Medical Reference Sources

There will likely come a time, whether it be in one of your courses or in your summer job, when your research will require you to go beyond traditional legal sources to encompass information from some other discipline. One such discipline is the medical field, and one commonly used resource in that field is the medical reference work. These reference works can prove useful when you need background information on a medical topic, help in deciphering a medical abbreviation, or just a quick definition for a medical term you are unfamiliar with.

The library’s collection includes the following medical reference works:

  • Physicians’ Desk Reference: PDR (2008) (also on Westlaw) - considered the standard prescription drug reference publication, this work provides information on thousands of FDA-approved prescription drugs and commonly used nonprescription drugs, including comprehensive ingredient information, side effects, drug interactions, dosages, uses, contraindications, and more. Contains detailed FDA-approved package insert information, photos, charts, and tables.
  • Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary (1994) - considered by many to be the most respected and comprehensive medical dictionary available, this work provides the spelling, pronunciation, meaning, and derivation of terms on the latest drugs, as well as extensive coverage of complimentary and alternative medicine. Color illustrations, photographs, and tables are used to highlight points and facilitate understanding.
  • Gray’s Anatomy (1995) - the premier text in anatomy, widely regarded as an exhaustive reference on the topic, this classic work provides extensive descriptions and illustrations of the human anatomy.
  • Stedman’s Medical Dictionary (1995) (also on Westlaw) - a respected standard medical dictionary, it includes spelling, pronunciation, derivation, and definitions of almost 100,000 medical terms and phrases, and is illustrated throughout with nearly 1,000 color images, photographs, and tables to clarify complex medical concepts.

  • AccessMedicine - collection of online medical reference books, including Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine; Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment; Schwartz’s Principles of Surgery; and many more.

J. Fusaris