One of my favourites, 13 Oct 2008
Pocket Essentials is a great little book to review the night before you start on a rotation. It is small enough that you can easily read over the chapter and then appear on the ward with a good idea of what is going on. It doesn't replace the Oxford Handbook but rather compliments it. The Oxford Handbook is great for key facts, Pocket Essentials on the other hand gives a fundamental overview of what you need to know.

Excellent, 20 May 2008
One should have a larger book but for quick reference as a pocket/bag book its excellent for students and trainees and I have recently been encouraging my doctors to get one especially those doing GPVTS who would just not have the time or interest to wade through K&C. As such it's a slightly more gentle way to revise basic medicine. It is different to OHCM and fulfills a different need.

Very good, 10 May 2008
I liked this book. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would but it was useful having a smaller reference book (although not pocket-size by a long shot!) to carry around on wards etc - it's more digestible and easier to follow than big K & C, and gives a little more background than the oxford handbook - and I know people who use it to revise for finals.

One of my favourites, 13 Oct 2008
Pocket Essentials is a great little book to review the night before you start on a rotation. It is small enough that you can easily read over the chapter and then appear on the ward with a good idea of what is going on. It doesn't replace the Oxford Handbook but rather compliments it. The Oxford Handbook is great for key facts, Pocket Essentials on the other hand gives a fundamental overview of what you need to know.

Excellent, 20 May 2008
One should have a larger book but for quick reference as a pocket/bag book its excellent for students and trainees and I have recently been encouraging my doctors to get one especially those doing GPVTS who would just not have the time or interest to wade through K&C. As such it's a slightly more gentle way to revise basic medicine. It is different to OHCM and fulfills a different need.

Very good, 10 May 2008
I liked this book. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would but it was useful having a smaller reference book (although not pocket-size by a long shot!) to carry around on wards etc - it's more digestible and easier to follow than big K & C, and gives a little more background than the oxford handbook - and I know people who use it to revise for finals.

Concise, thorough and quirky, 12 Nov 2007
This book is an excellent addition to the ever-popular Oxford Handbook series. It has all the usual stuff that you'd expect in a clinical examination book, but it also includes detailed coverage of many essential practical procedures (e.g. ABG) and has good sections on psychiatry and paeds. Medical ethics even make a brief appearance. In addition, there is a large data interpretation chapter which covers all the essentials such as interpretation of the ECG and chest X-ray. The style is crisp and to the point with a distinctive, sometimes quirky but erudite tone that I find enjoyable to read - and the text is peppered with interesting facts and historical curiosities. For instance, did you know that cat allergy is caused by one of the proteins in feline saliva (their fur is covered in it through licking) or that Abraham Lincoln may have had Marfan's syndrome (his slightly blurred face in photographs is probably a reflection of head nodding due to aortic regurgitation - De Musset's sign!). Best of all, despite being the only handbook in full colour, it only costs about twenty quid and it just about fits in your pocket. Five stars!

I wish I'd had this for finals!, 15 Aug 2007
This is a great addition to the Handbooks range, with plenty of useful, detailed descriptions of the sorts of things seniors just assume you know. While revising for my own medical finals I clearly remember becoming obsessive about finding out exactly how to do things like demonstrate Kernig's sign - I could only find very brief explanations which did nothing to allay my anxieties. This book not only describes such things in detail, it also provides photos to show you how to do them. The book covers the history and examination of the systems (including, again, explicit details where other books simply tell you to (eg) "examine the lymph nodes") and includes the lot - paeds, obstetrics and psychiatry as well as the usual stuff. There is a big section with instructions on how to do everything from taking a BP to placing a central line and a section on data interpretation including the basics of ECGs and CXRs. A really useful book for medical students and recent (or not so recent!) graduates.

One of my favourites, 13 Oct 2008
Pocket Essentials is a great little book to review the night before you start on a rotation. It is small enough that you can easily read over the chapter and then appear on the ward with a good idea of what is going on. It doesn't replace the Oxford Handbook but rather compliments it. The Oxford Handbook is great for key facts, Pocket Essentials on the other hand gives a fundamental overview of what you need to know.

Excellent, 20 May 2008
One should have a larger book but for quick reference as a pocket/bag book its excellent for students and trainees and I have recently been encouraging my doctors to get one especially those doing GPVTS who would just not have the time or interest to wade through K&C. As such it's a slightly more gentle way to revise basic medicine. It is different to OHCM and fulfills a different need.

Very good, 10 May 2008
I liked this book. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would but it was useful having a smaller reference book (although not pocket-size by a long shot!) to carry around on wards etc - it's more digestible and easier to follow than big K & C, and gives a little more background than the oxford handbook - and I know people who use it to revise for finals.

Concise, thorough and quirky, 12 Nov 2007
This book is an excellent addition to the ever-popular Oxford Handbook series. It has all the usual stuff that you'd expect in a clinical examination book, but it also includes detailed coverage of many essential practical procedures (e.g. ABG) and has good sections on psychiatry and paeds. Medical ethics even make a brief appearance. In addition, there is a large data interpretation chapter which covers all the essentials such as interpretation of the ECG and chest X-ray. The style is crisp and to the point with a distinctive, sometimes quirky but erudite tone that I find enjoyable to read - and the text is peppered with interesting facts and historical curiosities. For instance, did you know that cat allergy is caused by one of the proteins in feline saliva (their fur is covered in it through licking) or that Abraham Lincoln may have had Marfan's syndrome (his slightly blurred face in photographs is probably a reflection of head nodding due to aortic regurgitation - De Musset's sign!). Best of all, despite being the only handbook in full colour, it only costs about twenty quid and it just about fits in your pocket. Five stars!

I wish I'd had this for finals!, 15 Aug 2007
This is a great addition to the Handbooks range, with plenty of useful, detailed descriptions of the sorts of things seniors just assume you know. While revising for my own medical finals I clearly remember becoming obsessive about finding out exactly how to do things like demonstrate Kernig's sign - I could only find very brief explanations which did nothing to allay my anxieties. This book not only describes such things in detail, it also provides photos to show you how to do them. The book covers the history and examination of the systems (including, again, explicit details where other books simply tell you to (eg) "examine the lymph nodes") and includes the lot - paeds, obstetrics and psychiatry as well as the usual stuff. There is a big section with instructions on how to do everything from taking a BP to placing a central line and a section on data interpretation including the basics of ECGs and CXRs. A really useful book for medical students and recent (or not so recent!) graduates.

Worth its weight in gold, and no inaccuracies!, 17 Jun 2007
The previous customer review claimed that there was a discrepancy between stations 4 and 6. However, station 4 discusses cannula sizes whereas station 6 discusses NEEDLE sizes, and these ARE actually different. So please beware of inaccuracies when telling people to "beware of inaccuracies"!

Watch out for inaccuracies, 28 May 2007
Iam a third year medical student and wanted a book to see me through the dreaded OSCE exam. I was advised by a friend to buy this book, which I did.

Overall the book has very good content and is just the ticket to prepare for the exam. It covers a good spread of topics and is easy to read/absorb. The book is worth its weight in gold.

However, BE WARY! I was a little disappointed by some sloppy editing and factual errors in the book. For example the 4th 'station' lists cannulae sizes and colours. Turn just THREE pages to the 6th station and the cannulae sizes and colours have changed! Two pages later a list of things to do 'after the procedure' repeats the same point twice, verbatim.

Would I recommend the book? Yes. It's excellent. Just make sure you keep your wits about you when reading the finer detail!

