First Aid Q&A for the USMLE Step 1, Second Edition

 

First Aid Q&A for the USMLE Step 1, Second Edition

ISBN: 0071597948

First Aid™ Q&A for the USMLE Step 1 features 1,000 board-style questions and answers, along with explanations for both correct and incorrect answers. The content is keyed to First Aid for the® USMLE Step 1, allowing you to study high-yield facts and Q&As simultaneously. All questions have been reviewed by students who just aced the exam.

Scource : McGraw-Hill Publishing

Our Review

What else can be saud other than First Aid writes a great series.  This book is no exception from the rest.  This book has extensive patient notes and is organized in an easy to follow format.  No single book will prepare you for the step 1 exam but this is definatly a book to have in your arsenal.  I can honestly say that this book will help you pass the step 1.  The questions are right on the mark.  I compared these to the Kaplan and found them to be just as good. The questions were welll organizes and really helped prepare through great repetition of subject matter.  One reason I liked this prep book was it breaks down questions by organ system, has a large “practice test”, and has some basic science sections too. Its nice because you can review a specific organ system or area and then quiz yourself with questions directed toward that specific area too.

I recommend this book to anyone across the board who needs to prepare for the upcoming step 1 exam.

 

On a scale ogf 1-10. 10 being highest…………………………………………………………………………………………………10

First Aid for the USMLE Step 2 Cinical Knowledge

 

 

First Aid for the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge

ISBN: 0071487956

 

This high-yield guide is designed to prepare students for part two (of four) of the United Stated Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Written by medical students and reviewed by top faculty, this unique book provides practical, tested advice for acing the USMLE Step 2 CK.

Source: McGraw-Hill Publishing

 

Our Review

What else can be saud other than First Aid writes a great series.  This book is no exception from the rest.  This book has extensive patient notes and is organized in an easy to follow format.  No single book will prepare you for the step 2 exam but this is definatly a book to have in your arsenal.  I can honestly say that this book will help you pass the step 2.

I recommend this book to anyone across the board who needs to prepare for the upcoming step 2 exam.

 

On a scale ogf 1-10. 10 being highest…………………………………………………………………………………………………10

First Aid for the® USMLE Step 2 CS: Clinical Skills Exam

 

First Aid for the® USMLE Step 2 CS: Clinical Skills Exam

ISBN: 0071470581

 

 

Our Review

What else can be saud other than First Aid writes a great series.  This book is no exception from the rest.  This book has extensive patient notes and is organized in an easy to follow format.  No single book will prepare you for the step 2 exam but this is definatly a book to have in your arsenal.  I can honestly say that this book will help you pass the step 2.

I recommend this book to anyone across the board who needs to prepare for the upcoming step 2 exam.

 

On a scale ogf 1-10. 10 being highest…………………………………………………………………………………………………10

 

 

First Aid Radiology for the Wards

 

First Aid Radiology for the Wards

ISBN: 0071381015

This survival guide for the radiology wards teaches you how to read and present normal and abnormal x-rays, CTs, and MRIs for the most commonly seen diseases and disorders. You’ll find 150 radiologic images divided by modality, clear guidelines on when to order a specific modality and how to read the results, and illustrations of classic results of important conditions.

Detailed advice from radiology clerkship veterans help you:

• Prepare for and take the test
• Perform a basic study
• Determine if a film is adequate
• Present each study on the ward
• Spot the strengths and weaknesses of studies
• Recognize basic anatomical structures
• Identify abnormal conditions

Source: McGraw-Hill Publishing

Our Review

This book is yet another example of the great information put out by the First Aid Series.  I picked up this book to review some radiology for rotations.  This book has excellent pictures and is very detailed on what to look for as well as how to look for it. 

For the price this book is hard to beat for the amount of information it contains.  Radiology is not the strong point for a lot of people because all the pictures lot alike. I always have a hard time discerning them apart. This book offered me a little more experience and helped me learn enough to make me dangerous.  Not a bad investment.

