Average rating (Amazon.com) of the 12th edition
“Even though your profs may tell you otherwise, pharmacology is pure memorization... the ultimate challenge in medical memorization, and some remedy to dull the pain of the subject is needed.”
That was the admonition to medical students in a popular and published exam study aid written, of course, by medical students.
“Baloney,” I say.
This is my personal and unofficial page for the 13th edition of PreTest Pharmacology (©2010, McGraw-Hill). I wrote the 11th and 12th editions, and this latest edition hits the bookstores in March. I started this page because I promised in the book to post downloadable answer sheets, and they are here (link below), arranged by chapter and numbered accordingly. However, I've decided to expand the content by giving you a little more information about the book and what's in it.
If you're unfamiliar with this edition of PreTest Pharmacology, or haven't bought the book yet, I've provided below some supplemental material that may be useful and informative, just in case you're looking for something else - something better - that might help you study for course quzzes or exams, or for the boards.
Perhaps what you find here might prompt you to buy the book. This newest edition really is better, in many ways, compared with the 5-star rated previous edition, so I hope you'll consider purchasing it instead of a used copy of the 12th edition. (Just in case you're wondering.... I got a flat fee for writing the book, so your buying a copy won't put any more money in my wallet. I want you to buy the book because I think it'll help you immensely with your studying, understanding, and exam scores.) If you'd like to read Mc Graw-Hill's official information about the book, this is the link.
As I tell all my students, don't hesitate to e-mail me (the link is near the bottom of the page) if you have any questions or comments.
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Here you'll find an abridged version of the Introduction I wrote for PreTest Pharmacology. I hope it'll give you an idea of my philosophy about teaching, learning, and testing in the area of pharmacology -- some insight into where I'm coming from as I prepared the questions and answers.
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This is the complete Table of Contents for the latest edition of PreTest Pharmacology. It should give you a good idea of how the questions and answers are broken down by topic, and also see what some of the supplemental material in the book is.
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One way to take a little pain from the process of learning “all those drugs” is to be able to recognize the class to which a drug belongs by looking at the generic name. Then, once you know the class and know the properties of the prototype (a most or quite representative agent) of that class, you're well on your way to knowing much about another drug you may not have learned or been taught about explicitly. This helps you consolidate and simplify much of your learning.
For example, if a drug's generic name ends in “-olol” it's a β-adrenergic blocker. “Prils” are ACE inhibitors; “sartans” are angiotensin receptor blockers; “caines” are local anesthetics. And you'll learn other tricks too: for example, if the letter “i” appears only once in a local anesthetic's generic name the drug is in the ester class (e.g., procaine); two “i's" and it's an amide (e.g., lidocaine). Doesn't work for all drugs or classes, but it works for many.
The table in the book (click here for a sample page) contains dozens of entries. It lists generic name stems, representative examples (including a prototype), the class to which the drugs belong, some generic names that are in the same class but are exceptions to the nomenclature, and other applicable comments. I think you'll find it really useful.
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Click here for a list of known errors, and the corresponding corrections.
Last updated 3 May 2010 (1 error/correction, answer to Question 331). |
I believe every medical student needs a good, user-friendly, yet “adequately comprehensive” pharm text book to supplement lectures, notes, and review books.
Click here for a link to a page I've had on my personal pharmacology site for several years, which has my opinions (and my students certainly know how opinionated I am) on the pros and cons of various pharm texts. I made the page for medical students here at the University of Michigan Medical School, but I trust you'll find it useful no matter where you are enrolled in medical school.
You might want to take a look at McGraw-Hill's site for more information about other titles in the basic science PreTest series too.
Created and first posted on 2 Feb 2010.
Images of McGraw-Hill products reproduced with permission.
Medicine is an ever-changing science. As new research and clinical experience broaden our knowledge, changes in treatment and drug therapy are required. I have checked with sources believed to be reliable in my efforts to provide information that is complete and generally in accord with the standards accepted at the time of publication. However, in view of the possibility of human error or changes in medical sciences, I cannot warrant that the information contained herein is in every respect accurate or complete, and I disclaim all responsibility for any errors of omission or commission or for the results obtained from use of the information contained here. Nothing I include here should be construed as giving medical advice. Always consult your physician with questions and requests for professional advice.
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