What a brilliant book!, 30 Jun 2006
This second edition of the popular Clinical Skills for OSCEs is probably the only book you'll ever need for your OSCEs. It takes you step-by-step through 112 clinical skills ranging from examining the cranial nerves to breaking bad news and from prescribing a controlled drug to obtaining consent. It also includes more obscure skills that are not covered by other books such as operating a syringe driver and handling the MMR controversy. The book is beautifully presented and illustrated, with some very helpful diagrams such as the ones on abdominal scars and inguinal anatomy. Thanks to the authors' clear and direct approach, I found myself mastering skills that I had been struggling with for years. A gem of a book that every medical student should be reading. Without it I would have needed much more time to prepare for my exams, and not done nearly as well.

Review by Joel Newman in the GKT Gazette, 27 Jul 2003
Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are the type of exam that all students fear greatly. Unlike written exams, in OSCEs examiners can ask questions for which they need the answers immediately. You can't leave the answers to the end of the exam when you have time to think about them. For this reason revision for OSCEs involves a lot of rehearsals and drilling so that the information is virtually bubbling from your cerebral cortex when entering the Clinical Skills Centre.

A number of OSCE books have been written recently, and these appear to form one of the fastest growing areas of medical textbook types. The book under review here is written by a number of graduates from GKT, which makes the book all the more interesting to students still studying at GKT.

The book takes the form of systems based approach, with 90 scenarios broadly based in areas such as paediatrics, geriatrics or dermatology. Each of the scenarios contains an introductory statement of the task for that station, followed by a brief overview with tips, and a step-by-step guide of how to carry out the station.

Rather than explaining exactly how to do each step, the book assumes you already know how to, for example, test muscle tone and reflexes, and acts more as a guide to what needs to be included for each scenario and the order in which to do them.

One of the most useful aspects of the book is the box at the end of most OSCE scenarios stating the most common conditions examined in that particular OSCE. This is ideal for revision guidance when trying to impress the examiner with your medical knowledge.

This is a very good book covering virtually all the possible OSCE stations that you are likely to find yourself in for MBBS. Other than the price, I can find very little to criticise the book of, and I will definitely be using it for my OSCE revision this summer.

Joel Newman.

A must for all students preparing for OSCEs, 27 May 2003
I am a forth year medic preparing for my OSCEs and have found this book to be by far the best from the wide selection available.

All of the likely stations for third, forth and fifth year OSCEs are included in the book, including the unexpected ones that can really take you by surprise if you get them unprepared. The stations are put into sections by the system/speciality that they come under, with stations ranging from history taking and the standard examinations to practical procedures and “strange” assessments.

The layout of the book is simple and easy to follow, with each aspect of the stations given subheadings that make them easier to remember (e.g. inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation).

The style is concise and to the point, meaning that it is easy to refer back to if you get stuck during your practice. This does mean that there are some points in the text where a little more explanation would be appreciated, and you may find yourself referring to a clinical examination text occasionally. Students from GKT will find this book especially useful as it has been written by some of our own ex-students, hence the examples should follow the kinds of stations that you will get during your actual OSCEs.

Overall: A very useful book, and the best one that I have found.

One of my favourites, 13 Oct 2008
Pocket Essentials is a great little book to review the night before you start on a rotation. It is small enough that you can easily read over the chapter and then appear on the ward with a good idea of what is going on. It doesn't replace the Oxford Handbook but rather compliments it. The Oxford Handbook is great for key facts, Pocket Essentials on the other hand gives a fundamental overview of what you need to know.

Excellent, 20 May 2008
One should have a larger book but for quick reference as a pocket/bag book its excellent for students and trainees and I have recently been encouraging my doctors to get one especially those doing GPVTS who would just not have the time or interest to wade through K&C. As such it's a slightly more gentle way to revise basic medicine. It is different to OHCM and fulfills a different need.

Very good, 10 May 2008
I liked this book. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would but it was useful having a smaller reference book (although not pocket-size by a long shot!) to carry around on wards etc - it's more digestible and easier to follow than big K & C, and gives a little more background than the oxford handbook - and I know people who use it to revise for finals.

Concise, thorough and quirky, 12 Nov 2007
This book is an excellent addition to the ever-popular Oxford Handbook series. It has all the usual stuff that you'd expect in a clinical examination book, but it also includes detailed coverage of many essential practical procedures (e.g. ABG) and has good sections on psychiatry and paeds. Medical ethics even make a brief appearance. In addition, there is a large data interpretation chapter which covers all the essentials such as interpretation of the ECG and chest X-ray. The style is crisp and to the point with a distinctive, sometimes quirky but erudite tone that I find enjoyable to read - and the text is peppered with interesting facts and historical curiosities. For instance, did you know that cat allergy is caused by one of the proteins in feline saliva (their fur is covered in it through licking) or that Abraham Lincoln may have had Marfan's syndrome (his slightly blurred face in photographs is probably a reflection of head nodding due to aortic regurgitation - De Musset's sign!). Best of all, despite being the only handbook in full colour, it only costs about twenty quid and it just about fits in your pocket. Five stars!

I wish I'd had this for finals!, 15 Aug 2007
This is a great addition to the Handbooks range, with plenty of useful, detailed descriptions of the sorts of things seniors just assume you know. While revising for my own medical finals I clearly remember becoming obsessive about finding out exactly how to do things like demonstrate Kernig's sign - I could only find very brief explanations which did nothing to allay my anxieties. This book not only describes such things in detail, it also provides photos to show you how to do them. The book covers the history and examination of the systems (including, again, explicit details where other books simply tell you to (eg) "examine the lymph nodes") and includes the lot - paeds, obstetrics and psychiatry as well as the usual stuff. There is a big section with instructions on how to do everything from taking a BP to placing a central line and a section on data interpretation including the basics of ECGs and CXRs. A really useful book for medical students and recent (or not so recent!) graduates.

Worth its weight in gold, and no inaccuracies!, 17 Jun 2007
The previous customer review claimed that there was a discrepancy between stations 4 and 6. However, station 4 discusses cannula sizes whereas station 6 discusses NEEDLE sizes, and these ARE actually different. So please beware of inaccuracies when telling people to "beware of inaccuracies"!

Watch out for inaccuracies, 28 May 2007
Iam a third year medical student and wanted a book to see me through the dreaded OSCE exam. I was advised by a friend to buy this book, which I did.

Overall the book has very good content and is just the ticket to prepare for the exam. It covers a good spread of topics and is easy to read/absorb. The book is worth its weight in gold.

However, BE WARY! I was a little disappointed by some sloppy editing and factual errors in the book. For example the 4th 'station' lists cannulae sizes and colours. Turn just THREE pages to the 6th station and the cannulae sizes and colours have changed! Two pages later a list of things to do 'after the procedure' repeats the same point twice, verbatim.

Would I recommend the book? Yes. It's excellent. Just make sure you keep your wits about you when reading the finer detail!

What a brilliant book!, 30 Jun 2006
This second edition of the popular Clinical Skills for OSCEs is probably the only book you'll ever need for your OSCEs. It takes you step-by-step through 112 clinical skills ranging from examining the cranial nerves to breaking bad news and from prescribing a controlled drug to obtaining consent. It also includes more obscure skills that are not covered by other books such as operating a syringe driver and handling the MMR controversy. The book is beautifully presented and illustrated, with some very helpful diagrams such as the ones on abdominal scars and inguinal anatomy. Thanks to the authors' clear and direct approach, I found myself mastering skills that I had been struggling with for years. A gem of a book that every medical student should be reading. Without it I would have needed much more time to prepare for my exams, and not done nearly as well.

Review by Joel Newman in the GKT Gazette, 27 Jul 2003
Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are the type of exam that all students fear greatly. Unlike written exams, in OSCEs examiners can ask questions for which they need the answers immediately. You can't leave the answers to the end of the exam when you have time to think about them. For this reason revision for OSCEs involves a lot of rehearsals and drilling so that the information is virtually bubbling from your cerebral cortex when entering the Clinical Skills Centre.