 

On a scale of 1-10. 10 being best……………………………………………………………………………………………………….8

First Aid for the Basic Sciences Organ Systems

 

First Aid for the Basic Sciences Organ Systems

ISBN: 0071545433

From the authors of First Aid for the® USMLE Step 1comes this comprehenisve summary of essential basic science organ systems covered in the first two years of medical school. It provides the background you need before reviewing for the board and distills important course material down to easily understood parts.

Features:

• Emphasizes the major basic science concepts taught in medical school
• Covers the high-yield topics and facts tested on the USMLE
• Provides a practical framework for learning basic sciences by organ system
• Written by top students who aced their exams and the USMLE
• Organized in the same manor as First Aid for the® USMLE Step 1 to facilitate cross-study
• Packed with hundreds of full-color images and tables
• Great for PBL and integrated curricula

Source: McGraw-Hill Publishing

Our Review

This will be a weird review.  The book it self has a great layout and the pictures and tables are great. The problem is there are a lot of errors.  I googled this book and found these to be true.

” On the minor end of the spectrum, it is stated that mumps orchitis occurs more commonly in boys < 10 y, it is stated that DCML system fibers travel in the ANTERIOR limb of the internal capsule, that trazodone is an antipsychotic, etc. Major errors include the statement that Wernicke’s aphasia patients are typically frustrated (with no mention of frustration in Broca’s aphasia), BPH occurs mostly in the central zone, “Fused lower ends of the mullerian duct forms the uterus, cervix, and upper two-thirds of the vagina,” and (many) more.”

I checked the book and son of a gun he’s right.  I sent an email to the publisher (McGraw-Hill) and asked for a clarification of if they printed the pre-edit copy?  I sent this book back for refund and got it no problem.

I can not speak for later editions, but for right now the errors are evident and I hope that McGraw fixes the issue and not soil the First-Aid reputation.

My advice is for the time being avoid this book. I will update this post when I see that the issues have been corrected or McGraw sends me an email with proof that it has been fixed.

On a scale of 1-10. 10 being best……………………………………………………1

First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2009: A Student to Student Guide

 

First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2009: A Student to Student Guide

ISBN:0071548963

This annually updated collection of the most frequently tested high-yield facts and mnemonics delivers everything you need to pass the most anxiety-provoking exam of your career. Written by students who just passed the boards, this is the undisputed “bible” of USMLE Step 1 preparation — used by more than half-a-million students.

• 1100+ must-know facts and mnemonics organized by organ systems and general principles
• Hundreds of high-yield clinical images you need to know before the exam — including 24 pages of full-color photos
• Rapid review section for last minute cramming
• Ratings of 300+ top products based on the authors’ annual survey of US Medical students
• Updated test-taking advice from USMLE veterans
• Strategies that maximize your study time and deliver real results

Source: McGraw-Hill Publishing

Our Review

I used this series for my step 1 exam and can swear that this is a great resource.  I believe this to be one of the necessities for the preparation of step 1.

The organization of the book allows the reader to study the perticular aspects they may have to concentrate on based on pre-test results.  This is a great time saver.

For all you students planning to take the exam remember this book help you in WHAT and HOW to study not the REASON BEHIND the problem.  You should have a powerful understanding of things before concentrating on what this book can do for you. 

This is not the only book you will need , it is one of many, but used correctly it can save you time on how you look at the exam.

Good luck!

On a scale of 1-10. 10 being best……………………………………………..10

First Aid for the Pediatric Boards

 

 

First Aid for the Pediatric Boards

ISBN: 007142167X

Written by veteran First Aid Editor Tao Le and a team of fellows, residents, and junior faculty from Johns Hopkins, UCSF, Stanford, and Harvard Universities who have just taken the exam, this resource covers what to expect on the exam, how to apply and succeed, and must-know high-yield facts.

Source: Mcgraw-Hill Publishing

Our Review

I have always been a fan of the First-Step line of study-aids but this one was a little disappointing.  There is information there but it just does not seem to be enough.  There is just the feeling of lacking that I am getting from other study aids in this particular subject.

