Step-Up to USMLE Step 3 PDF
12.10 MB PDF
Preface
The U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 3 examination serves as the final hurdle in the transition from medical school to graduate medical education. This test builds on the principles of the Step 1 and Step 2 examinations and places them in a format focused on clinical decision making. The purpose of this test is to determine if the new physician is capable of applying the vast amount of information that he or she has learned from medical school into the treatment of patients. Unlike the prior two components of the USMLE examination, this test not only requires the examinees to recall information that they have learned but also requires them to be able to apply this basic knowledge to realistic clinical scenarios and to make the appropriate decisions based on their knowledge. Also unlike the previous USMLE tests, the Step 3 examination is taken following graduation from medical school and typically during the intern year of residency. This schedule can make preparation for the examination fairly difficult. Unlike during medical school, it is difficult or nearly impossible to block off large amounts of time to study for the test. Test takers must rely on their knowledge gained from the experiences of their intern year, supplemented by a concise, yet high-yield, review of testable information.
Step-Up to USMLE Step 3 has been designed with both the test and the test taker in mind to provide a high-yield review for the USMLE Step 3 examination. Because of the emphasis on patient management in the examination, this book has been designed to provide a realistic clinical scenario for the many tested diagnoses. The organization of this book is unlike other reviews for the USMLE Step 3 in that nearly all of the information is presented in a case-based format. Each case consists of an extensive history and physical for a presenting patient, multiple diagnostic studies performed during the work-up, the diagnosis made due to this work-up, the treatment administered, and the follow-up of the patient following therapy. Following each case, each of the most likely conditions in the differential diagnosis is reviewed, and the reason why each diagnosis is correct or incorrect is explained. This type of review is a better reproduction of the thought processes of the new resident physician than a simple iteration of facts. It seeks to reproduce the clinical decisions that a resident physician is required to make on a daily basis. In addition, the limited amount of time available for test preparation has been considered during the writing of this book. The reviews of each diagnosis are concise and designed to include only the high-yield information that is vital on test day. It is not intended to be a self-assessment of testable information, but rather a presentation of how certain conditions may present and how they are appropriately managed.
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