Underground Clinical Vignettes Step 2: Psychiatry by Sandra I Kim, Todd A Swanson, Jason P Caplan

From the Publisher

Completely revised by new authors, this Fourth Edition presents 80 patient cases designed specifically to prepare students for clinical vignettes on the USMLE Step 2. Each case proceeds from chief complaint through diagnostic workup and treatment and includes buzzwords in history taking, physical examination, laboratory tests, imaging, and pathology. This edition's cases give greater emphasis to pathogenesis, epidemiology, differential diagnosis, management, and complications and include radiologic images, photographs, tables, and algorithms. A new two-page format encourages students to read the case presentation and formulate an initial diagnosis before turning the page for the answer. The book ends with twenty all-new board-format questions and answers.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:William Miles, MD (Rush University Medical Center)
Description:This small book consists of a series of psychiatry-based clinical vignettes for medical students studying for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2. The previous edition was published in 2005.
Purpose:The purpose is to prepare medical students for examinations in psychiatry, particularly the USMLE Step 2 examination.
Audience:Although written for medical students studying for the exam, medical students on their core psychiatry clerkship might also find it helpful as a review.
Features:The book is composed mainly of 80 psychiatry-based clinical vignettes presented in a two-page format, with the typical medical case presentation (chief complaint, history of present illness, etc.) on one page, and the answer/explanation on the following page, forcing students to turn the page to see the answer and accompanying explanation. A wide variety of psychiatry-related topics are presented and discussed. In the front of the book is a helpful glossary of abbreviations and at the back are 20 USMLE-style questions, complete with answers and explanations. Several black-and-white illustrations/photographs appear throughout. The book also has a brief reference list and index.
Assessment:There are numerous review books of this type for medical students studying for the USMLE examinations, and this is a worthwhile contribution. This new edition is particularly well organized, with the two-page format forcing students to consider the answer before turning the page. I wish there had been a few more photographs/illustrations aswell as more USMLE-style questions, but, overall, medical students should find this a helpful study guide.

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