Vincent F Carr, DO, MSA, FACC, FACP(Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences)

n be used to study for the examination for admission to the Royal College of Physicians.

s one might encounter in daily primary care practice that includes a good description of an approach useful in the examination process.

This is an excellent case management book that all primary care clinicians can use to improve their critical-thinking skills.

It begins with a description of the PACES examination process and prepares candidates for what to expect during the examination. This is followed by cases arranged by organ system, focusing on specific complaints such as abdominal pain or diagnoses such as carpal tunnel syndrome or pulmonary hypertension. The cases point out the hints found in positive answers to past history, negative answers that help rule out a diagnosis, possible additions to the differential diagnosis and what further investigations, such as laboratory or imaging, will help confirm the diagnosis. Appropriate photographs and helpful figures help readers understand the circumstances of the diagnosis.

This is a very good preparation book for the PACES examination for admission to the Royal College of Physicians.