Do You Need the New Oxford Handbook? Buying Medical Textbooks Second-Hand
The medical canon (OHCM, OHCS, Macleod's, Kumar & Clark, Davidson's) updates only every few years. Current editions for 2026/27, when an older edition is fine, what the UKMLA means for your books, and why selling after finals is worth it.
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Quick answer: for most of the medical canon, a used copy of the current edition is the best value, and one edition old is usually fine for core science and clinical examination. Don't use any edition as your source for drug doses or guidelines: use a current formulary and current guidance. The UKMLA didn't make the standard books obsolete.
Medicine's worst-kept money-saving secret
Ask any final-year student what to buy in first year and you'll often hear the same advice: get the old edition. Medicine has one of the strongest used-book cultures of any degree, for a simple reason. The core texts are expensive new and change slowly, every few years rather than every year.
The core canon: current editions for 2026/27
| Book | Current edition | Previous edition | New price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine (OHCM) | 11th (2024) | 10th (2017) | £32.99 |
| Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties (OHCS) | 11th (2020) | 10th | Check OUP |
| Macleod's Clinical Examination | 15th (2023) | 14th | £44.99 |
| Kumar and Clark's Clinical Medicine | 11th (June 2025) | 10th (2020) | £62.99 |
| Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine | 25th (2026) | 24th | Check Elsevier |
Prices are list prices from the publisher or a university bookshop in October 2026. Publishers often discount them.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Kumar and Clark (11th) | £62.99 |
| Macleod's (15th) | £44.99 |
| OHCM (11th) | £32.99 |
Two of these changed recently. Kumar and Clark moved to an 11th edition in June 2025, with new editors and new chapters (including acute medicine, stroke medicine and perioperative medicine). Davidson's reached its 25th edition in 2026. A 10th-edition Kumar and Clark or 24th-edition Davidson's is now one edition old: still useful for core content, and it should cost less.
Because editions last for years, a used medical book stays useful for a long time. Compare that with accountancy exam texts, which expire on an annual cycle.
When the old edition is fine, and when it isn't
Usually fine: anatomy, physiology, pathology, clinical examination technique and the general approach to presentations. Core science doesn't move much between editions, so an OHCM one edition old is still a good companion on the wards.
Not fine: guidelines and drug doses. These do change, and no textbook should be your prescribing source anyway. Use a current formulary and up-to-date guidance for anything you'd act on.
Two editions old or more: be more careful. Kumar and Clark's 11th edition was substantially restructured, so a 9th edition (or older) is a different book in places.
Worth knowing: most exam practice has moved to online question banks. The books are now mainly for reference and understanding, which is exactly where a used copy works as well as a new one.
Did the UKMLA change what you need?
Not in any way that makes the standard books obsolete. The GMC says that UK medical students graduating from 2024–25 onwards must pass the Medical Licensing Assessment. Its content map draws on existing frameworks, including Outcomes for graduates, so the established texts still cover it. UKMLA-branded revision books have appeared too. They add to the standard texts rather than replace them.
The GMC does revise the content map, and published an update for assessments from September 2026. Revise from the current map for your year rather than any book's contents page. Our medical finals book guides track the current editions of the canon.
Who else buys these books
Medical students aren't the only buyers. International doctors sitting PLAB use the same clinical texts. The GMC's figures show the number sitting PLAB 1 has fallen sharply, but it is still large:
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 21,916 |
| 2024 | 21,058 |
| 2025 | 13,691 |
Postgraduate exam candidates (MRCP, MRCS) also keep older reference titles in circulation.
After finals: pass them on
Selling on is the other half of the tradition. Because editions last, your books stay sellable for a while after you qualify. You'll get the best price while your edition is still current. An 11th-edition OHCM or Kumar and Clark is current right now; a 10th-edition Kumar and Clark is worth less than it was a year ago.
Listing is free with no seller fees: set a price, post it with a prepaid tracked label, and get paid after delivery. Our medical textbook selling checklist covers photos and pricing.
The rule of thumb
Buy the newest edition you can find cheaply second-hand. Accept one edition old for core content. Never trust any book for doses. When you're done, sell it to the year below, the same way you probably bought it.
Frequently asked questions
Is it OK to buy an old edition of the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine?
For core science, examination technique and the general approach to presentations, one edition old is usually fine. Guidelines and drug doses do change, so never use any edition as a prescribing source. Check a current formulary and current guidance instead.
What is the current edition of Kumar and Clark?
Kumar and Clark's Clinical Medicine is in its 11th edition, published by Elsevier in June 2025, with new editors and new chapters. The 10th edition (2020) is now superseded.
Did the UKMLA make older medical textbooks obsolete?
No. The GMC's MLA content map draws on existing frameworks such as Outcomes for graduates, so the standard texts still cover it. The GMC does revise the content map, so check the current version for your year rather than relying on any book's contents page.
When should I sell my medical textbooks?
Sell while your edition is still the current one, ideally just before the next year group starts. Because medical editions last several years, current copies sell steadily, but a new edition lowers the value of the old one.
Check every ISBN on your reading list
See exact editions available second-hand and create one email alert for anything that is missing.
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