Used Medical Textbooks – If you are contemplating going to medical school in order to pursue a career as a general practitioners or as a professional in any one of the dozens of specialties in the far-reaching and ever-growing field of medicine, my hat is off to you in high esteem. It will not be easy as you will encounter countless challenges on your path to conquering the art and the science of healing in an earnest attempt to restore wellness by utilizing preventive measures as well as treating injuries and disease.
However, the rewards of knowing that you have the power to alleviate pain and suffering as well as save lives will, no doubt, make your hard work all worthwhile. Rest assured that as you march forward on your warpath against the anguish of illness and the torment of poor health and deformities, you will have no need to face them alone as you will have an entire team of skilled health care professionals such as nurses, nurse practitioners, orderlies, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, laboratory scientists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, respiratory therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, radiographers, dietitians, bioengineers, social workers and many others including practitioners of alternative medicine (massage therapists, herbologists, acupuncturists, chiropractors and practitioners of biofeedback, yoga, acupressure) who will be marching right along with you.
You will be studying a wide range of sciences during your years in medical school and their extent and focus will depend on your specific specialty. Those sciences are as I have listed them below in alphabetical order:
* Anatomy is the study of the physical structure of organisms, most particularly the human organism.
* Biochemistry is the study of the chemistry which takes place in living organisms as well as the structure and function of the organisms’ chemical elements.
* Biostatistics is the association of statistical findings in biological disciplines. It is critical for effective planning and accurate analysis of medical research.
* Cytology is the study of individual cells on the microscopic level.
* Embryology is the study of embryos or the beginning stages of organisms.
* Epidemiology is the study of epidemics, endemics and other demographically related diseases.
* Genetics is the study of genes and the role they play in inheritance.
* Histology is the study of the makeup of biological tissues.
* Immunology is the study of the immune system.
* Medical Physics is the study of relating the principles of physics to medicine.
* Microbiology is the study microorganisms such as protozoa, bacteria, fungi and viruses.
* Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system in the human brain and the spinal cord.
* Nutrition Science is the study of the relationship between what is ingested and optimal health.
* Pathology as a Science is the study of the causes and the development of disease.
* Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects.
* Physiology is the study of the body’s natural functions and what regulates them.
* Toxicology is the study of toxins and other harmful substances such as drugs and poisons.
To study all these sciences many volumes of medical and science textbooks had been written and they are essential study tools in medical school. So, needless to say, there is one more challenge which must be overcome in medical school — the financial burden. I do not have all the information or the wisdom about saving money on all the expenses which you will encounter while going through medical school. I can, however, tell you that there is a way of saving 50, 60 or even 75% off the retail price of your medical textbooks by buying them used. There are many ways to acquire used medical textbooks: from other students on campus, getting them from the library or buying them through countless online retailers of used textbooks. Why not begin your search with the following:
* eCampus.com at http://www.ecampus.com/medical.asp.
* AMSA at http://www.amsa.org/global/ih/textbook.cfm.
* AbeBooks at http://www.abebooks.com/books/find/medical.shtml.