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MD/MS Postgraduate · Book Guide

Books for MD Emergency Medicine.

The national reference reading list, reproduced here in full, plus the editions residents actually read in 2026 — with recommended journals, a year-wise reading plan, and the references you'll need for your thesis and practical.

17Titles on the reference list
10Current-edition picks
9Journals listed
3 yearsReading plan included
Official list

The national reference reading list for Emergency Medicine

These 17 titles come from the National Board of Examinations curriculum document for Emergency Medicine, reproduced spelling and abbreviations included — MD and DNB candidates sit the same clinical work and read the same texts, so use it as your scope anchor and check your own university’s syllabus alongside it.

  1. Emergency Medicine: a comprehensive study guide. Tintilli, J et al, New York: McGraw-Hill
  2. Emergency Medicine (latest edition) Anthony FT Brown, Michael D Cadgan, London, Hodder Arnold
  3. Medicine Textbook of Adult Emergency (Latest Edition) Peter Cameron, George Jelinek, Anne-Maree Kelly, Lindsay murray, Anthony FT Brown, Jhon Heyworth eds. Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone
  4. Oxford Hand Book of Accident and Emergency Medicine (LATEST Edition) JP Wyatt, RN Illingworth, CE Robertson, MJ Clancy, PT Munro eds. Oxford, oxford University Press
  5. Text book of pediatric Emergency Medicine (Latest edition) Peter Cameron, George Jelinek, Ian Everitt, Gary Browne, Jeremy Raftos. London, Churchill Livingstone.
  6. Textbook of Adult Emergency Medicine, Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
  7. Rosen's textbook of emergency Medicine
  8. Accident & Emergency Radiology, A survival guide- Nigel Raby
  9. Harwood-Nuss' Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine, Wolfson, A (Editor), New York: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
  10. Textbook of Emergency Medicine, David, S (Editor), New York: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
  11. Goldfrank's Toxilogic Emergencies, Nelson, L et al., New York: McGraw-Hill.
  12. Modern Medical Toxicology, Pillay, V.V.
  13. Textbook of Critical Care, Fink, M (Editor): Philadelphia, Elsevier Saunders.
  14. ECG For Emergency Physician, Mattu and Brady (Editors), London: BMJ Publishing.
  15. An Introduction to Clinical Emergency Medicine, Mahadevan, S.V. (Editor), New York: Cambridge University Press.
  16. American Heart Association Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support and Pediatric Life Support manuals
  17. Advanced Trauma Life Support manual published by the American College of Surgeons
Read this before you buy. These curriculum documents are revised infrequently, so several entries name editions that are now years out of date, and a few titles are out of print. Use this list to know the scope you are expected to have covered, then buy the current edition listed in the next section.

Reference list source: the National Board MD Emergency Medicine curriculum

What residents actually use

Current editions, and what each one is for

The books most residents actually buy. These are the editions in circulation now, with a note on whether each is something you read cover to cover, keep as a reference, or open only for the viva.

  1. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical PracticeWalls, Hockberger, Gausche-Hill · 10th edition · core referenceThe definitive deep-dive text residents consult for pathophysiology and difficult presentations.
  2. Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study GuideTintinalli, Ma, Yealy et al. · 9th edition · core reference / exam textMost-read cover-to-cover text for MD/MS theory papers because of its concise, algorithmic chapters.
  3. Oxford Handbook of Emergency MedicineWyatt, Taylor, de Wit, Hotton · 5th edition · bedside pocket bookCarried in the pocket for rapid protocol lookup during ED shifts.
  4. Goldfrank's Toxicologic EmergenciesNelson, Howland, Lewin et al. · 11th edition · toxicology referenceConsulted for poisoning cases, which are a heavy component of Indian ED practice and viva.
  5. Modern Medical ToxicologyV.V. Pillay · 4th edition · India-specific toxicologyCovers Indian pesticides, snakebite and medicolegal aspects that Western texts omit.
  6. ECGs for the Emergency PhysicianMattu & Brady · ECG skillsWorked through early in residency to build fast rhythm and STEMI-equivalent recognition.
  7. ATLS Student Course ManualAmerican College of Surgeons · 10th edition · trauma protocolMemorised as the standard answer framework for trauma stations and viva.
  8. ACLS/BLS/PALS Provider ManualsAmerican Heart Association · 2020 guidelines edition · resuscitation protocolRequired certification content and the source of resuscitation algorithm answers.
  9. Emergency Ultrasound Made EasyJustin Bowra, Russell McLaughlin · 3rd edition · POCUS skillsStarting point for FAST, eFAST and basic echo which are now examined practically.
  10. Marino's The ICU BookPaul Marino · 4th edition · critical care adjunctUsed during ICU rotations for ventilation, shock and acid-base reasoning.
Printed in our shop

Emergency Medicine books we print most often

These are the emergency medicine titles residents send us to print most often — the books that actually come through the shop, alongside the official list above.

