As always at the start of a new year, the buzz in the hallways is about textbooks. What to buy, what to borrow? No doubt, they add up fast--and little is more annoying than shelling out $150 for a book you don't use.

How useful different books are ends up being a very personal choice. Do you like to have the hardcover in front of you, or does googlebooks suit your needs? I fall into the latter camp, but referenced a couple of books repeatedly. Here's what I can pull out of my sun-fried brain:
-we have an AWESOME library. All of the required texts are on Reserve, and many of them are also on the reference shelf. Reserve books can go home overnight, from 4pm-10am(?). During the day, they are checked out in 2 hour intervals. If you're reading them in the library, you can hold on to them indefinitely. For most texts, I recommend waiting to buy until you've seen how often you reference them in the library. If you've spent some time with it and like it, or find yourself needing to use it often, it's probably worth owning.
-For me, Guyton and Hall's Textbook of Med Phys ended up being one of those books worth having on hand.
-I highly recommend you purchase a copy of the TrailGuide to the Body book for palpation class. It comes in handy when studying for boards, reviewing for Musc Anatomy exams, and when you roomate says, "my shoulder hurts right here"
-Obviously, buy any of the class-specific note packets that are in the bookstore.
-I liked the little blue NMS Biochem book and used a copy at home for the first term or so of class.
-The "Made Ridiculously Simple" series is nice.

Apart from Trail Guide to the Body, I can't remember having any immediately important reading to do. In other words, you should have some time to find the text and the study habit that works best/at all for you.

As for second year... I bought the Patho book at the end of first year and regret having taken the film off. I've never opened it. It's a GREAT book--I just don't do textbooks so well. I wish I'd bought Bate's PE book sooner. Dr. Taylor will go over all of the homeopathy books and why he thinks you should have them. Def. do all the reading for that class, but as for owning books you might be able to get by with a Phatak Mat Med, an Organon and a synthesis. For me, those were very much worth owning... but I love homeopathy.