Dale Dubin's "Rapid Interpretation of EKGs" PDF Preview

This is an updated post of an earlier post detailing how to preview Dale Dubin's Rapid Interpretation of EKGs on Google Books. After doing some more research, I came across a pdf version as well - see below. Disclaimer: visit the site and download the pdf at your own risk.

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I'm sure some of you came across this site while looking for something related to Rapid Interpretation of EKGs or Dale Dubin. Well, the book is a good primer on understanding EKGs, but some of may have your doubts before investing in a copy. 

If you want to preview the book before you purchase it, check out Rapid Interpretation of EKGs at Google Books. The preview will show you roughly 70% of the pages in the actual 6th edition, published in 2000. Google Books also has many other medically-related books that you can try-before-you-buy. If you like what you see, check out the full latest edition: 

Still not convinced? Check out the pdf version at Free E-Book Downloads. While good to peruse, I would still recommend purchasing the full book version of Rapid EKGs so that you can take notes on it as you learn. EKG interpretation is a visual skill; therefore, you should be actively sketching notes to yourself in order to clarify the points made in the book. Additionally, once you have annotated the book yourself, you can add to it as you learn from subtle EKG techniques from experienced cardiologists. Note: you can search for other medical books in pdf form on this site as well! Happy EKG interpretating!

Updated 2015-12-20

Popular Posts In 2009 (So Far)

I'll be enjoying a much deserved MS4 vacation over the next few weeks, but hopefully I'll be able to get in a few posts. As things have been slowing down, I decided to peruse my blog stats for the year thus far. The traffic to this site has shifted a bit, with more people coming here searching for informaiton on USMLE Step 1, but Dale Dubin remains popular as ever. Anyway, here are my top 9 in '09 (so far):

1. Pope's Blessing Vs. Claw Hand
   
2. How To Write A History/Physical Or SOAP Note On The Wards 
   
3. Dale Dubin: Pornography and Prison
   
4. How To Become A Radiologist
   
5. My USMLE Step 1 Study Strategy
   
6. What Is A Good Radiologist Salary?
   
7. The Truth Behind "Rapid Interpretation of EKGs" by Dale Dubin
   
8. Which USMLE Step 1 Qbank: Kaplan or USMLE World?
   
9. How To Choose A Medical Specialty
   

Have your own favorite? Not on here? Feel to comment on it below. 

Dale Dubin: Pornography and Prison

Why am I writing about Dr. Dubin again? Well, two reasons: he seems to be the reason a majority of you end up at this blog, and frankly, I became curious as to what the rest of his story was. Where did he go to med school? What was his practice like? Why did he write a book on EKGs when he was a plastic surgeon?

As you know already, he has authored a popular book on EKGs (Rapid Interpretation of EKG's, Sixth Edition), but was also arrested on pornography charges. Another post covered his interesting take on how the heart generates its rhythm.

Today, we find out the whole story... or what I could lazily dig up with a few google searches. Here's what I found:

From a 1987 UPI release, referenced here and reproduced below, Dr. Dubin was a millionaire plastic surgeon who became addicted to cocaine and pornography. He also apparently upset his nudist neighbors in Florida:

Dale Dubin Sentenced To Five Years
Proprietary to the United Press International 1987
March 7, 1987

A federal judge sentenced millionaire plastic surgeon Dale B. Dubin to five years in prison for what the judge called an obsession with pornography and cocaine that turned the doctor's life into a tragedy.
U.S. District Judge William J. Castagna told Dubin at a sentencing hearing Friday he could not see how a ''person of your talent, ability, education and interest in art,'' could have turned his life into such a ''tragedy and waste of such a rare and needed talent.''
Dubin pleaded guilty six weeks ago to 22 counts of child pornography and cocaine charges.
Eleven of the drug counts involved a 16-year-old girl who was seduced by Dubin with the help of pills and vodka and eventually agreed to participate in sexual encounters with Dubin, another 17-year-old girl and a 23-year-old woman.
Dubin videotaped some of the encounters for his pleasure. The incidents took place at two of his condominiums and the Pasco County nudist resort of Paradise Lake.
He is expected to serve his time in a minimum security facility where he will be able to receive drug counseling.
U.S. Attorney Robert W. Merkle, who prosecuted the case, told Castagna that no crimes ''are more violent than the use of child pornography and the distribution of narcotics.'' He said Dubin's attempt to minimize his activities as just a ''lifestyle'' was a ''new low in euphemisms.''
Merkle said it was particularly aggravating that Dubin used his medical knowledge to satisfy his own appetite and risk the lives and mental health of his victims.
Dubin, 47, stood with his head bowed throughout the 40-minute hearing Friday. Except for a few mumbled words about a letter to the judge, he did not say anything.
In that letter, Dubin complained of the ''lurid display'' of his case by prosecutors and claimed details of his activities were ''egregiously distorted'' by the press. He also spoke of his sexual escapades as examples of ''an occasional clandestine soiree.''
Dubin was arrested Aug. 11 at the mansion in Lutz, Fla. he called Hassle Free, after being sucked into a child pornography sting by sending off a $100 bill to buy films including ''Barbarian Girls.''
The Dubin story received extensive news coverage as his doctors unsuccessfully tried to have him committed to a mental hospital for treatment of what they called potentially suicidal depression, and Merkle countered by adding details of the case into the court record.

