Scott Memorial Library Reference Tips

Dr. Gawande is speaking at the Free Library of Philadelphia on February 4, 2008. Scott Library has copies of his books Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance and Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science.

A surgeon and bestselling writer, Atul Gawande is on staff at both the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and the New Yorker magazine. With pieces published in both the Best American Essays and Best American Science Writing annual collections, Gawande’s first book, Complications, was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2002. His new book, Better, argues that physicians need to be more diligent in their practice and more ingenious in their thinking.

The Philadelphia Department of Health issued the 2005 supplemental report on “Vital Statistics Events by Census Tract and by Zip Code” (pdf). Yes, its 2008–it takes a few years to crunch the numbers. They substantially revised their reporting since the 2002 edition and didn’t issue reports for 2003 or 2004. Contact the Health Data Statistics and Research Unit if you need data from those years.

In this report you’ll find tables of the numbers of births and deaths of Philadelphia residents by census tract and Zip Code.

It no longer reports some natality statistics that will now be issued by the Division of Maternal, Child and Family Health (MCFH); and it no longer reports morbidity statistics. Refer to the appropriate program office, for example, the Division of Disease Control and Emergency Preparedness (DCC), AIDS Activities Coordinating Office (AACO) , and the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP). The Health Department has a directory.

Older editions of this publication are available at Scott Library in print (Thomcat).

The current report is available only online.

The AOA has study guides for Step I, Step II: Clinical Knowledge and Step II: Clinical Skills.

For Step 3, try these study aides available from the library:

Books

Check Thomcat for a complete list.
Books listed as “CIRCRESERV” are are on reserve. Request them at the Circulation Window for use within the library in 2 hour intervals. If a book is listed as “CHECKEDOUT”, call Circulation to place a hold so you’re next in line (215-503-6994). Books listed on “4TH-FLOOR” are available for 3-week loan.

Software

USMLEasy.com via AccessMedicine.
Find the link at the bottom of the Access Medicine homepage. Requires registration, free for Jeffersonians.