USMLE books

	USMLE Step 2 Recall (Recall Series)
	By: Michael W Ryan, Lorne H Blackbourne ISBN: 0781788501 Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Release Date: 01 October, 2006 Bioscience book rank: 399171	i was expecting the quality of surgical recall..this book didnt deliver...replete with typos to boot. After using "Surgical Recall" for my surgery clerkship, I jumped at the chance to buy "USMLE Step 2 Recall" during these last few weeks before sitting for the Step 2 exam. I am really enjoying this book. One advantage that this format has is that you are presented with a clinical presentation that you must recognize. Questions and answers for 5-25 questions dealing with that clinical presentation are then covered. I think this is great because identifying the disease process in Step 1 and Step 2 questions is often the easy part, while being able to answer the many questions that may deal with that clinical entity is the tough part. This book presents more than 200 of the clinical scenarios that you know will be on the exam and then covers a bunch of potential questions for each scenario. I feel that this is an approach that covers a lot of ground in a very short time. After only a few days drilling myself with this book I'm feeling much more confident about taking the exam. It's kind of like the high yield section in the back of "First Aid" on steroids. The entire book can be comfortably gone through in one week and then repeated as necessary. My only knock on the book is it's cost, although when it comes to doing well on Step 2, the cost may well be worth it. I will edit this review after I sit for the exam. Well I sat for the exam and have received my scores. This book ended up being very helpful. Although it shouldn't be all one uses to prepare for the exam, I feel that this book helped me very much. I highly recommend it! In addition to this book I used the Kaplan QBook (the big one with 850 question, second edition) and also did about 400 Kaplan QBank questions on the web. I also used the high-yield section at the back of First Aid for step 2.
	High-Yield™ Comprehensive USMLE Step 1 Review (High-Yield™ Series)
	By: Barbara Fadem, Ronald W Dudek, Ivan Damjanov, Pamela C Champe, Charles R Craig ISBN: 0781774276 Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Release Date: 01 March, 2006 Bioscience book rank: 633361	This book is the best and worst of the High Yield series. <br /> <br />What is does right: Allows a quick easy read, without too much detail to bog you down. Only real use I can see in preparing for USMLE is to read this book to gear you up for studying and to get some dormant material back into circulation. <br /> <br />What it does wrong: It does cover SOME high yield content, but it is greatly lacking in the details that allow you to differentiate the content (ex. It never mentions gene translocations associated with specific cancers/leukemia's/Lymphomas, poor description of age brackets for leukemia's). T8:14 WILL be on the USMLE. No two ways around it. As another random example, there is NO mention of many microorganisms/viral pathogens like Parvovirus. AFP? ACD? "chirp chirp" is what this book says all to often. <br /> <br />Conclusion: Do NOT think that this book is a "complete" review for USMLE. It is severely lacking in crucial details. It should only be used as a primer for hard core prep - if that. Time is of the essence, so why waste it on intro material. The core of your studying should be First Aid (with additional resource books in weak areas), Goljan Rapid Review Pathology (new ed out late 2006), Case reviews (I like First Aid Cases, and the Platinum Vignettes series), and last, some type of Qbank (I went with usmleRx/FA).
	Lange Practice Tests for the USMLE Step 3 (Lange)
	By: Joel S. Goldberg ISBN: 0071446176 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Medical Release Date: 04 November, 2005 Bioscience book rank: 383933
	Underground Clinical Vignettes: Biochemistry: Classic Clinical Cases for USMLE Step 1 Review
	By: Vikas Bhushan, Vishal, M.D. Pall, Tao Le, Jose M. Fierro, Hoang Nguyen ISBN: 0632045450 Publisher: Blackwell Publishers Release Date: 15 December, 2001 Bioscience book rank: 571555	I found this book very helpful in forming a clinical picture in my mind for all those confusing biochemical diseases. I felt this was one of the best books of this series. It is good to use after reviewing the subject. This book is not sufficient on its own and should be used as an adjunct to a standard review book. When I first read this book It was not very useful `cause everything was new for me, but when I re read it after I finish to read my biochemistry review, It was amazing, It helped me to order all the knowledgment that I had in a better form, in a perfect style to be prepared for the ECFMG questions. I recommend it to everybody who is preparing for the USMLE or ECFMG. And also highly recommended with the Lippincott Biochemistry review.
