If your program is anything like mine, they will give you recommended books or resources for each section. While a few of these were helpful, there were other books that I used during the entire didactic and clinical years, and I don't think I would have made it without knowing where to find the information I needed. The internet is a great resource, but I love being able to flip through a book and highlight and make notes too. Here are some of my favorite books, and make sure to comment below with anything you think I left off! This post contains some Amazon affiliate links.
A Comprehensive Review for the Certification and Recertification Examinations for Physician Assistants - This was my main PANCE study book, but I used it all year long. It is based off of the NCCPA Blueprints for the PANCE exam and goes through every single section with the main ideas that are important for PA school. I would always read through the related section the morning before a test just for a refresher. My only complaint about this book is that the medications are not always specific in the treatment section, and I could use a little more info there.
Step Up to Medicine - While this book is technically for medical school, it's great for studying all of the basics of PA school, especially all of the Internal Medicine topics. It's split up really well and easy to read. This book fills in what the PANCE review book leaves out, and I wish I had known about it for more of didactic year, but it's great for clinical year too.
Pocket Medicine - This is a pocket reference for your white coat that I actually didn't have, but I wish I knew about it. My husband currently uses this book on his medical school rotations, and it's really cool. It has all of the current recommendations for Internal Medicine subjects, and also all of the articles that the recommendations are based on, so it's truly evidence-based. If you're in an academic center, the attendings love it when you can reference an important study. There's a Pediatric version as well.
Maxwell Pocket Reference - This is another book you should have in your white coat. It's really small, and for $5 it comes in handy. This little book has outlines for different types of notes in the hospital, ACLS codes, physical exam and history, and all kinds of other important topics. Unless they've stopped, if you join the AAPA as a student, they will send you a copy of this.
Lange Smart Charts for Pharmacology - This was my go-to for pharmacology, aka the worst class of PA school. It's just so hard until you're actually seeing these drugs on rotations or practicing . This book is a flip chart of all the drugs separated by class with everything you want to know, including brand name, mechanism of action, side effects, and contraindications. I love a good chart, and these made studying so much easier.
Bate's Physical Examination - This is basically the go-to book for learning how to do a proper physical exam. It was required by my program, and my husband used it as a reference in medical school too even though it was never recommended. There's pictures and great explanations for any part of the physical exam that you can imagine. And there's even a pocket version as well.
Lange Q&A Book - This was my main book for practice questions. Doing questions and attempting to apply the knowledge I'm trying to learn has always been the best way for me to evaluate where I'm at. I used this book during the clinical year and studying for the PANCE, but I wish I had it for didactic year as well. The questions cover all subjects, and have awesome in-depth explanations.
Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia 2015 - Shirt version and White coat version - This is another reference book you can use on rotations. I know you have Epocrates on your smart phone, but I liked having this book as well. It's really easy to find what you're looking for and they update it every year.
Basic Concepts in Pharmacology - This is a small book, and it has really short and straightforward chapters about different drug classes. I liked to read the relevant sections before Pharm tests as just a quick overview. I probably just need to read this book every month to retain some of the knowledge from PA school. Sometimes it feels like all I prescribe are topical steroids and acne medicine!
First Aid for the USMLE Step 2 CS - If you have physical exam or practical examinations with standardized patients, then you need this book. This is another one that I unfortunately did not have while in school, but it would have made my life so much easier. I spent hours trying to come up with practice cases, and come to find out, here's a book with everything I was looking for. There are checklists for each case, and you'll need a partner to get the most out of this book.
Pance Prep Pearls - This book had just come out when I was in study mode for PANCE, but a few of my classmates did use it, and they passed! I've heard a lot of buzz about this book recently, and I definitely plan on using it when it comes time for me to recertify...in 8 years!
Here is a blog post from a fellow blogger with her recommended resources, some of which are the same as the ones you will see here.