A number of OSCE books have been written recently, and these appear to form one of the fastest growing areas of medical textbook types. The book under review here is written by a number of graduates from GKT, which makes the book all the more interesting to students still studying at GKT.

The book takes the form of systems based approach, with 90 scenarios broadly based in areas such as paediatrics, geriatrics or dermatology. Each of the scenarios contains an introductory statement of the task for that station, followed by a brief overview with tips, and a step-by-step guide of how to carry out the station.

Rather than explaining exactly how to do each step, the book assumes you already know how to, for example, test muscle tone and reflexes, and acts more as a guide to what needs to be included for each scenario and the order in which to do them.

One of the most useful aspects of the book is the box at the end of most OSCE scenarios stating the most common conditions examined in that particular OSCE. This is ideal for revision guidance when trying to impress the examiner with your medical knowledge.

This is a very good book covering virtually all the possible OSCE stations that you are likely to find yourself in for MBBS. Other than the price, I can find very little to criticise the book of, and I will definitely be using it for my OSCE revision this summer.

Joel Newman.

A must for all students preparing for OSCEs, 27 May 2003
I am a forth year medic preparing for my OSCEs and have found this book to be by far the best from the wide selection available.

All of the likely stations for third, forth and fifth year OSCEs are included in the book, including the unexpected ones that can really take you by surprise if you get them unprepared. The stations are put into sections by the system/speciality that they come under, with stations ranging from history taking and the standard examinations to practical procedures and “strange” assessments.

The layout of the book is simple and easy to follow, with each aspect of the stations given subheadings that make them easier to remember (e.g. inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation).

The style is concise and to the point, meaning that it is easy to refer back to if you get stuck during your practice. This does mean that there are some points in the text where a little more explanation would be appreciated, and you may find yourself referring to a clinical examination text occasionally. Students from GKT will find this book especially useful as it has been written by some of our own ex-students, hence the examples should follow the kinds of stations that you will get during your actual OSCEs.

Overall: A very useful book, and the best one that I have found.

Going downhill..., 03 Nov 2008
Unfortunately this book series seems to be going the way of the Oxford "cheese and onion" handbook. It started off a few years ago as a very concise readable guide that had all the essentials you needed as a prescriber. As the editions progressed it has become more and more bloated, and this latest version is the largest yet. It includes tons of pointlessly redundant information, and has made the 'fast facts' hard to find. It's like lugging around a full-blown textbook with you rather than a handy quick-reference guide.

The information in it is still solid, and it's still 'the bible' for psychiatrists, but they really need to cut out some of the cruft for the next edition instead of continually expanding for expansion's sake.

A must for every Psychiatrist, 14 Nov 2007
This is quite simply the best synthesis of essential information about the prescribing of psychotropic medication there has ever been. I, and every other Psychiatrist I know has a well-thumbed copy of the last edition on their desk and this latest one contains some much anticipated updates.

The book covers all aspects of prescribing in Psychiatry from the mundane to the bizarre, summarising the evidence for each treatment and offering extensive references. Despite the broad content, it is extremely practical and user-friendly and much of the essential information is summarised in accessible charts and tables which are easy to scan quickly and can even be used to present options to patients.

The authors have been extremely thorough yet concise and the end result is both a handy pocket guide and reference book. Every Psychiatrist, without exception should own a copy and refer to it regularly.

One of my favourites, 13 Oct 2008
Pocket Essentials is a great little book to review the night before you start on a rotation. It is small enough that you can easily read over the chapter and then appear on the ward with a good idea of what is going on. It doesn't replace the Oxford Handbook but rather compliments it. The Oxford Handbook is great for key facts, Pocket Essentials on the other hand gives a fundamental overview of what you need to know.

Excellent, 20 May 2008
One should have a larger book but for quick reference as a pocket/bag book its excellent for students and trainees and I have recently been encouraging my doctors to get one especially those doing GPVTS who would just not have the time or interest to wade through K&C. As such it's a slightly more gentle way to revise basic medicine. It is different to OHCM and fulfills a different need.

Very good, 10 May 2008
I liked this book. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would but it was useful having a smaller reference book (although not pocket-size by a long shot!) to carry around on wards etc - it's more digestible and easier to follow than big K & C, and gives a little more background than the oxford handbook - and I know people who use it to revise for finals.

Concise, thorough and quirky, 12 Nov 2007
This book is an excellent addition to the ever-popular Oxford Handbook series. It has all the usual stuff that you'd expect in a clinical examination book, but it also includes detailed coverage of many essential practical procedures (e.g. ABG) and has good sections on psychiatry and paeds. Medical ethics even make a brief appearance. In addition, there is a large data interpretation chapter which covers all the essentials such as interpretation of the ECG and chest X-ray. The style is crisp and to the point with a distinctive, sometimes quirky but erudite tone that I find enjoyable to read - and the text is peppered with interesting facts and historical curiosities. For instance, did you know that cat allergy is caused by one of the proteins in feline saliva (their fur is covered in it through licking) or that Abraham Lincoln may have had Marfan's syndrome (his slightly blurred face in photographs is probably a reflection of head nodding due to aortic regurgitation - De Musset's sign!). Best of all, despite being the only handbook in full colour, it only costs about twenty quid and it just about fits in your pocket. Five stars!

I wish I'd had this for finals!, 15 Aug 2007
This is a great addition to the Handbooks range, with plenty of useful, detailed descriptions of the sorts of things seniors just assume you know. While revising for my own medical finals I clearly remember becoming obsessive about finding out exactly how to do things like demonstrate Kernig's sign - I could only find very brief explanations which did nothing to allay my anxieties. This book not only describes such things in detail, it also provides photos to show you how to do them. The book covers the history and examination of the systems (including, again, explicit details where other books simply tell you to (eg) "examine the lymph nodes") and includes the lot - paeds, obstetrics and psychiatry as well as the usual stuff. There is a big section with instructions on how to do everything from taking a BP to placing a central line and a section on data interpretation including the basics of ECGs and CXRs. A really useful book for medical students and recent (or not so recent!) graduates.

Worth its weight in gold, and no inaccuracies!, 17 Jun 2007
The previous customer review claimed that there was a discrepancy between stations 4 and 6. However, station 4 discusses cannula sizes whereas station 6 discusses NEEDLE sizes, and these ARE actually different. So please beware of inaccuracies when telling people to "beware of inaccuracies"!

Watch out for inaccuracies, 28 May 2007
Iam a third year medical student and wanted a book to see me through the dreaded OSCE exam. I was advised by a friend to buy this book, which I did.

Overall the book has very good content and is just the ticket to prepare for the exam. It covers a good spread of topics and is easy to read/absorb. The book is worth its weight in gold.

However, BE WARY! I was a little disappointed by some sloppy editing and factual errors in the book. For example the 4th 'station' lists cannulae sizes and colours. Turn just THREE pages to the 6th station and the cannulae sizes and colours have changed! Two pages later a list of things to do 'after the procedure' repeats the same point twice, verbatim.

Would I recommend the book? Yes. It's excellent. Just make sure you keep your wits about you when reading the finer detail!

What a brilliant book!, 30 Jun 2006
This second edition of the popular Clinical Skills for OSCEs is probably the only book you'll ever need for your OSCEs. It takes you step-by-step through 112 clinical skills ranging from examining the cranial nerves to breaking bad news and from prescribing a controlled drug to obtaining consent. It also includes more obscure skills that are not covered by other books such as operating a syringe driver and handling the MMR controversy. The book is beautifully presented and illustrated, with some very helpful diagrams such as the ones on abdominal scars and inguinal anatomy. Thanks to the authors' clear and direct approach, I found myself mastering skills that I had been struggling with for years. A gem of a book that every medical student should be reading. Without it I would have needed much more time to prepare for my exams, and not done nearly as well.

