Pediatric Secrets, 6th Edition

By Richard A. Polin, MD and Mark F. Ditmar, MD

ISBN: 978-0-323-31030-7

Pub Date: 5/18/2015

Reviewed by: Joseph R. Hageman, MD (University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine)

Description

The title of this book is appropriate as it has an abundance of clinically relevant information for students, residents, fellows, practitioners, nurses, and nurse practitioners. This sixth edition includes an online version that is easy to access and navigate.

Purpose

The purpose is to provide basic clinical information in a Socratic format for a cross-section of learners from medical students to practitioners and educators, including nursing as well. In the preface the editors emphasize that they address social, economic, and political topics as they relate to children. The editors and authors have fulfilled their objectives and I look forward to spending more time going through this excellent book in print and online.

Audience

The intended audience is medical learners, which includes medical students, residents, fellows, and practitioners, as well as nursing students looking for more depth and nurse practitioners. I am not sure I could come up with a better title as there is a wealth of information in this book. The editors and authors are certainly credible authorities.

Features

The book starts with 100 secrets, all of which are clinically relevant for anyone interested in the care of the pediatric patient. I really appreciate the Socratic approach of asking a question, then providing a concise answer to start and then more detail and references for readers who are more interested in an exploration of the topic. This is an ideal resource for millennial learners who seem to prefer having the instructor tell them exactly what they need to know in a concise way in a short period of time.

Assessment

This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning about aspects of the clinical care of the pediatric patient. This is a great study resource for test/board preparation as well. The Socratic approach is excellent, the presentations are concise, and the book is well referenced. I enjoyed interacting with the online version as well. This title is highly recommended.

Doody’s Review Service Weighted Numerical Score: 93 – 4 Stars!