The post gives some details, but not really much else to go on. Another post on Medstudentitis (well, a comment) notes that Dubin's license to practice medicine in Florida has been revoked.

The only other thing I could find was a post on a Dale B. Dubin from Fort Myers, FL who is apparently an avid hibiscus grower. The linked picture is below.

The site never links this Dubin to the one from the EKG book, but... c'mon, we all know it's him. At any rate, I still have no idea where he went to med school, what his practice was like, or why a plastic surgeon was writing a book on EKGs. The mystery continues...

If you're interested in the book (which is actually quite good), check out: 

Updated 2015-12-07

Dale Dubin, EKGs, Medicine, and Race

As you might recall, this blog has previously investigated the background into the mysterious Dr. Dale Dubin. However, as mentioned last time, regardless of Dr. Dubin's extracurricular activities, the book "Rapid Interpretation of EKG's" is a good introduction to how to read EKGs. However, as one peruses the book, other interesting findings come to light. Take a look at a page from the 2nd edition, reproduced below:

There are but two interpretations of this post:

1. Dale Dubin is using the stereotype of African Americans having "rhythm" to emphasize a trivial point about the cardiac rhythm.... racist!

OR

2. Everyone has a tiny black man that lives inside their heart. This tiny black man (I'll call him "Mr. Biggs") is very musical. Mr. Biggs loves to play on his drums, and by doing so, he keeps our heart ticking, kiddos. Thank you, Mr. Biggs. You are a true hero.

I don't know about you, but I believe #2 is the proper interpretation. I think the interpretation you choose to believe in says a lot about you. Which one seems right to you?

Don't believe me? Check out the book for yourself: 

Want more? Check out: Dale Dubin: Pornography and Prison

Updated 2015-12-07

The Truth Behind "Rapid Interpretation of EKGs" by Dale Dubin

Many students are puzzled about how to interpret EKGs. They are often directed to "Rapid Interpretation of EKG's" by Dale Dubin, a supposedly classic introductory text on how to read EKGs. The book's tone is conversational, and one quickly comes to realize that Dr. Dubin believes he is God's gift to reading EKGs, as evidenced by his:

• thanking himself in his acknowledgements (ok, fine, maybe it was his father who had the same name, but there's no way to distinguish this in the text)
• using his own quote as an introductory quote for the book, but referring to himself as "DD" to make it seem more mysterious
• just his overall tone
• offering a car to anyone who read the copyright notice in one of the editions and mailed in.

That last one sounds too good to be true, right? And all this makes you wonder, who exactly is Dale Dubin? Well, according to this article on snopes.com:

"But sometimes lore manages to intersect with real life when a legend
long extant is duplicated in actuality. (Folklorists term this
phenomenon "ostension.") In 2001, Jeffrey Seiden, a third-year medical
student at Yale University, was studying his electrocardiography
textbook when he happened upon the following message tucked away in the
book's copyright notice:

Congratulations for your perseverance. You may win the car on page 46 by
writing down your name and address and submitting it to the publisher.

Dr. Dale Dubin had inserted the note into his 50th printing of his
"Rapid Interpretation of EKGs," putting his classic Thunderbird up for
grabs. Of the 60,000 who last year bought the book containing the offer,
only five spotted the hidden message and contacted the publisher with
news of their find. The five names were placed in a hat, and Jeffrey
Seiden's was chosen at random. The 1965 Thunderbird convertible was
delivered to him on 4 December 2001 by Dubin's daughter, who drove it to
Seiden's school."

Nice story, right? But guess what:

Yale officials heard of the contest only at the last minute, but they
allowed the award to be made on campus and helped with some of the
publicity. Since then, however, Yale has done what it can to distance
itself from the affair. When questioned about the award, Karen Peart, a
university spokeswoman, told the /Hartford Courant/: "This is not a Yale
matter."

The school's reluctance to be associated with Dubin stems from
revelations about his past: Dubin is an ex-convict whose medical license
was revoked after a 1986 conviction in Florida on federal drug and child
pornography charges. He was sentenced to five years in a federal prison
and was released in 1989 after having served 3½ years.

Yep, that's right: to quote The Big Lebowski,

Dubin's a pederass.

But, what the heck, it's a good book. You should still buy it:

Updated 20200228