Review by Joel Newman in the GKT Gazette, 27 Jul 2003
Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are the type of exam that all students fear greatly. Unlike written exams, in OSCEs examiners can ask questions for which they need the answers immediately. You can't leave the answers to the end of the exam when you have time to think about them. For this reason revision for OSCEs involves a lot of rehearsals and drilling so that the information is virtually bubbling from your cerebral cortex when entering the Clinical Skills Centre.

A number of OSCE books have been written recently, and these appear to form one of the fastest growing areas of medical textbook types. The book under review here is written by a number of graduates from GKT, which makes the book all the more interesting to students still studying at GKT.

The book takes the form of systems based approach, with 90 scenarios broadly based in areas such as paediatrics, geriatrics or dermatology. Each of the scenarios contains an introductory statement of the task for that station, followed by a brief overview with tips, and a step-by-step guide of how to carry out the station.

Rather than explaining exactly how to do each step, the book assumes you already know how to, for example, test muscle tone and reflexes, and acts more as a guide to what needs to be included for each scenario and the order in which to do them.

One of the most useful aspects of the book is the box at the end of most OSCE scenarios stating the most common conditions examined in that particular OSCE. This is ideal for revision guidance when trying to impress the examiner with your medical knowledge.

This is a very good book covering virtually all the possible OSCE stations that you are likely to find yourself in for MBBS. Other than the price, I can find very little to criticise the book of, and I will definitely be using it for my OSCE revision this summer.

Joel Newman.

A must for all students preparing for OSCEs, 27 May 2003
I am a forth year medic preparing for my OSCEs and have found this book to be by far the best from the wide selection available.

All of the likely stations for third, forth and fifth year OSCEs are included in the book, including the unexpected ones that can really take you by surprise if you get them unprepared. The stations are put into sections by the system/speciality that they come under, with stations ranging from history taking and the standard examinations to practical procedures and “strange” assessments.

The layout of the book is simple and easy to follow, with each aspect of the stations given subheadings that make them easier to remember (e.g. inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation).

The style is concise and to the point, meaning that it is easy to refer back to if you get stuck during your practice. This does mean that there are some points in the text where a little more explanation would be appreciated, and you may find yourself referring to a clinical examination text occasionally. Students from GKT will find this book especially useful as it has been written by some of our own ex-students, hence the examples should follow the kinds of stations that you will get during your actual OSCEs.

Overall: A very useful book, and the best one that I have found.

Going downhill..., 03 Nov 2008
Unfortunately this book series seems to be going the way of the Oxford "cheese and onion" handbook. It started off a few years ago as a very concise readable guide that had all the essentials you needed as a prescriber. As the editions progressed it has become more and more bloated, and this latest version is the largest yet. It includes tons of pointlessly redundant information, and has made the 'fast facts' hard to find. It's like lugging around a full-blown textbook with you rather than a handy quick-reference guide.

The information in it is still solid, and it's still 'the bible' for psychiatrists, but they really need to cut out some of the cruft for the next edition instead of continually expanding for expansion's sake.

A must for every Psychiatrist, 14 Nov 2007
This is quite simply the best synthesis of essential information about the prescribing of psychotropic medication there has ever been. I, and every other Psychiatrist I know has a well-thumbed copy of the last edition on their desk and this latest one contains some much anticipated updates.

The book covers all aspects of prescribing in Psychiatry from the mundane to the bizarre, summarising the evidence for each treatment and offering extensive references. Despite the broad content, it is extremely practical and user-friendly and much of the essential information is summarised in accessible charts and tables which are easy to scan quickly and can even be used to present options to patients.

The authors have been extremely thorough yet concise and the end result is both a handy pocket guide and reference book. Every Psychiatrist, without exception should own a copy and refer to it regularly.

Great book, just use other sources too., 04 Nov 2008
I study medicine at Oxford, and this book is basically the bible for the entire year. Use it constantly for every essay and piece of work we're given: It was written in part by a tutor here, and I basically couldn't live without it.

However, be careful: even the most recent edition does have several mistakes (which you'd have to be incredibly anal to pick up on, but they are blatantly wrong). Make sure you use some other sources and your common sense, or else face the terrifying probability of believing that fructose-2,6-bisphosphate is an allosteric activator of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. A hideous concept, I know, but you have been warned.

In spite of this, I can't imagine any medical student being able to cope without a copy - it has pretty much everything you need to know in a concise format. Terrible index, but you can glean some interesting facts whilst searching through the six different page references for the one which is actually about epithelial function.

Superb, 20 May 2008
I dip into this book often and it ever fails to impress me with the depth of information and its straightforward no nonsense style that is lacking in the big books. Full marks !

Good for umsle step1 review, 29 Apr 2007
This book may be useful to those studying for the usmle step1. It covers the basic sciences relatively well and it can by used as supplement to more usmlelish editions as contains and low-yields facts.

northern medical scientist, 20 Apr 2007
When faced by the enormous volume of information available today the medical student and junior doctor may struggle to know where to start. This excellent handbook provides a wide ranging synoptic review of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology and pharmacology, organised by organ systems. The key information can be found in this book either when starting to learn a topic, when revising for exams or when faced by clinical problems. The chapters are well organised and supported by a comprehensive index. Well recommended.

One of my favourites, 13 Oct 2008
Pocket Essentials is a great little book to review the night before you start on a rotation. It is small enough that you can easily read over the chapter and then appear on the ward with a good idea of what is going on. It doesn't replace the Oxford Handbook but rather compliments it. The Oxford Handbook is great for key facts, Pocket Essentials on the other hand gives a fundamental overview of what you need to know.

Excellent, 20 May 2008
One should have a larger book but for quick reference as a pocket/bag book its excellent for students and trainees and I have recently been encouraging my doctors to get one especially those doing GPVTS who would just not have the time or interest to wade through K&C. As such it's a slightly more gentle way to revise basic medicine. It is different to OHCM and fulfills a different need.

Very good, 10 May 2008
I liked this book. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would but it was useful having a smaller reference book (although not pocket-size by a long shot!) to carry around on wards etc - it's more digestible and easier to follow than big K & C, and gives a little more background than the oxford handbook - and I know people who use it to revise for finals.

Concise, thorough and quirky, 12 Nov 2007
This book is an excellent addition to the ever-popular Oxford Handbook series. It has all the usual stuff that you'd expect in a clinical examination book, but it also includes detailed coverage of many essential practical procedures (e.g. ABG) and has good sections on psychiatry and paeds. Medical ethics even make a brief appearance. In addition, there is a large data interpretation chapter which covers all the essentials such as interpretation of the ECG and chest X-ray. The style is crisp and to the point with a distinctive, sometimes quirky but erudite tone that I find enjoyable to read - and the text is peppered with interesting facts and historical curiosities. For instance, did you know that cat allergy is caused by one of the proteins in feline saliva (their fur is covered in it through licking) or that Abraham Lincoln may have had Marfan's syndrome (his slightly blurred face in photographs is probably a reflection of head nodding due to aortic regurgitation - De Musset's sign!). Best of all, despite being the only handbook in full colour, it only costs about twenty quid and it just about fits in your pocket. Five stars!

I wish I'd had this for finals!, 15 Aug 2007
This is a great addition to the Handbooks range, with plenty of useful, detailed descriptions of the sorts of things seniors just assume you know. While revising for my own medical finals I clearly remember becoming obsessive about finding out exactly how to do things like demonstrate Kernig's sign - I could only find very brief explanations which did nothing to allay my anxieties. This book not only describes such things in detail, it also provides photos to show you how to do them. The book covers the history and examination of the systems (including, again, explicit details where other books simply tell you to (eg) "examine the lymph nodes") and includes the lot - paeds, obstetrics and psychiatry as well as the usual stuff. There is a big section with instructions on how to do everything from taking a BP to placing a central line and a section on data interpretation including the basics of ECGs and CXRs. A really useful book for medical students and recent (or not so recent!) graduates.

