Synopsis
Brief review of anatomy, histology and cell biology, embryology, gross anatomy, and neuroanatomy. Questions are formatted like current national board exams. Clinical scenarios are included.
John A. McNulty
The second edition of this review consists of a series of questions in National Board, Part I format in the areas of histology, embryology, gross anatomy, and neuroanatomy. It is designed for use as a review of the basic anatomical sciences covered in the first two years of medical school. The objective is a lofty one and certainly is achieved, at least at the level of detail of information covered. The targeted audience is quite specific—students preparing for the National Boards—but the book would also be appropriate as a review for students preparing for in-course examinations in the covered subjects. It is divided into sections on histology, embryology, gross anatomy, and neuroanatomy. Each section comprises 100 to 200 questions followed by answers and a tutorial on the subject matter covered. An important addition to this edition is the inclusion of clinical scenarios to reflect the changing emphasis of the USMLE. More patient photographs are also included. The tutorials range from a one or two sentence description of a radiograph to a six page review of the brachial plexus. There is only an abbreviated index that does not reference all of the content. Students studying for the USMLE, Part I will find the review helpful. The authors' efforts to update the questions in terms of both format and content are noteworthy. One shortcoming was the paucity of CTs and MRIs , which comprise less than five percent of the questions in the gross anatomy section.