Beers. The Merck Manual

[Guest Ian Wong]

The Merck Manual, 17th Ed. Beers, M. H., Berkow, R. 1999. Merck Research Laboratories. Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.

 

ISBN: 0911910-10-7

Chapters/Indigo.ca price: $56.95

Pages: 2833

 

I originally bought this book at the beginning of Med 1, and haven't used it too frequently in the Med 1 and Med 2 years, although I suspect that might change for the clinical years of Med 3 and 4. This book is a general reference book, and is divided into sections containing diseases and medical treatments for each body area and organ system. For example, there are sections on: Hematology, Skin, Cardiovascular, Musculoskeletal, etc, and at the end of the book, a section on pharmacology and poisoning. The main reason I didn't use this book as much as I thought I would is because our UBC curriculum is a hybrid of PBL and lectures, and most independent reading is therefore done for PBL (we receive handouts for all our lectures). Although the Merck Manual has a lot of information, I quickly grew tired of constantly re-writing that information into note form so that I could bring it to school and share it with my PBL classmates.

 

This process struck me as hideously inefficient (I personally don't find re-writing notes to be that helpful when trying to learn or memorize something), but fortunately, Merck also produces a CD-ROM version where you can search for a particular disease, and then print the relevant chapter or article. I would read and print the articles, high-light the relevant points, and then bring that material to PBL for discussion.

 

A couple points to note are that the Merck Manual is very text-intensive, with few tables and even fewer diagrams, but those that exist are generally quite useful and well-presented. The book is fairly easy to read, and is small enough to keep in your book for PBL help if your tutor and fellow group members aren't averse to a quick reference or two. Also, do note that there is a free online version of the Merck Manual now accessible at: www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual/ You can search through this version just like the CD-ROM version, and then print out the relevant articles. You can also access both the Home Version of the Merck Manual as well as the Geriatrics Version at: www.merck.com/pubs/ The Home Edition is particularly interesting as it uses multimedia and Javascript in order to show you colour diagrams and photos and tables for disease processes. You need a fairly fast internet connection (phone lines and modems just don't cut it) to take advantage of the multimedia.

 

For handheld users, Merck has also put together a condensed and searchable 4.5 Mb version of the Merck Manual in PalmOS format so that it is usable in 3Com's Palm, and Handspring's Visor handhelds. I believe there is also a WinCE version, but haven't used it. The PalmOS version is fairly comprehensive, although the detail is very significantly less than the textbook itself.

 

In addition, the Home Edition Merck Manual is also available as a red-cover paperback, in contrast to the black-cover Physicians version. This book is an absolute steal, with a book price of $10.99. The ISBN number is: 0671027271. Functionally, it is a Physicians version that has been condensed and explained using everyday language. This book is even easier to read than the Physicians version, and could be very useful if you are encountering a complicated disease process for the first time, and are looking for a simpler explanation. It still uses the medical names and terminology for diseases, so that both you as a med student, and your family/friends can use this book as a medical reference. This is an excellent book, and due to its mainstream target audience, can be found in many bookstores, or large department stores like Walmart.

 

I think the Merck Manual (Physicians version) is a useful resource, but it's one that I wouldn't buy again. Quite frankly, the CD-ROM version does everything I need of it for PBL, and if you have a fast internet connection, then you can survive with even less expense by simply using the free on-line version. I think the ability to print out articles is absolutely crucial, and makes a world of difference in med school, where time is your most precious resource.

 

The handheld version has been quite useful in my rural elective allowing me to do some reading on unfamiliar topics, although it runs a little slow on my Visor Deluxe, which uses a 16 MHz processor. As a result, if you have the PalmOS version, I highly recommend going to www.palmgear.com and downloading two small programs known as Hackmaster and Afterburner. In conjunction, these two programs allow you to over-clock your processor to 37 MHz, and making searches in the Merck Manual much faster.

 

The Merck Manual: Home Edition is an excellent book, and a phenomenal value at $10.99. For less than the price of a sushi dinner, you can own a book that has more knowledge and information than you will ever be able to learn and retain through medical school. The fact that it is also written for a wider audience makes it useful for other members of your family, or could even help you out if you are trying to find a simple way to explain a disease process. In summary, use either the CD-ROM version or the on-line version, and if you are going to buy a book, save some cash and pick up the Home Edition.