Worth its weight in gold, and no inaccuracies!, 17 Jun 2007
The previous customer review claimed that there was a discrepancy between stations 4 and 6. However, station 4 discusses cannula sizes whereas station 6 discusses NEEDLE sizes, and these ARE actually different. So please beware of inaccuracies when telling people to "beware of inaccuracies"!

Watch out for inaccuracies, 28 May 2007
Iam a third year medical student and wanted a book to see me through the dreaded OSCE exam. I was advised by a friend to buy this book, which I did.

Overall the book has very good content and is just the ticket to prepare for the exam. It covers a good spread of topics and is easy to read/absorb. The book is worth its weight in gold.

However, BE WARY! I was a little disappointed by some sloppy editing and factual errors in the book. For example the 4th 'station' lists cannulae sizes and colours. Turn just THREE pages to the 6th station and the cannulae sizes and colours have changed! Two pages later a list of things to do 'after the procedure' repeats the same point twice, verbatim.

Would I recommend the book? Yes. It's excellent. Just make sure you keep your wits about you when reading the finer detail!

What a brilliant book!, 30 Jun 2006
This second edition of the popular Clinical Skills for OSCEs is probably the only book you'll ever need for your OSCEs. It takes you step-by-step through 112 clinical skills ranging from examining the cranial nerves to breaking bad news and from prescribing a controlled drug to obtaining consent. It also includes more obscure skills that are not covered by other books such as operating a syringe driver and handling the MMR controversy. The book is beautifully presented and illustrated, with some very helpful diagrams such as the ones on abdominal scars and inguinal anatomy. Thanks to the authors' clear and direct approach, I found myself mastering skills that I had been struggling with for years. A gem of a book that every medical student should be reading. Without it I would have needed much more time to prepare for my exams, and not done nearly as well.

Review by Joel Newman in the GKT Gazette, 27 Jul 2003
Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are the type of exam that all students fear greatly. Unlike written exams, in OSCEs examiners can ask questions for which they need the answers immediately. You can't leave the answers to the end of the exam when you have time to think about them. For this reason revision for OSCEs involves a lot of rehearsals and drilling so that the information is virtually bubbling from your cerebral cortex when entering the Clinical Skills Centre.

A number of OSCE books have been written recently, and these appear to form one of the fastest growing areas of medical textbook types. The book under review here is written by a number of graduates from GKT, which makes the book all the more interesting to students still studying at GKT.

The book takes the form of systems based approach, with 90 scenarios broadly based in areas such as paediatrics, geriatrics or dermatology. Each of the scenarios contains an introductory statement of the task for that station, followed by a brief overview with tips, and a step-by-step guide of how to carry out the station.

Rather than explaining exactly how to do each step, the book assumes you already know how to, for example, test muscle tone and reflexes, and acts more as a guide to what needs to be included for each scenario and the order in which to do them.

One of the most useful aspects of the book is the box at the end of most OSCE scenarios stating the most common conditions examined in that particular OSCE. This is ideal for revision guidance when trying to impress the examiner with your medical knowledge.

This is a very good book covering virtually all the possible OSCE stations that you are likely to find yourself in for MBBS. Other than the price, I can find very little to criticise the book of, and I will definitely be using it for my OSCE revision this summer.

Joel Newman.

A must for all students preparing for OSCEs, 27 May 2003
I am a forth year medic preparing for my OSCEs and have found this book to be by far the best from the wide selection available.

All of the likely stations for third, forth and fifth year OSCEs are included in the book, including the unexpected ones that can really take you by surprise if you get them unprepared. The stations are put into sections by the system/speciality that they come under, with stations ranging from history taking and the standard examinations to practical procedures and “strange” assessments.

The layout of the book is simple and easy to follow, with each aspect of the stations given subheadings that make them easier to remember (e.g. inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation).

The style is concise and to the point, meaning that it is easy to refer back to if you get stuck during your practice. This does mean that there are some points in the text where a little more explanation would be appreciated, and you may find yourself referring to a clinical examination text occasionally. Students from GKT will find this book especially useful as it has been written by some of our own ex-students, hence the examples should follow the kinds of stations that you will get during your actual OSCEs.

Overall: A very useful book, and the best one that I have found.

Going downhill..., 03 Nov 2008
Unfortunately this book series seems to be going the way of the Oxford "cheese and onion" handbook. It started off a few years ago as a very concise readable guide that had all the essentials you needed as a prescriber. As the editions progressed it has become more and more bloated, and this latest version is the largest yet. It includes tons of pointlessly redundant information, and has made the 'fast facts' hard to find. It's like lugging around a full-blown textbook with you rather than a handy quick-reference guide.

The information in it is still solid, and it's still 'the bible' for psychiatrists, but they really need to cut out some of the cruft for the next edition instead of continually expanding for expansion's sake.

A must for every Psychiatrist, 14 Nov 2007
This is quite simply the best synthesis of essential information about the prescribing of psychotropic medication there has ever been. I, and every other Psychiatrist I know has a well-thumbed copy of the last edition on their desk and this latest one contains some much anticipated updates.

The book covers all aspects of prescribing in Psychiatry from the mundane to the bizarre, summarising the evidence for each treatment and offering extensive references. Despite the broad content, it is extremely practical and user-friendly and much of the essential information is summarised in accessible charts and tables which are easy to scan quickly and can even be used to present options to patients.

The authors have been extremely thorough yet concise and the end result is both a handy pocket guide and reference book. Every Psychiatrist, without exception should own a copy and refer to it regularly.

Great book, just use other sources too., 04 Nov 2008
I study medicine at Oxford, and this book is basically the bible for the entire year. Use it constantly for every essay and piece of work we're given: It was written in part by a tutor here, and I basically couldn't live without it.

However, be careful: even the most recent edition does have several mistakes (which you'd have to be incredibly anal to pick up on, but they are blatantly wrong). Make sure you use some other sources and your common sense, or else face the terrifying probability of believing that fructose-2,6-bisphosphate is an allosteric activator of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. A hideous concept, I know, but you have been warned.

In spite of this, I can't imagine any medical student being able to cope without a copy - it has pretty much everything you need to know in a concise format. Terrible index, but you can glean some interesting facts whilst searching through the six different page references for the one which is actually about epithelial function.

Superb, 20 May 2008
I dip into this book often and it ever fails to impress me with the depth of information and its straightforward no nonsense style that is lacking in the big books. Full marks !

Good for umsle step1 review, 29 Apr 2007
This book may be useful to those studying for the usmle step1. It covers the basic sciences relatively well and it can by used as supplement to more usmlelish editions as contains and low-yields facts.

northern medical scientist, 20 Apr 2007
When faced by the enormous volume of information available today the medical student and junior doctor may struggle to know where to start. This excellent handbook provides a wide ranging synoptic review of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology and pharmacology, organised by organ systems. The key information can be found in this book either when starting to learn a topic, when revising for exams or when faced by clinical problems. The chapters are well organised and supported by a comprehensive index. Well recommended.

excellent resource, 18 Nov 2007
I'm not a big one for reading things in consecuetive order, as I tend to get distracted, but this book answered all my questions as I asked them. Really clearly written with good example cases to test your knowledge on. Excellent diagrams. I wish I had found it earlier!

Clinical Biochemistry: An illustrated colour text, Gaw et al, 23 Mar 2003
This text gives a clear and simple account of the biochemistry necessary for undergraduate clinical examinations. It is well illustrated and contains example cases.

