Textbook of Medical Physiology
Physiology is the study of how various systems of the body work under normal state. This an important track because a clear view of what normally goes on is essential before disease-state processes can be adequately described.
Notes will be given for most of the topics in physiology, but they are insufficient because the exam essay questions test both depth and breadth. Hence textbooks are required. However the tricky bit is that there is no one good textbook – each is good for certain chapters. My advice is not to be greedy. Stick to the textbook of your choice. Only when you feel that it is very inadequate then photocopy supplementary notes from other textbooks.
In addition, senior’s notes are available for physiology. The notes actually address the syllabus point by point so some of my friends ended up using it. It’s a smart way to get by things, but unless you read a textbook, the chapter won’t seem a coherent whole.
Recommended Texts:
Textbook of Medical Physiology
Guyton and Hall
(we call it: Guyton)
Guyton’s a really good book for the study of physiology. It contains very lengthy discussions on experiments how to prove things are so, though they were all performed on animals. I may be an animal rights activist but if given the choice between clamping my carotid artery or my canine friend’s, I would gladly let Mr Bow Wow go first. The writing style of Guyton also makes his book sound like an old grandfather story (or an extended nightmare, for those who really cannot take him), and after a while you might find him draggy. However, for lack of a better book, I would recommend this book or the next in this list, Berne and Levy.
Physiology
Berne and Levy
(we call it: Berne & Levy)
As with anatomy’s split between Snell and Moore, the physiology-studying community is torn between Guyton and Berne & Levy. Berne, unlike Guyton, is more to the point, and has nice boxes of clinically relevant information, which serves to retain interest after long spells of dry information. It is rumoured that the true strength of Berne actually lies in the chapter of gastrointestinal physiology and endocrinology, but I was unable to verify that personally due to a lack of time (yes, I was stuck with grandfather Guyton).
Guyton or Berne & Levy?
Choosing the right physiology textbook for yourself is very important. You would not want to realize that you have bought the wrong textbook halfway through the year, and purchase the other. As both have very different writing styles, getting used to each one will take you some time already. So my advice would again be to check out both books at your own leisure, and figure out which is the writing style you prefer. Do not simply stick with the crowd. In addition, some chapters require supplementation from other texts, so try not to use that one textbook exclusively as well.
Pocket Companion to Textbook of Medical Physiology
Guyton and Hall
(we call it: Baby Guyton)
Have I mentioned that book-makers are out to cheat our money? After the long-winded (Papa) Guyton, they decided to come up with a condensed version, that’s so handy you can really read it anywhere you go. The portability of this book is commendable, but I would seriously not recommend this book as a staple. However using this as a revision for exams (after reading the Papa Guyton) is a good idea, provided of course you finish the Papa Guyton in the first place. The only thing is that Baby Guyton is very costly (>$40 for such a puny thing?) and it has several mistakes, so don’t take everything he says.
Review of Medical Physiology
William F Ganong
(we call it: Ganong)
This is a really good book for physiology considering it covers much depth into topics. However, unless you have something to supplement your basics with, I would not advice using this book, as Ganong takes you into the heart of the matter thinking that you already know your basics. Some friends I know use this book, in addition to senior’s notes and lecture notes, and I think it’s a pretty good idea.
Human Physiology
Silverthorn
(we call it: Silverthorn)
Silverthorn is only good for basics – read it to get a general idea of things. It’s also very colourful and full of diagrams, which makes it easy to understand. However its lack of details makes it a dangerous book to rely solely on. If you feel lost in a certain topic, it might be good to pick up a copy of Silverthorn from the library, read it before going back to your chosen text.
NMS: Physiology
(we call it: NMS)
NMS is used for gastro-intestinal physiology. Some of my friends went a bit further and read it for the other chapters, and they said it’s actually quite useful as a revision. NMS also has nice questions at the back of each chapter, which can help to boost your morale and give you security.