	Blueprints USMLE Step 2 CS
	By: Carter E. Wahl ISBN: 1405104384 Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Release Date: 16 November, 2004 Bioscience book rank: 611677	This was a great review for the Step 2 CS Exam. I hadn't seen a patient for 6 months before I took the exam, and after I'd read this book and practiced all the cases I felt very confident. Highly recommended. Good to practice hystory taking and to try to think what's more important to ask. Good, but you need more than this for the exam. I bought this book in an attempt to save some money -- I was also considering First Aid, but didn't want to spend more than 20 bucks given how much money has already gone into this silly test. Unfortunately, my gamble didn't pay off. This book is alright - has a basic overview of the test format and what to expect as well as 20 sample cases. However, I recently took a peek at a copy of First Aid for CS, and found it to be much more complete. It has several very simple and high-yield test taking tips that Blueprints lacks, and has much more thorough explanations of the sample cases. So I sucked it up and forked over some money for a used copy of First Aid, and feel like I will be better prepared. I also realized that, given the expenditure on this test, I'd rather invest a few extra bucks in my study materials to ensure I don't have to retake this sucker.
	CNA Mentoring Made Easy: Everything You Need to Run a Successful Peer Mentoring Program (Pretest Clinical Vignettes for USMLE Step 2)
	By: Karl Pillemer, Rhoda Meador, Richard Hoffman, Martin Schumacher ISBN: 0965362957 Publisher: CENGAGE Delmar Learning Release Date: January, 2001 Bioscience book rank: 703200
	USMLE Road Map: Pharmacology
	By: Bertram G. Katzung, Anthony J. Trevor ISBN: 0071399305 Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Appleton & Lange Release Date: 25 March, 2003 Bioscience book rank: 612100	This is a great little rview for the Boards- its more detailed than the First Aid but a lot shorter than the Kaplan Pharm Review Book. You would notice that these are the same authors from the major pharm books that are out there. I am a fan of Trevor's teaching techniques so if you are familiar with his style than this is a great addition. However, this is not a book you want if you are starting out trying to learn pharm- in that sense you want the details that are required for you in medical classes- I would go with Lippincott. if you already have katzung, there's no need for this book. sure you can use it for the shelves but first aid and the high yield drugs in the back of katzung is much better alternative. But if u can do all three, good.For the step 1 first aid is more than adequate,i used first aid for the boards after i found out that katzung was too detailed. i ended up with a score of 229/95. WOW.. this is definately one of the best books I have seen to review pharmacology. I have already tried a mock USMLE test and found that I was lacking in the pharmacology section , and went to study from the major LANGE text , and covered the hypertension drugs in five really long chapters, then I read the same drugs from this book, and I pretty much got the same amount of info. This book is not a referrance to study from , but it absolutely the best memory jogger I have seen yet for this subject. It is clear , well edited , pointing out the important things you need to keep in mind, and is nice and thin so that it could be used to cram from only a few days before the exam. Those of you considering sitting the step 1 exam, trust me you will need this book, it will save you a lot of work, reading , and anxiety !
	NMS Review for the USMLE Clinical Skills Exam (National Medical Series for Independent Study)
	By: Erich A Arias, Nelly Amador ISBN: 0781766931 Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Release Date: 01 January, 2007 Bioscience book rank: 702742
	Prescription for the Boards, USMLE Step 2
	By: Kate C Feibusch ISBN: 0781734002 Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Release Date: 01 August, 2002 Bioscience book rank: 599157	I found this to be a very good review book. I used a lot of different books in studying for step 1 and step 2. This book reads quickly. It is well organized and presents information in a different format than in First Aid. If you really know your stuff, you could use this as a sole resource in studying for the test. I used this in conjunction with blueprints, boards and wards, and First Aid for step 2. Scored over 250 on all 3 steps. <br /> <br />I think you could probably study this book + First Aid and work some kaplan q-bank questions and do very very well. The book has all essential facts that you should know to proceed further. If you did poorly in school, get this book to get back on the track. Easy to read, a starting point. I bought this book early in the year hoping to use it over the course of several months as a very basic review. With Step 2 only 2 months away I've finally decided to cut my losses and get Crush the Boards. Pharmacology is particularly weak, the text is too basic and too much space and energy is wasted on their little icons for diagnostics, prevention, etc. If you're only going to buy one book, this is not it.
	Survival Guide to the USMLE Step 2-CS
	By: Vivek Subbiah, Rishi Sharma ISBN: 032303585X Publisher: Mosby Release Date: 01 February, 2005 Bioscience book rank: 761876	I bought this book in our local medical book store and began to casually read it. The Introduction part before the cases where they prepare you for the exam is simply great! It gives inside info on all stuff going on. It is also easily readable and styled in a funny style. The authors have been ver careful in changing names of actors!!. The 100 cases presented in the book are complete. It would be even better if they have a link to the book online especially for the practice tests.