Currently there are countless resources available for a physician assistant student to choose from as they study during the didactic year, navigate through each clinical rotation, and prepare for the boards. Some are more helpful than others. Let’s dive into my list highlighting the most advantageous books for PA School.
Books for Physician Assistant School
Provides a system based approach to assist with bridging basic science topics to clinical medicine. Easy to understand and highly practical..
A must have book that illustrates exam techniques in a step by step manner. Key to any diagnosis is the history and physical. Bate’s guide will improve your clinical skills and help you learn a solid differential.
The LANGE Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment textbook, as well as the other subspecialty series, are some of the most popular textbooks for physician assistant students and practicing clinicians. Updated annually, they cover the majority of disease processes with a comprehensive approach including pertinent diagnostics and treatment plans. Algorithms are available for quick reference.
Efficiently organized, constructive, and extremely helpful in developing treatment plans for patients. An evidence based reference of hundreds of disease processes with a bulleted format for rapid use.
Considered a medical resident’s guide, the Washington Manual provides concise information to manage commonly encountered hospital conditions. Assists with daily clinical practice to help you primarily on inpatient rotations.
The handbook used by residents at Massachusetts General Hospital. It provides FAST information to aid with rounds, diagnosis, and treatment plans. Covers internal medicine topics including all the subspecialties. An essential, user friendly reference guide for your clinicals.
An ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENT for the physician assistant general surgery and surgical subspecialty rotations. A question-and-answer format that covers the most common topics asked during rounds. A supplemental read that will have you prepared and leave the attending impressed.
The leading reference for infectious drug management. Extremely useful for the new as well as experienced physician assistant. Ensures you are prescribing the appropriate medications for each organism. Additionally covers interactions, renal adjustments, and other necessary pharmacologic actions.
An additional, more simplistic antimicrobial guide that is pocket sized and a great reference for the physician assistant working in the emergency room or clinic.
A very common book for beginning physician assistants to master how to read an EKG. Utilizes programmed and interactive learning with illustrations, questions, and practice examples. Also includes helpful summary reference sheets.
An EKG book for the physician assistant interested in advanced reading skills necessary for careers in cardiology, the emergency room, or hospital medicine. The information will greatly improve your ability to interpret even the most challenging EKGs.
The number one and best selling pediatric reference used by physician assistants and medical residents during their pediatric rotation. A valuable resource for swift information to assist with diagnoses and treatments.
Excellent resource for both your physician assistant clinical rotations and board preparation. Effortless composure covering all the necessary information through bold key words, informative boxes, and tables. The test questions are challenging but helpful.
An in-depth textbook yet unchallenging. Key clinical concepts are highlighted and there are ample “pearls”. The illustrations and photos simplistically depict the anatomy allowing the physician assistant student to understand the pathology, exam, and treatments.
Provides an excellent summary of all psychiatric disorders making it an ideal reference for both physician assistant students preparing for the boards as well as on their behavioral medicine rotation. Also useful for actively practicing physician assistants to address mental health issues of their patients. Incorporates DSM-5 into every chapter, covers pharmacologic management, and has high yield reference boxes.
A pocket reference guide that contains all the pertinent information a physician assistant student needs to practice clinical medicine on a daily basis. One of my favorite books, it is very hands-on, straightforward, and adequately details exam findings, clinical studies, diagnostic tests, and treatment plans.
Lastly, are the PANRE board review or recertification guides. I recommend doing as many questions as possible to get a feel for the type of information you will be required to know. The following two books are excellent:
Provides a system based approach to assist with bridging basic science topics to clinical medicine. Easy to understand and highly practical..
Frequently Asked Questions
The LANGE Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment textbook and associated specialty series are excellent resources that cover the vast majority of medical disease processes in relation to symptoms and provide up to date clinical studies and treatment guides.
The abbreviated reference guides that highlight clinical pearls, pertinent findings, and outline management in an easy to read format are most useful. These should be used as supplemental resources to textbooks.
Board review books are helpful both during clinical medicine rotations and in preparation for the PANRE. Exam questions highlight the information that a physician assistant is required to know and can guide your supplemental reading if you are deficient in certain areas. Additionally, these books contain brief summaries of essential information as quick reference guides for studying.
It is well known that the key to a diagnosis is obtained through a thorough history and physical exam with the use of clinical studies to confirm your findings. Bates’ is an excellent resource for both the student and practicing physician assistant to hone their skills and become a better clinician.
Wrapping it Up!
These are some of the best available resources available for the physician assistant to successfully complete their didactic year, clinical rotations, and pass the board exam. All have the ability to make challenging information easy to understand while relating it to clinical practice. I highly recommend them as resources during your journey through physician assistant school, and eventually to add to your own personal medical library.