Avery’s Neonatology Board Review: Certification and Clinical Refresher

By Patricia Chess, MD

ISBN: 9780323549325

Pub Date: 22 May 2018

Reviewed by: Jay P. Goldsmith, MD (Tulane University School of Medicine)

Description

This review book is a companion to Avery’s Diseases of the Newborn, 10th Edition, Gleason and Juul (Elsevier, 2018) to help study for board exams. It is much more detailed than other review books in neonatology, with excellent tables, graphs, and images, as well as hints on how to study for exams. The book is complemented by a website with practice exam questions.

Purpose

According to the author, the book was created “as an aid to neonatologists preparing for their subspecialty boards was well as neonatologists interested in brushing up on their neonatal knowledge.” The content is based on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ content outline for the neonatology exam, which is used as a guide for those studying for boards. The book meets these worthy goals.

Audience

The intended audience is fellows in neonatology studying for board exams as well as neonatologists taking the exam for maintenance of certification. The book is comprehensive and very detailed and can serve as a reference for other practitioners in the neonatal field. The nearly 50 contributors have varying degrees of experience, with some national and international standouts among the group.

Features

The book is basically a mini textbook, covering all aspects of neonatal care. There is an opening chapter on maximizing test performance and answers to board-type questions at the end. Unfortunately, the questions are on the website, not in the book. The figures, tables, images and radiology are clear and easy to read and understand.

Assessment

This is a very comprehensive board review book, much more detailed than the ones done by Brodsky and Martin (Neonatology Review: Q&A, 3rd edition (Lulu Press, 2015)) and Adams-Chapman et al. (McGraw-Hill Specialty Board Review Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (McGraw-Hill, 2016)). It follows the main textbook fairly well. The advice on studying for boards and tips on budgeting time, etc. are appreciated in this type of a book. I would have liked to see the board-type questions in the book and (if needed to save space) the answers on the website.

Doody’s Review Service Weighted Numerical Score: 91- 4 Stars