USMLE Step3, USMLE Help Step 3 CCS, Paetzel; M & Talanow; R, 2007

USMLE Step3, USMLE Help Step 3 CCS, Paetzel; M & Talanow; R, 2007

Spiral-bound: 420 pages
Publisher: EduRad Publishing; 1st edition (April 20, 2007)
Language: English

I highly recommend this book for all those who are studying for the boards, in internship, IM or FM residency, or for those who want to brush up on their "most common complaints." It's unique way of "withholding" the diagnosis until the end of the case makes this book a class above the rest. USMLE-used lab values (with SI reference intervals) are in the back of the book - also a tool which is excellent for use in a clinical, everyday setting. The index lists the diagnoses, and the table of contents lists the chief complaints, which offers the user in both studying and in clinical life a quick way of finding the case he/she would like to review. The authors remind those who study for the exam to take a break, and also offer a well thought-out guide on how to go about the CCS part of the USMLE Step 3 examination.
In their foreword, the authors explain that this book is not an exam-simulation, but rather it is geared to get you thinking as to how to approach a case. They also explain that the book is not intended to replace your trusted textbook of internal medicine, and they are correct.
In my opinion, however, this book does more than gears the reader for an exam: It gears the reader to correctly diagnose and treat patients presenting with the most common chief complaints.