Best Books to Read in MBBS 2nd Year

If you are an ex-medical student in India, you will fondly remember your college and classroom experiences. You would also not forget how you memorized symptoms of diseases and medicines to treat them and how your first practical class evoked different reactions from students in your batch. But most of all, you would remember how overwhelming it all was—the syllabus, the books, the terms, the memorizing part, the classes, the tests, the exams, and everything else. And what makes the lives of medical students even more overwhelming are the choices in terms of books. Everyone has some authors to suggest. Wouldn’t it be easier if someone did all the research and handpicked a few must-have books? This article aims to shed light on some of the best books second-year MBBS students can buy. 

But before we discuss the actual books, let’s talk about the usual disciplines introduced in the second year of MBBS. Subjects include Microbiology, Pharmacology, and Pathology. These subjects are of crucial importance to MBBS students because they lay the groundwork for their medical education ahead, and therefore, attaining a clear grasp on these subjects is non-negotiable.

While many books are available online and offline, students must spend some time carefully selecting the right ones. First of all, standardized books that have been straightforwardly offering information for years cannot be ignored. While buying these books, students must check if they are getting the latest versions. While selecting the right book, second-year MBBS students should also check if these books contain clear visuals, flowcharts, tables, key topics, practice questions with explanations, and last but not least, information on every topic that falls under the syllabus and strictly adheres to the latest CBME pattern.

Here are some suggestions for Microbiology books for MBBS students:

Essentials of Medical Microbiology by Apurba Sastry & Sandhya Bhat

●       This book made me fall in love with microbiology.

●       A valuable addition, including every aspect needed, is very easy to go through during exams.

These are some of the reviews of this book online. Meticulously crafted in alignment with the Competency-Based Medical Education curriculum, this book is concise and informative and presents things in a very coherent manner. Bidding goodbye to conventional organism-focused instruction, Essentials of Medical Microbiology by Apurba Sastry & Sandhya Bhat boasts a system-centred approach more aligned with the needs of today's modern students. The book also covers Parasitology within the relevant infective syndromes and offers thoughtfully designed multiple-choice questions (MCQs) encompassing image-based questions. These questions help students assess their understanding of the topics and prepare for their exams. The use of bullet points further enhances the clarity with which information has been presented in the book. This feature is specially designed for easy revision during exams when the sheer amount of information to be memorised is very high.

The book focuses on General Microbiology, Immunology, and Hospital Infection Control (Infectious Diseases) in part A and on Systemic Microbiology in part B. Notably, this is the only latest CBME curriculum textbook on Clinical Microbiology that focuses on infectious syndromes, which also offers a lot of information to students aiming to appear for PG entrance exams.

Review of Microbiology and Immunology by Apurba Sastry & Sandhya Bhat

This book covers a range of diseases and treatments, including Zika virus, Ebola virus, Polio eradication, Dengue vaccine, Vaccine-derived polioviruses, and MERS-CoV. While buying the book, students must ensure they are ordering the latest version of the book, as it contains the most recent laboratory diagnosis, therapy, and epidemiology in every chapter.

Students especially like this book because it successfully bridges the gap between the content found in standard textbooks and that required for postgraduate entrance examinations.

Now, come the recommended books of Pathology:

Textbook of Pathology by Harsh Mohan

One of the most widely known books on Pathology, this one contains 30 chapters focussing on Systemic Pathology, Haematopoietic and Lymphoreticular Systems, and General Pathology. Every chapter in the book is followed by "must-know" boxes that summarise the contents of the chapter for a quick recap. Each chapter also ends with review questions to assist students in preparing for their exams and absorbing information more effectively.

Essentials in Hematology and Clinical Pathology by Ramadas Nayak & Sharada Rai

An absolute essential for MBBS students, this meticulously crafted book covers a broad spectrum of topics, including Disorders of Red Cells, Disorders of White Cells, Disorders of Hemostasis, and Clinical Pathology. With over 300 multiple-choice questions, the book helps students gauge their understanding of the topics.

Also, who doesn't like books with pictures? This book makes studying complex topics a simple and engaging experience by offering 135 drawings, 27 photomicrographs, 18 pictures, and 146 tables.

Coming to the next subject, we have recommended books of Pharmacology for MBBS students:

Essentials of Medical Pharmacology by K.D. Tripathi

This is a must-have book for all medical students and is highly recommended.

The book covers everything from fundamental pharmacological ideas to the latest medications and treatment options. All the mentioned drugs have been carefully categorized to aid students in memorizing them by forming clear mental images. Among other things, the book emphasizes evidence-based medicine, novel medicines, and pregnancy prescriptions.

Review of Pharmacology by Gobind Rai Garg & Sparsh Gupta

This book needs no introduction; students across states in India trust this book for preparations for competitive examinations such as NEET PG, INI-CET, etc. Based on KDT 8th, Katzung 13th, Goodman Gilman 13th, Harrison 20th, and CMDT 2022's newest versions, the book promises the latest information on pharmacology, covering fundamental pharmacological principles, new FDA-approved drugs, illustrative diagrams, and the latest advancements in the field.

Besides these books, students can also consider Rachna Chaurasia & Anshul Jain's Self-Assessment & Review Microbiology & Immunology, which offers comprehensive treatment of parasitology and immunology, and Ananthanarayan and Paniker’s Textbook of Microbiology, which features the latest developments in disease detection, molecular diagnostics, and infection prevention.

These suggestions will help second-year MBBS students make the most of their syllabus and prepare well. While different students may have different preferences in terms of learning styles and depth of information, however, these books are well-recommended by professors across the country.