Category: Clinical Skills

“It is well written and easy to read. The innovative format that the book applies in which each chapter is entitled by a relevant question, makes it very friendly to the reader and increases its potential to be a quick reference book or companion book for the clinical hepatologist. It is up-to-date, and the use of simple diagrams and tables increase the value of this book. It is a must read for the gastroenterology/hepatology fellow, for the junior Hepatology attending and even for senior hepatologists who would like a quick review of current literature. As the title indicated, it answers typical curbside questions, that often require an extensive search of the literature and deep insight into the hepatology field.”

— Mayra J. Sanchez, MD, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellow, Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology

 “Each question is answered efficiently with appropriate charts and figures. The bridge between medical literature and actual medical practice is a unique aspect to this text. The authors do a great job of separating evidence-based guidelines from expert opinion or personal practice. The overall quality of this text was excellent. Curbside Consultation of the Liver will be a welcome companion for hepatology textbooks and practice guidelines. Physicians, from the resident to the hepatologist, presented with these clinical questions will find this text to be a quick review and adjunct in clinical practice.”

— Geoffrey Fillmore, DO & Mark Jeffries, DO, Scott and White Hospital, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Practical Gastroenterology

 “The questions are common and practical; as such the book does an admirable job of meeting the objectives. The chapters are written by the well regarded hepatology faculty from Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center as well as gastroenterology fellows from this institution. They impact a solid and practical command of the field and are credible authorities. This is a very useful practical approach to commonly encountered hepatology management questions. The format is enjoyable and the information easy to comprehend. It represents a welcome change from the usual staid textbook fare.”

— Willem JS de Villiers, MD, PhD, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Doody Enterprises, Inc.

Mitchell L. Shiffman, MD received his MD degree from the State University of New York, Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, NY. He then completed internship and residency training in Internal Medicine at the Medical College of Virginia (now the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center) in Richmond, VA. He remained at this institution for fellowship training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, which included two years of research training funded by a National Institutes of Health training grant. After completing his training, Dr. Shiffman joined the faculty of the Virginia Commonwealth University as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and has remained at this institution throughout his academic career. He is currently a Professor of Medicine, and has been the Chief of the Hepatology Section and Medical Director of the Liver Transplant Program at the VCU Medical Center for over a decade. Dr. Shiffman has authored or coauthored over 200 original articles, editorials, reviews, and/or book chapters. His clinical research has focused on improving our understanding and developing better treatments for viral hepatitis B and C. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American College of Gastroenterology, and has served on numerous NIH grant review committees and is a member of the Editorial Boards of Liver Transplantation and Liver International.

“The author provides excellent, practical advice and solutions to 49 of the most frequently asked questions in the management of GERD. This is a user friendly go-to reference for practicing gastroenterologists that is also aimed at residents and GI fellows. This is a very useful addition to a successful series that enhances the practical clinical management of various aspects of GERD. The book provides easily accessible, quick, and direct answers to thorny questions commonly posed among clinical medical and surgical colleagues. It is a welcome breath of fresh air in contrast to the stale mustiness of more conventional textbooks.”

-Willem JS de Villiers, MD, PhD, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Doody Enterprise, Inc.

 “The text is aesthetically pleasing and more importantly, it is small and paperback, thereby making it very portable for students and house staff to carry on rounds or when seeing patients. By asking the very questions that many internists and gastroenterologists encounter daily, Dr. Katz is able to provide us with information not usually found in routine textbooks. Perhaps most impressive is how up-to-date the book is. With many of the references going back only a few years, Dr. Katz gives us recent data in this evolving field. Overall, I feel that this text is an excellent resource for internists, gastroenterologists, and trainees alike. It manages to take many of those challenging clinical scenarios with which we are always faced, and in one easy-to-read book, gives a rational approach to each.”

— Amar R. Deshpande, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Practical Gastroenterology

 “…Dr. Katz provides very clear, easy-to-follow, and evidence-based answers to each question. He does not shy away from tough clinical questions that occasionally do not have simple or straightforward answers. He attempts to weight all possible options while at the same time offering a clear diagnostic and/or therapeutic approach…The simple arrangement of the content, in a question-answer format, makes the book very attractive for a busy gastroenterologist and potentially other health care personnel who work in the GI field, such as surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and even primary care physicians…Bottom Line: This is an excellent book that is likely to be utilized daily. Its small size makes it easy to carry. This new book style represents a refreshing attempt to make medical textbooks more user friendly and part of the doctor’s daily source of medical information.”

— Ronnie Fass, Neuroenteric Clinical Research Group, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, and University of Arizona, Tucson, AR, Gastroenterology

Philip O. Katz, MD, FACG is Chairman of the Division of Gastroenterology at Albert Einstein Medical Center and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA. He is also Associate Program Director of the Department of Medicine at Albert Einstein Medical Center.

Dr. Katz received his medical degree from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. He served his residency and chief residency in internal medicine, followed by a fellowship in gastroenterology at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. He completed a faculty development fellowship at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. He is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology.

Dr. Katz is currently Vice President of the American College of Gastroenterology and is a member of the American Gastroenterological Association and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

A recognized national authority on esophageal disease, Dr. Katz’s research interests include all aspects of gastroesophageal reflux disease, including nocturnal recovery of gastric acid secretion during proton pump inhibitor therapy and esophageal pain perception. Dr. Katz is a practicing clinician with active teaching and editorial positions. In addition to lecturing on many gastroenterology-related topics, Dr. Katz is Associate Editor for Reviews in Gastrointestinal Disorders (Med Reviews) and an editorial reviewer for Annals of Internal Medicine, American Journal of Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology, and Digestive Diseases and Sciences. He has contributed to the publication of over 120 peer-reviewed papers as well as numerous abstracts, books, book chapters, and monographs.