Wards 101 Pocket: The Internship Survival Guide

I believe this book is going to be a classic soon. Though it is first edition, the book is very, very helpful in almost every situation (I use it when studying for an exam, sometimes in emergency, or during lectures to check a lab value/a criteria). It is very small. I mean it, and actually posted a picture with harrison's pocket. So, you can 'really' use it as a pocket reference. It is also smaller than Massachusetts Handbook, and i think better designed than the competitors spiral bound design. Stitched for duration and corners rounded. The content is arranged in very compact table style arrangements (like Massachusetts). The book is not an emergency book, there lies emergency material inside, but also there is every kind of clinical information from childhood rashes to electrolyte disturbances, ecg interpretation, dermatomes, glomerular pathology algoryhtms, and many others. There also lies normal lab values on the back. Though i find most of the things i look up, some concepts like DVT diagnosis criteria are missing. I did not use Massachusetts, so i can't compare but seriously believe wards has more in its 500 pages than Massachusetts' 220 (please also note wards manages to be way smaller). There are also a few things I found very meaningless, the board questions are one of them. Being a book designed to be a pocket reference, obviously, nobody needs 5 review questions. They only occupy space. The book has very very big potential inside. Check it yourself.

This pocket guide is awesome! Accidentally discovered this in a local bookstore. It was so good I didn't want to share it with anyone, until everyone started noticing how I "shined" during rounds, finishing my work quickly and efficiently, that I can no longer hide my "secret". No more just-your-average-Intern with Wards 101! Best of all, I get to sign out and get to go home early, (which my wife loves!!!). Best investment I ever made so far!

This book is close to being the only thing you need to carry. Some topics are perfect. Infectious diseases for example is stellar. The disease, the common culprits, the medicine with dosing. No complicated formulas, no b.s., just the facts. The other pocket guides give you info for treatment that is too tedious. For example, they would tell you to treat an infection with SOME DRUG from a particular drug family plus/minus with SOME OTHER DRUG from a particular drug family without specifying the preferred drug, preferred dose, and preferred length of treatment like this guide does. Other things need a little more coverage. For example, diabetes has excellent info on diagnosis and goals, but nothing on treatment. Afib is hardly touched, while CHF is awesome. So, I sort of love it. It's CLOSE to being really great, but you still have to carry other guides! A little more info on a couple topics that are lacking and the treatment would be wonderful. Also, has outstanding coverage or order writing and notes. Has lab values, bonus board review questions, and lots of other nice features. Obviously, the Dr Katzel knows what he's talking about so I hope he does a 2nd edition down the road. Until then, this one is definitely worth checking out. It's cheap and has some VERY helpful sections.