Best Books for Medical Students

Below. is a summary of recommended books for medical students, updated for 2018. Most have more thorough write-ups on the recommended books. Enjoy!

Pre-clinical years:

Anatomy

• Pick one of these must-have atlases: Netter’s or Thieme
• Optional: Moore’s (a textbook), Rohen’s (photographic atlas)
• For our complete write-up on anatomy books for medical students, click here.

Physiology

• Must-have: BRS Physiology
• Recommended: Physiology by Costanzo
• If you prefer a more in-depth textbook, pick one of these: Guyton and Hall or Boron and Boulpaep
• For our complete write-up on physiology books for medical students, click here.

Histology

• Recommended: Histology: A Text and Atlas

Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

• Recommended: BRS Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, & Genetics and Lippincott’s Biochemistry

Pathology

• Must-have: Fundamentals of Pathology (Pathoma)

Neuroscience/neuroanatomy

• Recommended: Clinical Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously Simple, or High-Yield Neuroanatomy

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Clinical years:

Neurology

• Choose one of these must-haves: Blueprints Neurology or Case Files Neurology
• For more practice questions: PreTest Neurology

Psychiatry

• Must-have: First Aid for the Psychiatry Clerkship and Lange Q&A Psychiatry
• Optional: Clinical Psychopharmacology Made Ridiculously Simple and PreTest Psychiatry
• For our complete write-up on Psychiatry books for medical students, click here.

OB GYN

• Recommended: Blueprints Obstetrics & Gynecology or Case Files Obstetrics & Gynecology
• Optional (for more questions): PreTest Obstetrics & Gynecology
• For our complete write-up on OB GYN books for medical students, click here.

Pediatrics

• Must-have: BRS Pediatrics
• Recommended: PreTest Pediatrics
• For our complete write-up on Pediatrics books for medical students, click here.

Family Medicine

• Recommended: Case Files Family Medicine
• Optional: PreTest Family Medicine (a good source but little outdated, will be recommended when the 4th edition is released)

Surgery

• Must-have: De Virgilio’s Surgery: A Case Based Clinical Review and Pestana’s
• Recommended: Surgical Recall
• For our complete write-up on Surgery books for medical students, click here.

Internal Medicine

• Recommended: NMS Casebook or Step Up to Medicine
• Must-have for EKG interpretation: Rapid Interpretation of EKGs or The Only EKG Book You’ll Ever Need

Emergency Medicine

• Recommended: Emergency Medicine Secrets

Anesthesiology

• Recommended: Duke’s Anesthesiology Secrets and Miller’s Basics of Anesthesiology

Radiology

• Recommended: Learning Radiology and Felson’s (a book on CXR interpretation)

Ophthalmology

• Recommended: Ophthobook

Otolaryngology (ENT)

• Recommended: Pasha’s and ENT Secrets

Dermatology

• Recommended: Lookingbill & Marks’ Principles of Dermatology

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R)

• Recommended: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Pocketpedia

Radiation Oncology

• Recommended: Handbook of Evidence-Based Radiation Oncology (note: this is a resident/attending-level text)

Orthopedic Surgery

• Recommended: Orthopedic Secrets, Netter’s Concise Orthopaedic Anatomy and Handbook of Fractures

Plastic Surgery

• Recommended: Plastic Surgery Secrets Plus

Neurosurgery

• Recommended: Handbook of Neurosurgery (note: this is a resident/attending-level text)