One of my favourites, 13 Oct 2008
Pocket Essentials is a great little book to review the night before you start on a rotation. It is small enough that you can easily read over the chapter and then appear on the ward with a good idea of what is going on. It doesn't replace the Oxford Handbook but rather compliments it. The Oxford Handbook is great for key facts, Pocket Essentials on the other hand gives a fundamental overview of what you need to know.

Excellent, 20 May 2008
One should have a larger book but for quick reference as a pocket/bag book its excellent for students and trainees and I have recently been encouraging my doctors to get one especially those doing GPVTS who would just not have the time or interest to wade through K&C. As such it's a slightly more gentle way to revise basic medicine. It is different to OHCM and fulfills a different need.

Very good, 10 May 2008
I liked this book. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would but it was useful having a smaller reference book (although not pocket-size by a long shot!) to carry around on wards etc - it's more digestible and easier to follow than big K & C, and gives a little more background than the oxford handbook - and I know people who use it to revise for finals.

Concise, thorough and quirky, 12 Nov 2007
This book is an excellent addition to the ever-popular Oxford Handbook series. It has all the usual stuff that you'd expect in a clinical examination book, but it also includes detailed coverage of many essential practical procedures (e.g. ABG) and has good sections on psychiatry and paeds. Medical ethics even make a brief appearance. In addition, there is a large data interpretation chapter which covers all the essentials such as interpretation of the ECG and chest X-ray. The style is crisp and to the point with a distinctive, sometimes quirky but erudite tone that I find enjoyable to read - and the text is peppered with interesting facts and historical curiosities. For instance, did you know that cat allergy is caused by one of the proteins in feline saliva (their fur is covered in it through licking) or that Abraham Lincoln may have had Marfan's syndrome (his slightly blurred face in photographs is probably a reflection of head nodding due to aortic regurgitation - De Musset's sign!). Best of all, despite being the only handbook in full colour, it only costs about twenty quid and it just about fits in your pocket. Five stars!

I wish I'd had this for finals!, 15 Aug 2007
This is a great addition to the Handbooks range, with plenty of useful, detailed descriptions of the sorts of things seniors just assume you know. While revising for my own medical finals I clearly remember becoming obsessive about finding out exactly how to do things like demonstrate Kernig's sign - I could only find very brief explanations which did nothing to allay my anxieties. This book not only describes such things in detail, it also provides photos to show you how to do them. The book covers the history and examination of the systems (including, again, explicit details where other books simply tell you to (eg) "examine the lymph nodes") and includes the lot - paeds, obstetrics and psychiatry as well as the usual stuff. There is a big section with instructions on how to do everything from taking a BP to placing a central line and a section on data interpretation including the basics of ECGs and CXRs. A really useful book for medical students and recent (or not so recent!) graduates.

Worth its weight in gold, and no inaccuracies!, 17 Jun 2007
The previous customer review claimed that there was a discrepancy between stations 4 and 6. However, station 4 discusses cannula sizes whereas station 6 discusses NEEDLE sizes, and these ARE actually different. So please beware of inaccuracies when telling people to "beware of inaccuracies"!

Watch out for inaccuracies, 28 May 2007
Iam a third year medical student and wanted a book to see me through the dreaded OSCE exam. I was advised by a friend to buy this book, which I did.

Overall the book has very good content and is just the ticket to prepare for the exam. It covers a good spread of topics and is easy to read/absorb. The book is worth its weight in gold.

However, BE WARY! I was a little disappointed by some sloppy editing and factual errors in the book. For example the 4th 'station' lists cannulae sizes and colours. Turn just THREE pages to the 6th station and the cannulae sizes and colours have changed! Two pages later a list of things to do 'after the procedure' repeats the same point twice, verbatim.

Would I recommend the book? Yes. It's excellent. Just make sure you keep your wits about you when reading the finer detail!

What a brilliant book!, 30 Jun 2006
This second edition of the popular Clinical Skills for OSCEs is probably the only book you'll ever need for your OSCEs. It takes you step-by-step through 112 clinical skills ranging from examining the cranial nerves to breaking bad news and from prescribing a controlled drug to obtaining consent. It also includes more obscure skills that are not covered by other books such as operating a syringe driver and handling the MMR controversy. The book is beautifully presented and illustrated, with some very helpful diagrams such as the ones on abdominal scars and inguinal anatomy. Thanks to the authors' clear and direct approach, I found myself mastering skills that I had been struggling with for years. A gem of a book that every medical student should be reading. Without it I would have needed much more time to prepare for my exams, and not done nearly as well.

Review by Joel Newman in the GKT Gazette, 27 Jul 2003
Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are the type of exam that all students fear greatly. Unlike written exams, in OSCEs examiners can ask questions for which they need the answers immediately. You can't leave the answers to the end of the exam when you have time to think about them. For this reason revision for OSCEs involves a lot of rehearsals and drilling so that the information is virtually bubbling from your cerebral cortex when entering the Clinical Skills Centre.

A number of OSCE books have been written recently, and these appear to form one of the fastest growing areas of medical textbook types. The book under review here is written by a number of graduates from GKT, which makes the book all the more interesting to students still studying at GKT.

The book takes the form of systems based approach, with 90 scenarios broadly based in areas such as paediatrics, geriatrics or dermatology. Each of the scenarios contains an introductory statement of the task for that station, followed by a brief overview with tips, and a step-by-step guide of how to carry out the station.

Rather than explaining exactly how to do each step, the book assumes you already know how to, for example, test muscle tone and reflexes, and acts more as a guide to what needs to be included for each scenario and the order in which to do them.

One of the most useful aspects of the book is the box at the end of most OSCE scenarios stating the most common conditions examined in that particular OSCE. This is ideal for revision guidance when trying to impress the examiner with your medical knowledge.

This is a very good book covering virtually all the possible OSCE stations that you are likely to find yourself in for MBBS. Other than the price, I can find very little to criticise the book of, and I will definitely be using it for my OSCE revision this summer.

Joel Newman.

A must for all students preparing for OSCEs, 27 May 2003
I am a forth year medic preparing for my OSCEs and have found this book to be by far the best from the wide selection available.

All of the likely stations for third, forth and fifth year OSCEs are included in the book, including the unexpected ones that can really take you by surprise if you get them unprepared. The stations are put into sections by the system/speciality that they come under, with stations ranging from history taking and the standard examinations to practical procedures and “strange” assessments.

The layout of the book is simple and easy to follow, with each aspect of the stations given subheadings that make them easier to remember (e.g. inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation).

The style is concise and to the point, meaning that it is easy to refer back to if you get stuck during your practice. This does mean that there are some points in the text where a little more explanation would be appreciated, and you may find yourself referring to a clinical examination text occasionally. Students from GKT will find this book especially useful as it has been written by some of our own ex-students, hence the examples should follow the kinds of stations that you will get during your actual OSCEs.

Overall: A very useful book, and the best one that I have found.

Going downhill..., 03 Nov 2008
Unfortunately this book series seems to be going the way of the Oxford "cheese and onion" handbook. It started off a few years ago as a very concise readable guide that had all the essentials you needed as a prescriber. As the editions progressed it has become more and more bloated, and this latest version is the largest yet. It includes tons of pointlessly redundant information, and has made the 'fast facts' hard to find. It's like lugging around a full-blown textbook with you rather than a handy quick-reference guide.

The information in it is still solid, and it's still 'the bible' for psychiatrists, but they really need to cut out some of the cruft for the next edition instead of continually expanding for expansion's sake.

A must for every Psychiatrist, 14 Nov 2007
This is quite simply the best synthesis of essential information about the prescribing of psychotropic medication there has ever been. I, and every other Psychiatrist I know has a well-thumbed copy of the last edition on their desk and this latest one contains some much anticipated updates.

