I sent this list to the rising third years at my school:
Overall- I highly recommend purchasing a step 2 question bank for review for each NBME shelf exam. Personally, I used USMLEWORLD and thought that the questions were very high yield. Ditto on Kaplan Step 2 CK book. Boards and Wards was a pretty decent overall resource.
Internal Medicine-Peds
Step Up Medicine- a class favorite. Personally, I did not like the format and thought it was too dense for every day use.
First Aid Medicine- not as comprehensive as Step Up but a good review
Case Files Medicine- perfect pocketsize for downtime and can be used one case at a time.
Case Files Peds- perfect pocketsize for downtime
Blueprints Peds- A must have. If you can only afford one peds book, make this the one.
Blueprints Medicine- not as useful as Step Up or First Aid IMHO.
Pretest Medicine- good questions but not as useful as others in the pretest series.
Pretest Peds- excellent questions, pretty high yield for the shelf exam.
Nelsons Peds- great reference but I do not know anyone who had time to use it.
Cecils Medicine- great reference but I do not know anyone who had time to use it.
Ferris Guide to Caring for the Medical Patient- excellent resource for the wards. I preferred Ferris to Pocket Medicine.
Pocket Medicine- excellent resource for the wards.
MKSAP-3- questionbook used by many to study for the shelf- retired questions. People had different reactions to this resource (some swear by it but personally I did not find it useful)
Pediatrics Recall- very helpful
Pediatrics Devareview- very helpful
Peds Secrets- Very useful.
Secrets by organ system and discipline (i.e., Nephrology, neurology, cards secrets etc)- very helpful if you have the time to read them.
Ambulatory/Family Med
Case Files Family- a good resource for ambulatory med
Case Files Peds- see above
Blueprints OB/GYN- essential for GYN portion of the course
Blueprints Peds- see above
Swansons Family Practice- decent question book with some sections harder than other.
Essentials of Family Medicine text- not worth the $$$
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Medicine Manual by O. John Ma- outstanding.
Tarascon EM- very helpful
Case Files EM- good read
Big Tintinalli- fantastic reference but too dense to use for day-to-day readings.
Pocket Emergency Medicine- very helpful
Neuropsych
Blueprints Neuro- essential
First Aid Psych- essential
Blueprints Psych- decent resource
Case Files Neuro- good read, more indepth than other sources
Case Files Psych- good read.
First Exposure Neuro- dont waste your time.
Tombs- excellent reference for wards
DSM-IV TR pocketbook- expensive but useful. You need to review the DSM-IV criteria for the shelf so find one resource that has it,
Surgery
Lawrences Essentials of Surgery- essential for the questionbank
Appleton & Lange Surgery- helpful question book.
Case Files- good resource
NMS- extremely dense but good review
Surgery recall- essential for wards
Advanced surgery recall- for surgical subspecialties- good reference
Maternal Newborn (OB/GYN)
Beckmann textbook- worthwhile investment
Blueprints Ob/Gyn- as above
Case Files Ob/Gyn- good read but Blueprints is better.
Good luck to all the rising third years out there.