RxPG - Books I read for AIPGE preparation

Just for fun, this article is going to be a discussion on which books our fellow members find the most useful (pg preparation or otherwise), and why. I’ll list my own for starters.

1) Anatomy-BRS series
I just abhor the subject, and there just wasn’t any way I was going to mug Chaurasia. In fact, I just hate the site of those 3 volumes. This book has proved to be a life saver that way, maybe a bit too detailed, but much better than the High-Yield version.(In fact the only books of the High-Yield Series I’d recommend are those dealing with Biostatistics and embryo).

Runner’s up-Moore’s Essential Clinical Anatomy. (Good but probably a tad too expensive).
Embryology - High Yield
Histology - ????
Neuroanatomy - Snells (High -Yield if urea short of time, and motivation)

2) Biochemistry -Lippincott (what else?)
Everything u need for the entrances. Strong on integrated metabolic pathways, good mcq’s (though not many), great on genetic analysis procedures. Paisa wasool, esp. if you have got it xeroxed.

Runners’ up-Harper (Dry, monotonous and scariest to people not interested in the subject. The studs would go for it though. Consider it, esp. if u feel answering questions on “chromosome walking” will raise your rank from say 25 to a 15. J)

3) Physiology-Berne and Levy.
I’m in the minority here, but people who’ve read from this in college will swear by the book. None of the brevity of review books like Ganong…none of the exaggerated verbosity of books like Guyton either. Great for CVS (the book for it actually). Best if you have the time for it.

Runners up-Ganong(good for review, but only if reading reviews is your style)

4) Micro-Ananthanarayan/Greenwood/Jawet’z
All are good, but I tend to lean a bit towards Greenwood ,for the simple reason that it made an unpalatable subject like micro readable, and finally likeable for me.
Good on bacteriology/virology (but for immunology, turn to the review by Jawet’z; Harrison)

5) Pharmacology-Katzung/Goodman and Gillman.
Nothing to say about the latter. The Bible, but reading Bible’s not everybody’s style. Personally, I love Katzung. It’s of a manageable size, gives u the latest info and of course anything coming out of the Lange stable’s got to be good.

Runner’s up-KDT (‘cause the last time I read that book was in my clinical years long ago, and my memories of it aren’t pleasant. Too much of info to be crammed, at the expense of the how’s, and why’s)

6) Pathology-Big Robbins
No questions asked. The eternal book.
Runners up-None

7) Ophthalmology -Khurana.
In our college we were (And probably still are), for obvious reasons, forced to read a book (or rather a guide) by Dr V A Rao for clinics. This explains the distaste I have for the subject. If only I’d known about this book, life would have been much, much easier.
However, even this book hasn’t been able to cure my weakness when it comes to optics. Any suggestions, anybody?

Runners up-Don’t know. Is there one?

8) ENT- Dhingra/Logan and Turner/Current
I’d say Current’s a better option for neoplasias, and their latest treatment protocols.

9) PSM-Park (just for the sake of mentioning); SARP Series (though the updated version on 18th hasn’t hit the market yet)
Biostatistics- RxPG Bio stat Buster+ High Yield+ Mahajan’s text should do it.

10)Forensic-Reddy, SARP

11)Surgery-Schwartz(8th)
I’m not much of a fan of Surgery ,or the nitty gritties about surgical procedures, but this book’s my choice when it comes to the subject, for the simple reason that it gives a whole lot of stress to molecular genetics, it’s association with tumour-genesis, latest anti tumour therapies etc. Stuff that wouldn’t figure on the top of the surgeon’s agenda, but which nevertheless is important when it comes to the entrances. Besides, most of the entrances questions of surgery have a considerable degree of overlap with Medicine, so who needs core knowledge of surgery anyway? Somehow, I never came around to "Loving" my Bailey.

Runners’ up-CSDT (Again, love it ‘cause it reads more like a Medicine text. If I were to read only one book for the exams, other than Schwartz, this would probably be it).I’m omitting Sabiston cause I’ve never read it, maybe it’s readers can put in their words of praises.
Radio-Radiologist + Chapman are more than enough

12) Obstetrics and Gynaecology -Dutta + CODT combo
enough to take care of the entrances, I think. Probably with a little help from Williams.

13) orthopaedics-Maheshwari/Ebnezer/Adams.
With a bit of a reference from Apley.

14) Medicine-Harrison (16th) +CMDT
Nothing much to be said. I guess there’ll be 100% support for this one.

15) Paediatrics - Ghai.
With a lot of reference from big Nelson.

16) Anaesthesia-Ajay Yadav.
Love this book. Short, succinct and memorizable. Prefer it over Lee

Runners up-Lee

17) Dermatology -Harrison+ Roxburgh
Takes care of the whole thing.

Runners up-Behl (For the simple reason that it comes sans the wonderful colour plates that are Roxburgh’s hallmark)

18) Psychiatry-Ahuja

Runners up-SARP (IN my opinion reading SARP after Ahuja would be a better idea)

Source: http://www.rxpgonline.com/postt27571.html