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How Do I Choose the Best Internal Medicine Books?

Erik J.J. Goserud
Erik J.J. Goserud

Choosing the best internal medicine books depends on your goals as a student. If you wish to pursue knowledge in this field on an amateur level, then it is wise to match the book with your interests and amount you are willing to commit in terms of time and resources. For internal medicine books for a medical school class, for example, you may be more bound to a specific type. In either scenario, keeping in mind cost, quality, reputation, and subject matter all are important when selecting the best text for you.

Internal medicine can be defined as the study of adult diseases. Professionals in this field are concerned generally with the diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention of many chronic illnesses. Like any field of medicine, understanding internal medicine is a commitment as the information and concepts involved are plentiful. Luckily, many courses, programs, and internal medicine books exist to help you learn all of the material needed.

Although internal medicine focuses on diagnosing and treating disease, injury or other conditions related to internal organs, the practice does the same for external body parts, also.
Although internal medicine focuses on diagnosing and treating disease, injury or other conditions related to internal organs, the practice does the same for external body parts, also.

If you have an amateur interest in medicine, perhaps you are a patient wanting to know more about your condition, you may want to purchase internal medicine books. Textbooks, especially reputable ones, can be incredibly expensive. Be sure to take into account your budget before browsing, and try not to stray too far from your constraints. Reviewing material online is sometimes a cheaper way to learn about internal medicine, but be sure to read from a reputable site. There are a number of discounted book websites too which may help you reduce the cost of internal medicine books.

Medicine is perpetually changing, and so is the information contained in internal medicine books.
Medicine is perpetually changing, and so is the information contained in internal medicine books.

If you are a medical student and require a specific text for a course, your options are more limited. One way to minimize costs on a particular book is to share it with a classmate or purchase it used. If you do have to purchase new internal medicine books, be sure to take good care of them. Keeping textbooks in great shape can allow you to resell them after you are done using them. If you do not wish to resell them, then keeping them in good shape will ensure their preservation as medical references for a long period of time.

To become board certified in internal medicine, a doctor must complete an extensive clinical residency.
To become board certified in internal medicine, a doctor must complete an extensive clinical residency.

Medicine is perpetually changing, and so is the information contained in internal medicine books. Be sure to purchase a book that is relatively up-to-date to address this concern. Also try to check online book reviews from many sources to ensure you purchase a quality item. Keeping these things in mind will help you to choose the best internal medicine book for your goals.

Discussion Comments

bythewell

@umbra21 - That's a good point for people who don't actually need to get the book for a class. If you just want to study a few things in a book of internal medicine, I would go to the nearest med school library and study it there.

Most of the time they don't check whether you are a student or not (unless you want to take a book out, of course) so you can sit in there as much as you like and read whatever happens to be on the shelves.

It's a much cheaper option than spending what could be hundreds of dollars on a book.

umbra21

@KoiwiGal - Even among local bookstores I've found very widely ranging prices. And books on internal medicine are so expensive. To some extent I can't blame them, because the book is such a rich resource and must have cost a lot to write.

But, as a student, it is so vital to cut costs. Sometimes I've just not bothered to buy the book at all and just used it at the library all year.

KoiwiGal

If you are looking for text books for class (or looking for a book that is often issued as a text book) I would definitely do a thorough search online, including auction websites, before buying it.

Text books are often really expensive because the book seller knows they have a captive audience and that their students don't have a choice except to buy them. Which is why they also come out with new editions almost every year (and they are often almost identical to the old edition).

But people will sell their old textbooks online, and they will also get them overseas for much cheaper and then resell them (which is legal in a lot of places, but I would check to make sure).

You might end up buying the book for full price anyway, but at least do a bit of a comparison first.

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    • Although internal medicine focuses on diagnosing and treating disease, injury or other conditions related to internal organs, the practice does the same for external body parts, also.
      By: probiotic
      Although internal medicine focuses on diagnosing and treating disease, injury or other conditions related to internal organs, the practice does the same for external body parts, also.
    • Medicine is perpetually changing, and so is the information contained in internal medicine books.
      By: Chris Tefme
      Medicine is perpetually changing, and so is the information contained in internal medicine books.
    • To become board certified in internal medicine, a doctor must complete an extensive clinical residency.
      By: Andres Rodriguez
      To become board certified in internal medicine, a doctor must complete an extensive clinical residency.