The book covers all aspects of prescribing in Psychiatry from the mundane to the bizarre, summarising the evidence for each treatment and offering extensive references. Despite the broad content, it is extremely practical and user-friendly and much of the essential information is summarised in accessible charts and tables which are easy to scan quickly and can even be used to present options to patients.

The authors have been extremely thorough yet concise and the end result is both a handy pocket guide and reference book. Every Psychiatrist, without exception should own a copy and refer to it regularly.

Great book, just use other sources too., 04 Nov 2008
I study medicine at Oxford, and this book is basically the bible for the entire year. Use it constantly for every essay and piece of work we're given: It was written in part by a tutor here, and I basically couldn't live without it.

However, be careful: even the most recent edition does have several mistakes (which you'd have to be incredibly anal to pick up on, but they are blatantly wrong). Make sure you use some other sources and your common sense, or else face the terrifying probability of believing that fructose-2,6-bisphosphate is an allosteric activator of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. A hideous concept, I know, but you have been warned.

In spite of this, I can't imagine any medical student being able to cope without a copy - it has pretty much everything you need to know in a concise format. Terrible index, but you can glean some interesting facts whilst searching through the six different page references for the one which is actually about epithelial function.

Superb, 20 May 2008
I dip into this book often and it ever fails to impress me with the depth of information and its straightforward no nonsense style that is lacking in the big books. Full marks !

Good for umsle step1 review, 29 Apr 2007
This book may be useful to those studying for the usmle step1. It covers the basic sciences relatively well and it can by used as supplement to more usmlelish editions as contains and low-yields facts.

northern medical scientist, 20 Apr 2007
When faced by the enormous volume of information available today the medical student and junior doctor may struggle to know where to start. This excellent handbook provides a wide ranging synoptic review of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology and pharmacology, organised by organ systems. The key information can be found in this book either when starting to learn a topic, when revising for exams or when faced by clinical problems. The chapters are well organised and supported by a comprehensive index. Well recommended.

excellent resource, 18 Nov 2007
I'm not a big one for reading things in consecuetive order, as I tend to get distracted, but this book answered all my questions as I asked them. Really clearly written with good example cases to test your knowledge on. Excellent diagrams. I wish I had found it earlier!

Clinical Biochemistry: An illustrated colour text, Gaw et al, 23 Mar 2003
This text gives a clear and simple account of the biochemistry necessary for undergraduate clinical examinations. It is well illustrated and contains example cases.

the little black book for SaLT students, 22 Jul 2006
a fantastic book for anyone studying speech and language therapy. I have just completed my first year and couldnt have got by without this book, although the appendix doesnt contain everything the book actually does. It covers all areas from embrology to neuroanatomy and is explained in a simple language for everyone to understand whether you have studied anatomy at Alevel or not. It really is the little black book for speech and language therapists and i recommend all students to buy a copy it is more than worth the price.

One of my favourites, 13 Oct 2008
Pocket Essentials is a great little book to review the night before you start on a rotation. It is small enough that you can easily read over the chapter and then appear on the ward with a good idea of what is going on. It doesn't replace the Oxford Handbook but rather compliments it. The Oxford Handbook is great for key facts, Pocket Essentials on the other hand gives a fundamental overview of what you need to know.

Excellent, 20 May 2008
One should have a larger book but for quick reference as a pocket/bag book its excellent for students and trainees and I have recently been encouraging my doctors to get one especially those doing GPVTS who would just not have the time or interest to wade through K&C. As such it's a slightly more gentle way to revise basic medicine. It is different to OHCM and fulfills a different need.

Very good, 10 May 2008
I liked this book. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would but it was useful having a smaller reference book (although not pocket-size by a long shot!) to carry around on wards etc - it's more digestible and easier to follow than big K & C, and gives a little more background than the oxford handbook - and I know people who use it to revise for finals.

Concise, thorough and quirky, 12 Nov 2007
This book is an excellent addition to the ever-popular Oxford Handbook series. It has all the usual stuff that you'd expect in a clinical examination book, but it also includes detailed coverage of many essential practical procedures (e.g. ABG) and has good sections on psychiatry and paeds. Medical ethics even make a brief appearance. In addition, there is a large data interpretation chapter which covers all the essentials such as interpretation of the ECG and chest X-ray. The style is crisp and to the point with a distinctive, sometimes quirky but erudite tone that I find enjoyable to read - and the text is peppered with interesting facts and historical curiosities. For instance, did you know that cat allergy is caused by one of the proteins in feline saliva (their fur is covered in it through licking) or that Abraham Lincoln may have had Marfan's syndrome (his slightly blurred face in photographs is probably a reflection of head nodding due to aortic regurgitation - De Musset's sign!). Best of all, despite being the only handbook in full colour, it only costs about twenty quid and it just about fits in your pocket. Five stars!

I wish I'd had this for finals!, 15 Aug 2007
This is a great addition to the Handbooks range, with plenty of useful, detailed descriptions of the sorts of things seniors just assume you know. While revising for my own medical finals I clearly remember becoming obsessive about finding out exactly how to do things like demonstrate Kernig's sign - I could only find very brief explanations which did nothing to allay my anxieties. This book not only describes such things in detail, it also provides photos to show you how to do them. The book covers the history and examination of the systems (including, again, explicit details where other books simply tell you to (eg) "examine the lymph nodes") and includes the lot - paeds, obstetrics and psychiatry as well as the usual stuff. There is a big section with instructions on how to do everything from taking a BP to placing a central line and a section on data interpretation including the basics of ECGs and CXRs. A really useful book for medical students and recent (or not so recent!) graduates.

Worth its weight in gold, and no inaccuracies!, 17 Jun 2007
The previous customer review claimed that there was a discrepancy between stations 4 and 6. However, station 4 discusses cannula sizes whereas station 6 discusses NEEDLE sizes, and these ARE actually different. So please beware of inaccuracies when telling people to "beware of inaccuracies"!

Watch out for inaccuracies, 28 May 2007
Iam a third year medical student and wanted a book to see me through the dreaded OSCE exam. I was advised by a friend to buy this book, which I did.

Overall the book has very good content and is just the ticket to prepare for the exam. It covers a good spread of topics and is easy to read/absorb. The book is worth its weight in gold.

However, BE WARY! I was a little disappointed by some sloppy editing and factual errors in the book. For example the 4th 'station' lists cannulae sizes and colours. Turn just THREE pages to the 6th station and the cannulae sizes and colours have changed! Two pages later a list of things to do 'after the procedure' repeats the same point twice, verbatim.

Would I recommend the book? Yes. It's excellent. Just make sure you keep your wits about you when reading the finer detail!

What a brilliant book!, 30 Jun 2006
This second edition of the popular Clinical Skills for OSCEs is probably the only book you'll ever need for your OSCEs. It takes you step-by-step through 112 clinical skills ranging from examining the cranial nerves to breaking bad news and from prescribing a controlled drug to obtaining consent. It also includes more obscure skills that are not covered by other books such as operating a syringe driver and handling the MMR controversy. The book is beautifully presented and illustrated, with some very helpful diagrams such as the ones on abdominal scars and inguinal anatomy. Thanks to the authors' clear and direct approach, I found myself mastering skills that I had been struggling with for years. A gem of a book that every medical student should be reading. Without it I would have needed much more time to prepare for my exams, and not done nearly as well.

Review by Joel Newman in the GKT Gazette, 27 Jul 2003
Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are the type of exam that all students fear greatly. Unlike written exams, in OSCEs examiners can ask questions for which they need the answers immediately. You can't leave the answers to the end of the exam when you have time to think about them. For this reason revision for OSCEs involves a lot of rehearsals and drilling so that the information is virtually bubbling from your cerebral cortex when entering the Clinical Skills Centre.