The book is still a great read but you will need additional material to study from.

On a scale of 1-10. 10 being best………………………………………………….7

Lexi-Comp’s Pediatric Dosage Handbook: Including Neonatal Dosing, Drug Administration, & Extemporaneous Preparations

Lexi-Comp’s Pediatric Dosage Handbook: Including Neonatal Dosing, Drug Administration, & Extemporaneous Preparations

ISBN: 1591952395

The pediatric population is a dynamic group, with major changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics taking place throughout infancy and childhood. Because of these vital changes, the need for the evaluation and establishment of medication dosing regimens in children of different ages is great. The Pediatric Dosage Handbook, 15th Edition, continues to be the trusted information resource for medical professionals managing pediatric patients

Source: Lexi-Comp Publishing

Our Review

I originally got this book for pediatric rotations and found it the best reference book on the subject, rather than my other study aids.  On the shelf exam I can credit at least 1 correct answer to this book. (Hey every question counts!)

The only complaint I have is that there is no index by brand name and the drugs are listed by generic, so if you do not know the generic name you are kind of stuck. But all of us med students should know our generics….. …right!. 

Don’t let that fact dissuade you.  I reused this book quite a bit in my pharm rotation.  It was useful, in every sense.   A lot the pharm texts are a little lax on children’s doses, concentrating more on older adults and their complications, so don’t count this book out after peds!.

On a scale of 1-10. 10 being best……………………………………………….9

Pediatric Physical Examination: An Illustrated Handbook

Pediatric Physical Examination: An Illustrated Handbook

ISBN: 0323019048

 

This portable, photographic guide for nurse practitioners describes how to develop the unique range of skills required to assess children of all ages. Not often learned in the context of adult assessment, these skills help in easily and effectively examining children from childbirth through young adulthood. System chapters begin with the development of the fetus and take the reader through the key developmental stages of childhood. For infants and young children, this guide uses the “quiet-to-active” approach, popular among pediatric experts and more effective than the traditional head-to-toe approach. * Over 200 photos and line drawings allow the reader to learn visually. * Uses the quiet-to-active approach to pediatric examination, starting with listening and moving on to touching. * Unique coverage of assessment of the preterm infant. * Environmental Health History chapter covers the assessment of environmental risk factors in children. * Quick-reference text! boxes focus on abnormal conditions. * Information Gathering boxes display questions and data needed from the patient/guardian. * Key Points emphasize developmental and cultural factors in assessing a child. * Charting examples show how to record physical findings in the medical record. * Pediatric Pearls highlight key physical findings and techniques to improve pediatric examinations. * An easy-access two-column style provides concise information.

Source Mosby Publishing

 

Our Review

There are so many things I liked about this book.  Working with kids is more nerve wrecking than with adults because……well their kids.  When I had to exam children you are nervous because the child id nervous and the parent is right behind you breathing on your neck watching every move.

This book is a great study aid to identify and understand what you are expected to do without having to ask stupid questions in front of your attending.  What I really like were the descriptive pictures and explanations on dealing with infants. (Now if only a book on dealing with their parents…..hmmmmm million dollar idea?)

Any way this was a great book.  If you are planning a career in pediatrics it is a must, if you really want to know and understand how to work with kids then you can not go wrong here.

On a scale of 1-10. 10 being best…………………………………………………..10

Pediatrics 2007

  Pediatrics 2007

ISBN: 1929622767

  

This manual is an essential compilation of current therapy in pediatrics for inpatients and outpatients. It is an essential guide for busy pediatricians, family physicians, and students of pediatrics. New treatment guidelines are included.

Spource: Current Clinical Strategies Publishing

 

Our Review

I enjoyed this book and found it to be a descent pocket reference.  Although not one of the mainstream names you would default to it is a very well organized book.

The price is just what I like to see.  I found that I may have actually learned something in this book.  Keep this title in mind, it is right on point with what you need to know.

 

On a scale od 10. 10 being best………………………………………………………9