Although not a traditional item for review by VSPN book reviewers, this set of educational flash cards is timely in its future release by Elsevier. As veterinary technician students head to the classroom, the addition of these flash cards are a must have for those being introduced to medical terminology as it relates to the study of veterinary medicine.
The cards are packaged in a sturdy box which will withstand minimal to heave handling. Upon opening the box there is a small booklet which introduces the cards with suggestions for usage as a study guide. There are also three indexes for quick reference, the “General” index allows for locating a card, the “Category” index breaks cards down according to the anatomic/physiological area addressed and the “Word-Form” index addresses abbreviations and combining forms.
Upon looking at the presentation of the cards in the box, they are color coded into four distinct areas: green = prefix, brown = suffix, purple = combining forms and yellow = abbreviations. All cards are numbered in the top left corner from one to five hundred and thirty so that the user can always reorganize them after usage. The usages for these cards are endless, from self-quizzing to aiding in group study. In reviewing the cards, this reviewer found herself making up a terminology-based version of gin rummy to be played with the cards.
All in all, these cards, while not necessarily regarded as useful in a clinical setting as reference material, will be useful for students as a valuable resource for understanding of medical terminology. I wholeheartedly recommend that anyone expecting to take a course in veterinary medical terminology or perhaps expecting to teach a course invest in these cards. They will be useful for years to come.
Publisher: Elsevier-Saunders (2009).
ISBN: 978-1-4160-6138-0.