Clinical medicine: Oxford Handbook and Kumar/Clark (@KCL)

Hey
I am about to start 3rd year medicine (clinical medicine) at KCL. I am wondering if people (at any med school) are expected to learn, effectively verbatum, the contents of Oxford Handbook Clinical Medicine (Chesse and Onion) and/or Kumar and CLark Pocket book.

There is a horrific amount of information in the two combined and I am wondering if it is worth starting preparing now (e.g: making flashcards on the two books)

thanks

Reply 1

Zakadoh

12

Hey! Of course not, stop worrying! No doctor in the country knows the entire contents of either of those books. It would be insane to even try and memorise them

Reply 2

Democracy

20

Well you don't need to know it off by heart and there are parts of it which are a bit advanced, but the OHCM matches the undergraduate curriculum in general medicine and surgery pretty well I'd say. Don't worry if it seems like a lot right now, that's why you have three more years to go.

Not a fan of K&C so I can't really comment on their pocket guide, but it'll probably be similar-ish.

Personally I found no need to make notes during my clinical years. If you turn up and pay attention to what's going on, do some reading when you get home, and do lots of questions around exam time (I suggest PassMedicine) you'll be absolutely fine.

I briefly tried making notes at the very beginning of our first clinical year - basically I ended up re-writing the OHCM. Pretty pointless!

Original post by Zakadoh

Hey! Of course not, stop worrying! No doctor in the country knows the entire contents of either of those books. It would be insane to even try and memorise them

In my experience a typical medical registrar is basically a walking OHCM.

Reply 3

Zakadoh

12

lol. I would like to meet these guys! Dont get me wrong, I have met some very impressive doctors, with vast swathes of knowledge swimming around upstairs, many of them med regs to be fair. But the oxford handbook back to back.....it wouldnt be human! Even the authors wouldnt stand a chance. And definitely for the purposes of getting through clinical years as a med student, a 50th of the information in that book would get you passing with distinctions all the way to the bank!

Reply 4

lcsurfer

18

Honestly if you attend all the firms and use it as side reading you will learn what you need for exams.
Just sitting in the library doesn't work for clinical medicine and you'll remember a lot from what you see on the wards.
Passmedicine as democracy said is really good.
Also psychiatry PRN is good for NOP.

Don't worry about 3rd year too much, just turn up to the wards, teaching and some clinics and you'll be fine!

dont do any notes over the summer.... enjoy your last long summer!

Reply 5

Jckc123

13

Original post by lcsurfer

Honestly if you attend all the firms and use it as side reading you will learn what you need for exams.
Just sitting in the library doesn't work for clinical medicine and you'll remember a lot from what you see on the wards.
Passmedicine as democracy said is really good.
Also psychiatry PRN is good for NOP.

Don't worry about 3rd year too much, just turn up to the wards, teaching and some clinics and you'll be fine!

dont do any notes over the summer.... enjoy your last long summer!

whats NOP btw?
(curious medical student currently doing psychiatry here)

Reply 6

navarre

20

I personally really don't like OHCM. It's too basic, too cramped, the images are too stark, and I hate the format and even the paper quality of the Oxford Handbooks.

Kumar and Clark's handbook is good for clinical medicine, but neither of those books really comprehensively covers the anatomy, pharmacology and physiology you'll be expected to have retained (and develop!) in the clinical years. I therefore recommend specialty texts from your hospital library. The Lecture Notes series is OK, but the eureka series is truly stellar.

Reply 7

lcsurfer

18

Original post by Jckc123

whats NOP btw?
(curious medical student currently doing psychiatry here)

ITs just a rotation we do in 3rd year - neurology, opthalmology and psych

Reply 8

zed963

16

Original post by navarre

I personally really don't like OHCM. It's too basic, too cramped, the images are too stark, and I hate the format and even the paper quality of the Oxford Handbooks.

Kumar and Clark's handbook is good for clinical medicine, but neither of those books really comprehensively covers the anatomy, pharmacology and physiology you'll be expected to have retained (and develop!) in the clinical years. I therefore recommend specialty texts from your hospital library. The Lecture Notes series is OK, but the eureka series is truly stellar.