Sunday, 17 June 2018

Which Book to Study? — 2


Dr. Dev (Fictional Name) while a junior resident, followed the advice of https://agnipathdoctors.blogspot.com/2018/06/which-book-to-study-1.html  and studied from the same book as his Surgery Unit head and Professor (Dr.) Tarun Kumar Chaturji (Fictional Name). 

This was an easy decision as for ages there was only one minimum standard textbook for surgery recommended for both Undergraduate (UG) and Post Graduate (PG) students, at AIIMS, New Delhi. For post-graduates, this textbook was to be supplemented with other advanced textbooks and scientific review articles.

Once during ward round Dr. Tarun Kumar Chaturji while discussing hemorrhoids (piles) asked what is pecten band? Dr. Dev tried to recall such a thing but he could not recollect reading such a thing in his book. So he told truthfully that he had not read anything like this. At this Dr. Tarun Kumar Chaturji got angry that the PG residents today are not studying even the basic recommended textbook at the UG level. Dr. Dev at night consulted his textbook copy but he could not find any mention of pecten band.

Sometimes later, during ward rounds, Dr. Tarun Kumar Chaturji asked the change in heart rate in a patient with jaundice. Again Dr. Dev and other residents were stumped as there was no mention in the standard textbook regarding this. They told if the patient develops an infection of the stagnant bile in the case of jaundice, then the heart rate may rise. Dissatisfied with this answer Dr. Chaturji, said there may be bradycardia, i.e. a decrease in the heart, as a depressive action of the bile salts on the SA node in the heart.

The residents collectively said that such a thing is not written in their books. At which Dr. Chaturji countered, “It may not be in your textbook, but it is written in my textbook.”

Enlightenment dawned on Dr. Dev. That night he went to BB Dixit Library in AIIMS and traced a dusty old copy of the textbook which he used to read, but the edition around 20 years old. 

In that old edition, he found the mention of the bile salts action on the heart, the pecten band which was reported by Miles in 1919. Many of the things were found not to be true later on and over the time had been removed from the subsequent edition of the book.

So to impress Dr. Chaturji, Dr. Dev searched the old and second-hand booksellers of Chandni Chowk and Daryaganj and finally managed to buy a copy of the book around 20  years old, of the edition Dr. Tarun Kumar Chaturji used to study.

Now he read from the latest edition of the book for up-to-date knowledge and from the old, ancient edition to answer Dr. Chaturji’s special question.

So, read not just the textbook which your examiner has read, but also read from the same edition.

Remember:

'Examinations are formidable even to the best prepared, for the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer' Charles Caleb Colton

(Based on true incident)
— ND
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DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost. 
DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Education should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost and according to MCI and other Board’s norm. 
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