Textbook of Physical Diagnosis: History and Examination

Rating:
Summary: Good thorough book on the art of physical diagnosis
Review: Best book I've read about physical diagnosis. Even though the book is long, it is actually a quick read, including numerous useful tables and graphes. What sets this book apart from the rest lies in the explanation of underlying pathophysiology of various signs and findings thus making them easy to remember. The CD ROM is also useful and quick if one simply want to learn the basics of physical diagnosis. This book is a good reference because it's so comprehensive compared to others.

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Summary: A Complete Book with an even better CD
Review: I am a first year med student who used the Swartz book for my physical diagnosis course (the class recommended Bates, but I found the material to be too basic; one would NOT be able to refer to that book once they passed introductory level). Swartz has great pictures of pathologic diseases, and also includes pictures to guide you through the actual physical (those pictures are taken from the CD that shows you step-by-step how to do a physical). One of the main things I found refreshing was that he tells you when some procedures are unnecessary because they just don't yield much information. Swartz tells you what to do, what to look for, how to accomplish both, and then he SHOWS you with the CD. I personally loved this book, and I will refer to it (and the CD) to freshen up on the techniques that I have learned. My teacher even said that she still refers to Swartz! Definitely a great buy.

Rating:
Summary: Great Guide
Review: I am a third year med student, and i find this is one of the best books to get you started on physical diagnosis. It's true that it lacks insight on the diseases and their description, but remember this is not a pathology review, you'll get excellent explanations on the basics of physical diagnosis.

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME- a must-have for med students!
Review: I'm a second year med student who was completely clueless about physical diagnosis until I got this book/CD package. Our classes and preceptor sessions were just way too disorganized for me to really learn how to perform a physical exam. This package is a bit [costly], but trust me, it's worth every penny for the CD alone. The CD has video of a complete 2-hour physical examination, including male and female exams. The author walks you through each step in great detail as he examines the patient. The camera angles are up-close, so you actually get to see what's going on (in fact, you can see better than you would next to a live preceptor). 2 hours watching this CD taught me way more than hundreds of hours spent in class, reading textbooks, and with preceptors. Best of all, I can watch the video over and over again, until I really feel like I have a good grasp of it- without worrying about taking up too much of the patient's time or making a fool of myself in front of the preceptor. If you're still struggling with physical diagnosis- e.g., wondering exactly where your stethoscope goes or how to palpate an abdomen, etc.- get this book NOW!

Rating:
Summary: Good on the basics
Review: I'm almost a third year medical student. We used this text in our physical diagnosis class during our first year. It provided a great introduction; however, I find it lacking in non-auscultating maneuvers. Specifically, there are limited diagrams or charts, so you are left only with a word descriptions on how to do certain procedures. Trust me, as I have begun to examine patients, you need more than words to perform an exam correctly and adequately help your patients. Also, pathological conditions or abnormalities are often interspersed with descriptions of maneuvers--very distracting. I find it hard to take the knowledge in this book and utilize it in the hospital proper.

Rating:
Summary: state of the art!
Review: It is a while now that i'm doing internal medicine residency and still go back and check this remarkable manuscript by a great author "Dr Schwartz".I do recommend to all the students and the internists to go through this book to energize their skills in the physical examination field.

Rating:
Summary: state of the art!
Review: It is a while now that i'm doing internal medicine residency and still go back and check this remarkable manuscript by a great author "Dr Schwartz".I do recommend to all the students and the internists to go through this book to energize their skills in the physical examination field.

Rating:
Summary: Book with a comprehensive approach to physical diagnosis
Review: It was a pleasure to read this book after 15 years far from medical school. The approach of the author, accounting for the bio-psycho-social aspects of diagnosis, makes the book a state of the art on physical examination

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Summary: SEARCHING physical diagnosis
Review: Sorry,this is not a review. My intention is to know more about this particular book because I am interested in making it a possible textbook for an upcoming course of physical diagnosis and I am searching for one. Please let me know how can I have more info about this book. Thank you. Sincerely Francisco Guajardo M.D. Biology Instructor Texas A&M International University. Department of Natural Sciences. Pre-Med Students would have to buy it if I like it for A.S.A.P. Thanks again.

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME- a must-have for med students!
Review: This book is an exceptional text for students of Physical Diagnosis as well as practitioners because of its thorough discussion of the patient-doctor interaction. Dr. Swartz's humanisism shines through each chapter as he reviews the appropriate methods for asking questions and carrying out the physical exam while maintaining the dignity and modesty of the patient at all times. The pictures are beautiful -- full color photographs of pathology and helpful diagrams that are useful for medical students. Chapters on Nutrition and Cultual Diversity are admirable and reflect the sensitivity of the author to these important but underappreciated topics. The CD is an unbelievable add-on! It is the most outstanding addition to any book I have ever seen -- with a thorough demonstration of the full physical exam, the CD is a stand-alone gem! No medical student should be educated without Dr. Swartz's lessons beautifully assembled on this CD. I watched it every time before I saw a patient for the first few weeks of seeing patients and I felt very prepared. Thank you, Dr. Swartz.