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Book Review: A Comprehensive Review for the Examinations for the Certification and Recertification for Physician Assistants. Edited by Sarah F. Zarbock

     The profession has spawned numerous books focusing on the vector of preparing PA's for the NCCPA exams. I have personally read all of them and at times have been disenchanted as I found erroneous answers and out dated treatments. I have always pointed these out to the authors and publishers but have wondered how many poor unsuspecting examinees have placed these incorrectly edited responses in the answer portion of the exam.

     Zarbock's book has been a clean breath of fresh air as she has edited a book that will lead the examinee into the various testing modules that presents a question and in an abbreviated manner suggests general characteristics, clinical features, laboratory studies and treatments. These thought provoking summaries are intended to produce an understanding of the subject rather than an answer that is memorized and then soon forgotten.

     This book also encourages continued self-study in areas of weakness as defined by the practice test as well as by the critical content.

     I have encouraged all of my colleagues and students to avail themselves of this book and to keep it on the shelf as a reference for post study. Any future enhancements would help to produce an ongoing masterpiece.

Bob Blumm, MA, PA-C
Adjunct Instructor of Surgery and Emergency Medicine
Hofstra University School of PA Studies
Immediate past president AASPA
October, 2003

PDA Software Review: Davis's Drug Guide for Physicians (Dr.Drugs)

My recent transplantation from Family Practice to Internal Medicine prompted a frantic search for a PDA & software to help me transition from routine office visits to the complicated patient encounters common in rural area Internists.

The highest priority was software to help deal with the polypharmacia, as well as renal and hepatic failure common in this patient population. I tried a couple of famous programs and was not satisfied until I came across Davis's Drug Guide for Physicians [also known as "Dr.Drugs"]. It is published by the F.A. Davis Company, and marketed by "Skyscape"

Download and installation to my Dell Axim running PocketPC 2003 was flawless. I was up and running in no time. The interface is intuitive and easy to use: with a few taps you can pull up most any medication. You can access by class [pharmacologic or therapeutic] or by name [trade or generic]. The table of contents even has a separate listing for combination drugs.

Once you find the medication you're seeking, a column of sixteen categories appears on the right, which breaks down info into small bites to limit scrolling required. It lists indications, contraindications/precautions, adverse events, interactions, concentrations available, recommended doses, adverse events, and more.

It is available from: http://www.skyscape.com/index/home.asp with a free trial version available, so you can even check it out before you purchase. At the price of $49.95, I find this software to be an invaluable tool that is easy to use, yet provides all the information I need with just a few taps on the screen.

Financial Disclosure: I have no connection, financial or otherwise, with any companies mentioned above.

Mark D. Kishbaugh, PA-C