Board review books that use systems?

[H0mersimps0n]

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Can anyone suggest a board review series that goes by systems. Honestly I haven't seen that many to know if they're all like that or what but I was thinking that since we're starting our first system next week, I'd do a little follow-along in a board review book and hopefully next year when it's time to hit the board review books (and the class notes?) there will be at least two pieces of material I can use for recognition memory.

NOTE: this does not mean I will be hardcore board studying already, I simply would like to use it as an adjunct to learning it the first time then hardcore it later.

 

[ckent]

Step Up for the USMLE step I should be your primary resource if you are interested in studying in a systems strategy. I'd still reccomend purchisng first aid to go over a few subject blocks even if you choose to focus on systems though.

 

[texdrake]

Step-Up is systems based.

Personally I don't see the need for 2 review books if you are taking a review course as well.

I use:

Step Up
Step Up to the bedside
Kaplan Review Books
Micro made rediculously simple

oh and I ten to read stuff I find interesting out of Harrisons as well.

If you don't have a review series I would recommend First Aid and Step-Up. First Aid is less consise but a little more readable. Its a preference thing.

Personally I like that you can follow step up while you are doing a system, and it gives you the nuts and bolts so you know you aren't forgetting stuff. That being said, I only started doing that this month. But has worked very well.

 

[H0mersimps0n]

Step Up sounds like it's USMLE based? Will that be ok for the COMLEX too?

Give a little get a little I guess.

Thanks!

 

[Gibby Haynes]

Originally posted by H0mersimps0n
Step Up sounds like it's USMLE based? Will that be ok for the COMLEX too?

Give a little get a little I guess.

Thanks!

Unfortunately, I have not seen any review book that I would consider specific for the comlex. Step up and first aid are designed for taking the usmle so they primarily focus on the basic sciences. The comlex is more clinically based. I would suggest downloading the sample questions from the NBOME website to get a feel for the types of questions they ask. I believe the usmle also offers sample questions (for a fee I think). Compare them and see what you think. I basically studied the same for both, with the exception of OMM, and I did fine on both exams.
If you have access to the kaplan Q-bank, take advantage of it. This is a great resource, but its geared toward the usmle (or so it was when I took it).

 

[texdrake]

1. Kaplan now has a Q-Bank for Comlex

2. Their are no COMLEX based review books except those provided with the Kaplan course, but their probably isn't a big need. The COMLEX is more clinical based but it still tests the same info (plus OMM) so as long as you cover your OMM studying elsewhere you should be fine.

3. I recommend the Step Up to the Bedside as it has clinical vingettess. Another good book is "Problem Solving in Clinical Medicine" by Paul Cutler, M.D. - The book has tons of clincal case presentations by system and also goes the extra mile to explain why you would order tests, what tests to order, what the results mean... It is really a very underused source that a professor turned me and a couple other student on to. I hadn't used it until about a month ago and now find it indespensable.

 

[H0mersimps0n]

I checked out the Step-Up books and the one's they had in our bookstore didn't have DERM.

There was, however, a PRINCETON REVIEW 9000 page book that did have DERM. I flipped through it and it was ok but didn't look spectatular.

Should I just get both? Many of the review series that go by systems don't have DERM.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Anyone ever use the Princeton review mammoth?

 

[dredd]

derm is low yield on the USMLE's. I don't think that I had any derm questions on any of steps. First Aid for step II has a little bit of derm in it, I don't remember if step I did. If First aid for step I doesn't, I'd just ignore it. Most of your derm questions are in the format of identifying other diseases with classic dermatologic presenations. There are only a few primary derm diseases that you need to know, so I certainly wouldn't read 900 some pages on it for step I or II purposes.