MD Family Medicine Books — Reading List

Reference reading list

Standard reference books for MD Family Medicine

These 16 titles are the standard references for Family Medicine — the books Indian teaching departments work from and examiners expect answers to be traceable to. Each is shown with the edition in circulation now, so you can print or buy the right one first time.

Rakel's Textbook of Family MedicineRobert E. Rakel and David P. Rakel · 10th editionThe principal comprehensive reference for the discipline, covering the full range of primary care presentations.
McWhinney's Textbook of Family MedicineIan R. McWhinney and Thomas Freeman · 4th editionThe foundational text on the principles and philosophy of family practice and the doctor-patient relationship.
Taylor's Family Medicine: Principles and PracticePaul M. Paulman, Robert B. Taylor, Audrey A. Paulman and Laeth S. Nasir (eds)Broad reference on the clinical practice of family medicine across the lifespan.
John Murtagh's General PracticeJohn Murtagh, Jill Rosenblatt, Clare Murtagh and Justin Coleman · 8th editionProblem-based general practice text organised around presenting complaints and diagnostic safety.
Murtagh's Practice TipsJohn MurtaghPractical procedures and consulting-room techniques for the office practice of family medicine.
Oxford Handbook of General PracticeChantal Simon, Hazel Everitt, Francoise van Dorp, Nazia Hussain, Emma Nash and Danielle Peet · 5th editionPocket reference for day-to-day consulting, prescribing and practice organisation.
Harrison's Principles of Internal MedicineJoseph Loscalzo, Anthony S. Fauci, Dennis L. Kasper, Stephen L. Hauser, Dan L. Longo and J. Larry Jameson (eds) · 22nd editionCore internal medicine reference for the adult medicine content of the training programme.
API Textbook of MedicineAssociation of Physicians of India · 13th editionIndian internal medicine reference reflecting local disease patterns, drug availability and practice.
Kumar and Clark's Clinical MedicineDavid Randall, John Booth and Kate Wiles (eds) · 11th editionReadable clinical medicine text used for consolidating adult medicine during ward rotations.
Davidson's Principles and Practice of MedicineIan D. Penman, Stuart H. Ralston, Mark W. J. Strachan and Richard P. Hobson (eds)Concise medicine reference widely used in Indian departments for systematic revision.
Macleod's Clinical ExaminationJ. Alastair Innes, Anna R. Dover and Karen Fairhurst (eds) · 15th editionStandard text on history taking and physical examination, listed in the NMC guidelines as 'Clinical methods'.
Nelson Textbook of PediatricsRobert M. Kliegman and Joseph W. St Geme III (eds) · 22nd editionDefinitive paediatrics reference for the child health component of family medicine training.
Ghai Essential PediatricsVinod K. Paul and Arvind Bagga (eds) · 10th editionIndian paediatrics text aligned to national immunisation, nutrition and child health programmes.
Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social MedicineK. Park · 28th editionThe standard Indian public health text covering national health programmes, epidemiology and community practice.
Current Medical Diagnosis and TreatmentMaxine A. Papadakis and Stephen J. McPhee (eds)Annually revised outpatient reference for current diagnostic and treatment recommendations.
Hutchison's Clinical Methods: An Integrated Approach to Clinical PracticeMichael Glynn and William M. Drake (eds)Classic bedside clinical methods text used alongside Macleod's for examination technique.

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.

API Textbook of MedicineAssociation of Physicians of India (Y.P. Munjal, ed.) · 12th edition · core referenceThe India-contextualised medicine reference family medicine residents lean on for adult clinical problems.
Harrison's Principles of Internal MedicineLoscalzo, Fauci, Kasper et al. · 22nd edition · core referenceConsulted selectively for mechanism and for theory-paper depth rather than read cover to cover.
Textbook of Family MedicineRobert E. Rakel, David P. Rakel · 10th edition · specialty core textDefines the discipline's principles: continuity, undifferentiated presentations and the consultation model.
Oxford Handbook of General PracticeChantal Simon, Hazel Everitt et al. · 5th edition · clinic pocket referenceUsed at the desk for rapid decisions across the very wide OPD case mix.
Hutchison's Clinical MethodsMichael Glynn, William Drake · 25th edition · clinical examinationThe examination text residents drill for long and short cases.
Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social MedicineK. Park · 28th edition · public health / national programmesEssential for national health programmes, screening and community-level questions that MD Family Medicine examines heavily.
Ghai Essential PediatricsVinod K. Paul, Arvind Bagga · 10th edition · pediatrics componentCovers the child health, immunisation and IMNCI content of the rotation.
Shaw's Textbook of Gynaecology / Dutta's Textbook of ObstetricsPadubidri & Daftary; Hiralal Konar · women's health componentUsed for antenatal care, contraception and common gynaecologic complaints seen in general practice.
Standard Treatment Guidelines (MoHFW, India)MoHFW / NHM · practice guidelineAnchors prescribing and referral answers to Indian primary-care standards.
Kumar and Clark's Clinical MedicineFeather, Randall, Waterhouse · 11th edition · readable medicine textPreferred by many residents over Harrison's for a first structured pass through internal medicine.

Reading plan

What to read, and when

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

Year 1

Build the base

Ground yourself in Rakel's Textbook of Family Medicine for the discipline's principles while doing a structured pass of Kumar and Clark or API Textbook of Medicine and drilling Hutchison's examination technique.

Year 2

Go deep, collect thesis data

Read specialty-rotation texts as you rotate (Ghai, Dutta/Shaw, basic surgery and psychiatry), keep Park for national programmes, use the Oxford Handbook of General Practice daily in OPD, and collect thesis data.

Year 3

Revise, drill, submit

Revise API/Harrison's selectively, consolidate Park and the MoHFW Standard Treatment Guidelines, run past MD/MS papers, and practise long cases and communication stations under time.

Thesis

References for your thesis

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

Methods in Biostatistics - B.K. Mahajan
Research Methods in Community Medicine - J.P. Vaughan
ICMR National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research (2017)
WONCA ICPC-2 classification for primary care coding
STROBE statement for observational study reporting

Practical & viva

What the practical actually tests

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

Long and short cases across medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and surgery
ECG, chest X-ray and basic ultrasound interpretation
Point-of-care tests: glucometry, urine dipstick, peripheral smear
National health programme charts and immunisation schedule
Family folder / genogram and home visit records
Communication, counselling and breaking-bad-news stations
Minor procedures: suturing, incision and drainage, IUCD insertion, nebulisation

Frequently asked

MD Family Medicine books — questions

Which books should I read for MD Family Medicine?

The titles on this page are the ones residents and departments actually use, each with the edition in circulation now. Start with the first one listed and add the references as your reading deepens.

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

API Textbook of Medicine by Association of Physicians of India (Y.P. Munjal, ed.) is the usual anchor. The India-contextualised medicine reference family medicine residents lean on for adult clinical problems.

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.

Books for MD Family Medicine.