We print files you send us. We do not host, sell or supply book PDFs — send us a file you are entitled to print and we print and bind it.

Journals

Journals worth following in Emergency Medicine

Journal club and the “recent advances” parts of the theory paper come from here. You do not need to read all of them — pick the two Indian journals and one international one and follow them properly.

The journal of Emergency Medicine- ElsevierAmerican Journal of Emergency MedicineEuropean Journal of Emergency MedicineAnnals of Emergency MedicineEmergency Medicine AustralasiaAcademy Emergency MedicineEmergency Medicine JournalNational Journal of Emergency Medicine published by SEMIAmerican Heart Association journal, Circulation
Reading plan

What to read, and when

Three years is less time than it sounds. The order below is what works for most MD Emergency Medicine residents — broad and readable first, reference-level later, revision and drilling last.

Year 1

Build the base

Read Tintinalli systematically alongside the Oxford Handbook for shift-side use; complete BLS/ACLS/ATLS/PALS certification and drill ECG and ABG interpretation daily.

Year 2

Go deep, collect thesis data

Move to Rosen's for depth on weak areas, add Goldfrank's plus Pillay for toxicology, start Marino's during ICU postings, and begin POCUS with Bowra while collecting thesis data.

Year 3

Revise, drill, submit

Consolidate with rapid Tintinalli revision, work through past MD/MS theory papers and radiology/ECG case banks, finalise the thesis, and practise structured viva presentation of resuscitation and trauma scenarios.

Thesis

References for your thesis

Protocol, methodology and reporting standards examiners expect you to have followed.

  • ICMR National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research (2017)
  • Methods in Biostatistics - B.K. Mahajan
  • Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques - C.R. Kothari
  • STROBE / CONSORT / STARD reporting guidelines
  • Utstein style reporting for cardiac arrest research
Practical & viva

What the practical actually tests

Books and material specifically useful for the clinical, spotter and viva stations.

  • ECG and rhythm strip interpretation sets
  • Trauma and chest/CT radiograph interpretation (Nigel Raby, A&E Radiology: A Survival Guide)
  • ABG and acid-base case sets
  • Airway equipment identification and difficult airway algorithm
  • Toxicology antidote and decontamination charts
  • POCUS/FAST image interpretation
  • Triage and disaster/mass-casualty scenarios

Sitting the DNB instead? The same reading list, written for the NBE exam, is on the DNB Emergency Medicine books page.

Frequently asked

MD Emergency Medicine books — questions

Which books are recommended for MD Emergency Medicine?

The national curriculum document for Emergency Medicine lists 17 titles, beginning with Emergency Medicine: a comprehensive study guide. Tintilli, J et al, New York: McGraw-Hill. The full list is reproduced on this page exactly as it is published.

Which single book should I start with in first year of MD Emergency Medicine?

Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice by Walls, Hockberger, Gausche-Hill is the usual anchor. The definitive deep-dive text residents consult for pathophysiology and difficult presentations.

Are the editions listed here current?

Yes — we list the edition in circulation now for each title. Editions move quickly, so confirm the current one before you buy or print.

Do I need to buy every book on the list?

No. Most residents own three or four and use the department or library copy for the rest. That is exactly why printing selected chapters from a PDF works out cheaper than buying volumes you will open twice.

Can you print these books for me?

We print from the PDF you send us. Send the file on WhatsApp with your page count and whether you want colour, black and white or mixed, and we print, bind and deliver anywhere in India. We do not supply copyrighted book files.

How much does it cost to print a set of notes?

Black and white is 50 paise per page, colour is Rs 1 per page, and binding is Rs 40 per copy. A 400-page mixed set with binding usually works out around Rs 300 plus delivery.

Printing your MD Emergency Medicine reading?

Send the PDF on WhatsApp — colour Rs 1/page, B&W 50p/page, binding Rs 40. Printed, bound and delivered anywhere in India.

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