Student guide to O&G | |
Examination obstetrics and gynaecology. 2nd ed. Judith Goh and Michael Flynn. Sydney: Saunders, 2004 (ix + 262 pp). ISBN 0 7295 3748 X. |
This book was first published
in 1996 as a reference for trainees in obstetrics and gynaecology preparing for their final examinations, as well as an easy-to-read guide for medical students and others working in women’s health. The authors are Australian-based specialists who completed their final exams shortly before producing the first edition, so at that time it was very current. The layout consists of many short chapters, with the content displayed in dot points or lists of relevant facts. It will appeal to those who like to refresh their knowledge by quickly scanning a relevant chapter, and may also be of value to those who are attracted to “rote learning”. The lack of clinical perspective, without any case-based discussion, makes it less appealing to those studying for the membership examinations in this era of objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE)-style assessment. As the nature of examinations for both undergraduate and postgraduate training has changed, it remains to be seen how popular this kind of text will be in the future. The authors have had to include nearly a decade of changes in this second edition, across a wide range of topics, and they have been largely successful. There are some exceptions, such as the lack of information about the inherited thrombophilias and their impact on perinatal management. Also, the information on Down syndrome screening is superficial when one considers that this condition forms a large part of pregnancy care in Australia. In contrast, the information on advanced gynaecological surgery, particularly endoscopy and urogynaecology, has been substantially updated. In some respects the content is unbalanced, with exhaustive lists about relatively uncommon conditions (eg, premature ovarian failure is dealt with in more than three pages, while miscarriage and abortion take up less than half this space). If the authors are considering a third edition, it might be made more appealing with the use of diagrams and illustrations. The current style is useful for a “quick look” on a particular topic, but difficult to study for any length of time. Despite these criticisms, this is an inexpensive volume of a convenient size, which is suitable as a day-to-day reference by medical students, general practitioners and specialist trainees. It will certainly appeal to those who wish to prepare for exam questions by using a template of key facts. It should continue to be a popular text, particularly for the local market. David A Ellwood
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