Talley and O'Connor. Clinical Examination

[Guest Ian Wong]

Clinical Examination, 3rd Ed. Talley, N. J., O'Connor, S. 1996. MacLennan & Petty Ltd. Rosebery, Australia.

 

ISBN: 0-86542-689-9

Chapters/Indigo.ca price: $61.64

Pages: 496

 

This is a wonderful textbook which unfortunately is just a little too large to carry with you on the wards. However, the content of this clinical exam book makes it a very useful fusion of an internal medicine textbook, and a clinical skills book. In fact, there is enough internal medicine content in this text that one of my classmates used Talley and O'Connor as a first book to consult when researching PBL learning issues. While I personally wouldn't go quite that far, I do think that this unique blend of reference facts plus clinical exams is really helpful.

 

For example, when you are in your Neurology block, you can learn now to perform a proper cranial nerve exam while simultaneously getting information on some of the pathological diseases that would affect that area in addition to the associated symptoms you should then be looking for during your exam. Included in this textbook are a large number of colour photographs of the symptoms and pathological features that you are trying to identify on a patient. Clearly, a picture is worth a thousand words, and these pictures help you develop your visual recognition skills that you will continue to use throughout your practice.

 

I've heard excellent reviews of this textbook from multiple clinicians, one of whom even stated that mastery of this book's contents would put one at, or above the clinical skill level of most junior residents in internal medicine. The downside to this book is its compactness, and the attending sacrifices that were made. The pictures and diagrams were scaled down in size to fit the book. Furthermore, the book is rather text-dense, often with several continuous paragraphs without an intervening diagram, so it may not be a great book for prolonged reading; your eyes will shut down¡*

 

Another strong point of the book is its tabular use of important questions to ask during the history-taking for each organ system. It's great when you get all the important questions in a single table. In my experience, these questions have correlated well what has taught to us by our physician-instructors during our Clinical Skills sessions. This will help you to ensure that your histories are complete until you have the routine and flow of questions committed to working memory.

 

I think this is an excellent book, and it is the book I use most when I need to relearn a specific part of a clinical examination. I do think that Talley and O'Connor is a more advanced clinical skills textbook that will be most beneficial to you in your senior years of medical school. It doesn't have the large expanse of diagrams of the Bates' textbook, and with the large amount of text and clinical vocabulary wouldn't be my first choice of clinical skills books to buy when starting first year med school. However, once you have mastered the basics of clinical skills, Talley and O'Connor will help you to gain the advanced skills in a logical and complete manner.

 

Simply put, it has far more detail than Bates', and this additional knowledge should serve you well on the wards. For me, entering third year medical school, it has completely replaced my Bates' textbook (which I didn't use at all in the second half of Med 2), and for its modest price I think it is an excellent resource. Certainly it's a must-have purchase for anyone going into Internal Medicine.