needed to pass but it definitely got me the O. ISBN: 0683302426
Genetics
- Just like Histo i would say your money is better spent in printing the notes in color and four slides to a page than in the text. I of course read the assigned reading but only because i am really interested in the topic. Her tests and her lectures are more than adequate. ISBN: 0721602444
Biochemistry
- Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Biochem 3rd Edition. Make sure its 3rd b/c the 2nd isn't in color. ISBN: 0781722659
- I had extensive notes from undergrad that i used so hopefully you have some too. I like to study by gettting a big posterboard and drawing out all the cycles and how they connect together, it really helps show how things fit in. I actually hung the poster up on my office wall when studying.
- In the spring you have to buy this printed booklet from TIS for the clinical case studies. You have to get that b/c the book isn't published any longer.
Physiology
- BRS: Physio. I have 2nd edition which i think is the most recent. ISBN: 0683303961
- It was mentioned that there is a text by Costanzo which i think is this ISBN: 0721666116
- I had Medical Physio by Rhoades and its a little dense. It does however follow along with the lecture notes and figures. So I'm not sure what to tell you to do for this class. I wasn't happy with my performance but it think it was more in the teacher than the books and i can't help you there. ISBN: 0781719364
- I actually did a lot of internet browsing to find diagrams of cardiac cycles, etc.
Microbiology
- Curriculum written by Dr. Whitt available at TIS only. This is one of the best written and organized things i've ever seen in my life.
Immunology
- Basic Immuno by Abbas ISBN: 072160241X -- I actually pulled this out tonight to help review for pathology
- Case Studies ISBN: 0815341024
Neuroscience
- Printed Curriculum at TIS by Dr. Gallman
- I bought but NEVER read the assigned book. There just is too much in her notes that it is really quite impossible to get to the book.
- Some atlas of the brain. I got one by Woolsey an old addition for like $10 and it worked fine. It is used quite minimally but really needed on those occasions. ISBN: 0000110655
Medical Statsistics
- NO BOOK, its like reading Greek.
Behavioral Science
- I didn't buy the BRS for this class b/c I've had 4 pyschology classes in undergrad that cover all the topics but those who didn't liked the BRS. I only one i can find at amazon is from 1994 ISBN 0-81212-9539 , which seems extremely outdated so i'm not sure thats right.
Intro to Human Diseases
- they give you a cd and that's all you need. You will use the internet for your research when your an expert or maybe the library if your old fashion.
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Just as a personal note, I'd really encourage using the medical library 24/7 -- it's really convenient to have 3-4 medical textbooks open at the same time to get a deeper understanding of content. Also, using the library is a lot cheaper than buying the aforementioned books -- caveat: Netter's Anatomy is the one book that you'll definately have to buy, but other than that, the library should be more than enough to suffice.
PS: It's also a good idea to steal books from older siblings in med school (nyah nyah, J. ^^)