A number of OSCE books have been written recently, and these appear to form one of the fastest growing areas of medical textbook types. The book under review here is written by a number of graduates from GKT, which makes the book all the more interesting to students still studying at GKT.

The book takes the form of systems based approach, with 90 scenarios broadly based in areas such as paediatrics, geriatrics or dermatology. Each of the scenarios contains an introductory statement of the task for that station, followed by a brief overview with tips, and a step-by-step guide of how to carry out the station.

Rather than explaining exactly how to do each step, the book assumes you already know how to, for example, test muscle tone and reflexes, and acts more as a guide to what needs to be included for each scenario and the order in which to do them.

One of the most useful aspects of the book is the box at the end of most OSCE scenarios stating the most common conditions examined in that particular OSCE. This is ideal for revision guidance when trying to impress the examiner with your medical knowledge.

This is a very good book covering virtually all the possible OSCE stations that you are likely to find yourself in for MBBS. Other than the price, I can find very little to criticise the book of, and I will definitely be using it for my OSCE revision this summer.

Joel Newman.

A must for all students preparing for OSCEs, 27 May 2003
I am a forth year medic preparing for my OSCEs and have found this book to be by far the best from the wide selection available.

All of the likely stations for third, forth and fifth year OSCEs are included in the book, including the unexpected ones that can really take you by surprise if you get them unprepared. The stations are put into sections by the system/speciality that they come under, with stations ranging from history taking and the standard examinations to practical procedures and “strange” assessments.

The layout of the book is simple and easy to follow, with each aspect of the stations given subheadings that make them easier to remember (e.g. inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation).

The style is concise and to the point, meaning that it is easy to refer back to if you get stuck during your practice. This does mean that there are some points in the text where a little more explanation would be appreciated, and you may find yourself referring to a clinical examination text occasionally. Students from GKT will find this book especially useful as it has been written by some of our own ex-students, hence the examples should follow the kinds of stations that you will get during your actual OSCEs.

Overall: A very useful book, and the best one that I have found.

Going downhill..., 03 Nov 2008
Unfortunately this book series seems to be going the way of the Oxford "cheese and onion" handbook. It started off a few years ago as a very concise readable guide that had all the essentials you needed as a prescriber. As the editions progressed it has become more and more bloated, and this latest version is the largest yet. It includes tons of pointlessly redundant information, and has made the 'fast facts' hard to find. It's like lugging around a full-blown textbook with you rather than a handy quick-reference guide.

The information in it is still solid, and it's still 'the bible' for psychiatrists, but they really need to cut out some of the cruft for the next edition instead of continually expanding for expansion's sake.

A must for every Psychiatrist, 14 Nov 2007
This is quite simply the best synthesis of essential information about the prescribing of psychotropic medication there has ever been. I, and every other Psychiatrist I know has a well-thumbed copy of the last edition on their desk and this latest one contains some much anticipated updates.

The book covers all aspects of prescribing in Psychiatry from the mundane to the bizarre, summarising the evidence for each treatment and offering extensive references. Despite the broad content, it is extremely practical and user-friendly and much of the essential information is summarised in accessible charts and tables which are easy to scan quickly and can even be used to present options to patients.

The authors have been extremely thorough yet concise and the end result is both a handy pocket guide and reference book. Every Psychiatrist, without exception should own a copy and refer to it regularly.

Great book, just use other sources too., 04 Nov 2008
I study medicine at Oxford, and this book is basically the bible for the entire year. Use it constantly for every essay and piece of work we're given: It was written in part by a tutor here, and I basically couldn't live without it.

However, be careful: even the most recent edition does have several mistakes (which you'd have to be incredibly anal to pick up on, but they are blatantly wrong). Make sure you use some other sources and your common sense, or else face the terrifying probability of believing that fructose-2,6-bisphosphate is an allosteric activator of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. A hideous concept, I know, but you have been warned.

In spite of this, I can't imagine any medical student being able to cope without a copy - it has pretty much everything you need to know in a concise format. Terrible index, but you can glean some interesting facts whilst searching through the six different page references for the one which is actually about epithelial function.

Superb, 20 May 2008
I dip into this book often and it ever fails to impress me with the depth of information and its straightforward no nonsense style that is lacking in the big books. Full marks !

Good for umsle step1 review, 29 Apr 2007
This book may be useful to those studying for the usmle step1. It covers the basic sciences relatively well and it can by used as supplement to more usmlelish editions as contains and low-yields facts.

northern medical scientist, 20 Apr 2007
When faced by the enormous volume of information available today the medical student and junior doctor may struggle to know where to start. This excellent handbook provides a wide ranging synoptic review of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology and pharmacology, organised by organ systems. The key information can be found in this book either when starting to learn a topic, when revising for exams or when faced by clinical problems. The chapters are well organised and supported by a comprehensive index. Well recommended.

excellent resource, 18 Nov 2007
I'm not a big one for reading things in consecuetive order, as I tend to get distracted, but this book answered all my questions as I asked them. Really clearly written with good example cases to test your knowledge on. Excellent diagrams. I wish I had found it earlier!

Clinical Biochemistry: An illustrated colour text, Gaw et al, 23 Mar 2003
This text gives a clear and simple account of the biochemistry necessary for undergraduate clinical examinations. It is well illustrated and contains example cases.

the little black book for SaLT students, 22 Jul 2006
a fantastic book for anyone studying speech and language therapy. I have just completed my first year and couldnt have got by without this book, although the appendix doesnt contain everything the book actually does. It covers all areas from embrology to neuroanatomy and is explained in a simple language for everyone to understand whether you have studied anatomy at Alevel or not. It really is the little black book for speech and language therapists and i recommend all students to buy a copy it is more than worth the price.

Not good enough, 16 Nov 2008
Just to warn you all this book isn't adequate for revising for written finals.

Content wise it is lacking basic information that will be expected in finals such as British Thoracic Society guidelines for asthma treatment, NICE guidelines for hypertension management etc. Strange as both authors are based in London.

There are also no pictures for dermatology and other similar basic flaws, I'm not sure what they were really thinking when putting this book together.

Index is poor as with all of the K&C series also doesn't reference to Clinical Medicine that well.

Test yourself questions at the end of chapters are also limited.

Positives include a wide range of conditions covered in standard definition, prevalence, symptoms, investigations, treatment, prognosis format. Some good introductory chapters on biochemistry, imaging etc.

The book that has everything, 14 Mar 2008
Title says it all. Cross referenced to the most recent edition of Kumar & Clark and follows the same chapter format.

Essentially, each chapter is summarised in an easy to read format with questions at the end of each chapter to test your knowledge. Good diagrams, and well written.

Easy to pick up and use at your leisure without having to re-read reams of text. Can't think of any medical topic that isn't covered in this book. Great for cramming before exams.

Also, it is one of those books that smells brilliant.

One of my favourites, 13 Oct 2008
Pocket Essentials is a great little book to review the night before you start on a rotation. It is small enough that you can easily read over the chapter and then appear on the ward with a good idea of what is going on. It doesn't replace the Oxford Handbook but rather compliments it. The Oxford Handbook is great for key facts, Pocket Essentials on the other hand gives a fundamental overview of what you need to know.

Excellent, 20 May 2008
One should have a larger book but for quick reference as a pocket/bag book its excellent for students and trainees and I have recently been encouraging my doctors to get one especially those doing GPVTS who would just not have the time or interest to wade through K&C. As such it's a slightly more gentle way to revise basic medicine. It is different to OHCM and fulfills a different need.

Very good, 10 May 2008
I liked this book. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would but it was useful having a smaller reference book (although not pocket-size by a long shot!) to carry around on wards etc - it's more digestible and easier to follow than big K & C, and gives a little more background than the oxford handbook - and I know people who use it to revise for finals.

Concise, thorough and quirky, 12 Nov 2007
This boo