‘Understanding PSM is difficult, owing to the vastness of the subject, but enjoyable, if you come across a good teacher and a useful book!’
A student
While preparing for PG entrance examination, I myself realised that most of the PSM MCQs, related text and even the referenced answers given in books were invariably unable to satisfy me as a student. Most of the times, there were questions from ‘topics not given in standard text books’ (for example, nested case control study, case series report, statistical errors, probability, odds and likelihood ratios, health legislations, Water washed diseases, Golden rice, COPRA, etc. – all together just the tip of an iceberg of such MCQs). Every year there were ‘new unheard questions from unexplored fields’, overlapping choices of MCQs from other fields of medicine accompanied with futile search for ‘recent most data of Public Health Statistics’, etc. This all made me realise that PSM is a difficult subject to conceptualise and memorise. Elaborate books also confused me regarding the relative importance of each topic in the subject.
I also realised that students face maximum difficulty in understanding the concepts of ‘Biostatistics’ and in obtaining precise, concise and useful data from ‘National Health Programmes of India’.
Also, PG entrance examinations have a sizeable chunk of direct and overlapping questions from PSM subject (Just 1 subject out of 19 total subjects). A quick look at last few years tells us the following stats (to name a few),
AIIMS PG Entrance Examination: 20 – 25 PSM questions (10 – 12% of total MCQs)
AIPGME Examination: 23 – 30 PSM questions (8 – 10% of total MCQs)
UPSC CMS Examination: 60 – 75 PSM questions (25 – 30% of total MCQs)
FMGE – MCI Screening Examination: 30 – 35 questions (10 – 12% of total MCQs)
DPG Entrance Examination: 22 – 28 PSM questions (8 – 10% of total MCQs)
Moreover, PSM helps in solving several allied questions (partly or totally) of Paediatrics, Obstetrics, Pharmacology, Medicine, Microbiology, Ophthalmology, etc.
So there is no denying the fact that ‘PSM is of paramount importance’ to successfully tackle any PG Entrance Examination.
Thus, I have written this book keeping a student’s, a teacher’s and an examiner’s perspective in mind.
1. All the answers suitably referenced, authenticated and given in sufficient details
2. Each answer followed by ‘Also Remember’- A compilation of various important note-worthy points based on previous questions from several fields
3. Previous solved papers of AIIMS PG Entrance Examinations (May 1999 – November 2008; 20 papers) and AIPGME Examinations (2001 – 2009; 9 papers)
4. Golden Points (two sets) for a quick revision just before the examination
5. Several annexures (Incubation period and Modes of transmission of diseases, Important days of Public Health, Instruments of importance in public health, Important health legislations and programmes in India, Vectors, NHP 2002 & NPP 2000 and Public Health related statistics of India) have been included towards the end of the book to given the student an edge over others.
Please remember there is no substitute to theory books, but hopefully you will find all relevant theory in this user-friendly book.
SPM FOR PGMEE (PULSE PUBLICATIONS) by Dr. Vivek Jain
Other details of the book:
The book is expected to be a 'one-stop shop' for all theory related to PG Entrance examinationsThe book is priced around Rupees 290-330/- in India
- References have been included from standard textbooks by K. Park, Sunder Lal, Robbani & Dhaar, Jugal Kishore, Harrison, CMDT, etc, and from Dictionary of Public health
- Special emphasis has been laid upon Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Communicable & Non-communicable diseases, National Health Programs of India
- Latest Public Health related statistics (upto 2008-09) have been provided for India and World
- Several tables have been used to make the information student-friendly
- Over 50 diagrams have been used to help memorise concepts
- Pneumonics to help for quick answering in exams
- Few mistakes in standard textbooks of PSM have been rectified with appropriate references
- No repetitions in questions or text-answers to keep the volume to the useful minimum
- It includes microbiology, pharmacology, pharmacology, medicine, obstetrics, geriatrics and pediatrics related to PSM in India
Dr Vivek Jain is a graduate from Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi and has completed his MD (Community Medicine) from Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi. He has also provided services as a Research Consultant to United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime - Regional Office for South Asia from 2006-2008. He has taught students throughout India and has travelled to different parts of globe. He is passionate for teaching public health. Currently he is working with Dept of Community Medicine, Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi.
Where to buy the book: The book is available at all leading medical book stores of India (PULSE Publications)
Publisher Address: Pulse Publications, 1st Floor, Ayodhaya Das Trade Compound, Vijay Chowk, Gorakhpur (U.P.); [Phone: 0551-2341804]; [Mobile: 09312784703, 09235392282]
Please note : We have not reviewed this book. We have presented the Author's message as such
