Meet Beth Cooper, fourth-year medical student
Winner of the Capstone Editing Textbook Grant
My name is Beth Cooper, and I am a medical student in Western Australia. In 2021, I was fortunate to be named the winner of the Capstone Editing Textbook Grant. Through this grant, I was given the opportunity to purchase textbooks for my degree. This grant has provided me with many options, and I am very thankful to have been named the 2021 recipient.
In February 2022, I visited several bookstores across Perth to purchase textbooks. It was a very exciting day and an incredible experience to be able to pick out textbooks and resources for medical school. I sat on the floor of the bookstore and carefully sorted through their displays of medical textbooks. I sifted through anatomy atlases, flashcards, study guides, dictionaries and case files. It was very exciting to put together an assortment of textbooks. I was able to use the grant to purchase a collection of textbooks that I have been using every day in both classes and study sessions. Having access to these resources has greatly assisted me in my studies.
Anatomy
One of my favourite textbooks I was able to purchase through the Capstone Editing Textbook Grant was ?Gray's Anatomy for Students. Medical school is notorious for being very ‘content heavy’, and one of the biggest contributors to this heavy workload is anatomy. It can be time-consuming and difficult to memorise anatomy, especially in a short period. In addition, due to the intricacies of anatomy, it is very important to have an accurate source when you are learning. Thankfully, the anatomy textbook has been an invaluable resource this year. I have set a goal to learn a set number of pages each week, and I look forward to working my way through the textbook.
Paediatrics
Another textbook that I was able to purchase using the grant was ?Case Files Pediatrics by McGraw Hill. I hope to work in paediatrics once I graduate from medical school, so I selected this textbook to improve my paediatric medicine knowledge. This book has been incredibly valuable, as it provides real-life examples of clinical cases. It gives the reader an insight into real patients and real cases, not just facts on a sheet of paper. Due to this book, I have been able to enter my clinical rotations with greater confidence and understanding. I look forward to purchasing more case study textbooks this year across a variety of disciplines, to prepare for my clinical rotations that begin in 2023.
Online resources
In addition to the textbooks, I have also been able to use the grant to sign up for online textbooks through ?Amboss and Boards and Beyond that have provided me with further opportunities to improve my learning. It is becoming very common for companies to create resources online, which, unfortunately, has resulted in very high prices. Thankfully, I now have access to these online resources. My favourite online resource that I was able to purchase is an online pathology textbook. The textbook teaches you how to interpret pathology images and even includes quizzes to test your knowledge as you progress through the book. My pathology knowledge has already improved, and I look forward to continuing to use the online textbook.
Support throughout my degree
I am so thankful that the Capstone Editing Textbook Grant will continue to support me by providing funds each year for the remainder of my degree, and I plan to continue to share the benefits of this grant with the community. I would like to once again thank Capstone Editing for choosing me as the recipient of the 2021 Capstone Editing Textbook Grant and providing me with such an incredible opportunity.
Read more about Beth's journey as a medical student
?Beth has a social media page on TikTok where she documents her journey through medical school. Her username is @bethdoesmed and you can find her page here: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethdoesmed