Abstract

This Practical Guide to Clinical Medicine http://medicine.ucsd.edu/clinicalmed/head.htm is an extensive education package for medical students and other health care professionals. It is written by Charlie Goldberg,, MD, University of San Diego School of Medicine and describes the physical examination of a patient. Split into 25 parts it starts with the fundamentals of taking a history and then progresses through the anatomical systems. It is lavishly illustrated with photographs of investigative procedures and of disease presentations, and these are augmented by annotated photographs or actual markings on the body surfaces of the patient. Some x-rays and anatomical models are included. It rounds it all off with "Putting it all Together," "Write-ups," "Oral Presentations," and "Clinical Decision Making." Finally the "Few Thoughts" chapter offers 18 refreshing points to preserve a perspective for the student on entering the swirl of clinical medicine. The website describes its mission as "Representing a departure from the usual physical exam teaching tools ... by approaching clinical medicine in a pragmatic and demystified fashion, the significance of the material should be readily apparent and the underlying principles more clearly understood." Throughout the text there are small square icons linking to relevant cadaver dissections.