This 567-page book is indeed a companion. Most medical textbooks are not comfortably portable and certainly do not enter the doctor’s or medical student’s clinical coat pockets. This book was conceived and executed to do what similar books ordinarily do not.
My desire was to have a single book that is useful to clinical students, doctors during housemanship/internship, doctors during national service year, doctors preparing for their primary and part 1 (membership) examinations in family medicine, doctors who work solo or with pretty busy senior colleagues in the private sector, and doctors who want to refresh their memory irrespective of their years of practice including during retirement.
The seven sections of this book are as follows:
The patient: This covers the fact that the patient is the most important factor in the medical setting. Without having a good and balanced understanding of patients and other clients who patronize medical facilities the medical students, doctors, other healthcare professionals, and administrators who work therein cannot render satisfactory service. The patient should be listened to, respected, cared for, and treated professionally. Simple or complex clinical conditions must not be overlooked and unnecessary errors should be avoided.
Diagnostic assistance: This section covers the most fundamental tools that help medical students, residents, consultants, etc. make accurate diagnoses. Users should also take proper recommended care of these tools for them to render the service they are meant to.
Instruments for procedures and surgeries: After making a diagnosis some instruments are used to carry out office procedures, minor, and other types of surgeries. These instruments are discussed in this section. Knowing and understanding the principles behind their design, use, storage, maintenance, time and condition for “retirement”, etc. are important. Using wrong instruments, poorly serviced or unserviceable instruments is taboo.
Procedures and operative cases: The next important subject is the craftsmanship associated with procedures and operative cases. I make the medical student and doctor understand that there should not be what I call “knowledge-practice dissociation.” They may have been brilliant in the class but are poor at the art/craft of being a doctor. The patient usually prefers good result and recovery from the health challenge to the academic laurels of the doctor.
Clinical scenarios, questions, and answers: The reader now sits on the hot seat. Actual and likely scenarios are presented, questions are asked, and this section demands correct answers.
Drugs (Multiple-choice questions and answers): About 16% of this book is devoted to this important aspect of a physician’s practice. Drugs make or mar a doctor’s service to patients.
Public health (Multiple-choice questions and answers): The health status of individuals is a reflection of their circumstances, environment, and the populations they come from.
This short book has been a suggested text for foreign-trained medical graduates who prepare for the licensing assessment examination run by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
