Customer Reviews

Blueprints Computer-Based Case Simulation Review: USMLE Step 3 (Blueprints Series)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I don't know what test one of the other reviewers was taking, but this book was very helpful in preparing for the CCS portion of the USMLE Step 3 exam. More important than giving you a set of cases to memorize, the book teaches you a logical and easy-to-remember approach to the cases. If you use the book properly (and don't just read the cases but actually WORK THROUGH them step-by-step using the approach taught in this book), you'll find that you'll be able to figure out any case thrown at you during the exam without losing your wits or your cool. Because NO ONE can anticipate EVERY possible case out there and memorize it. BUT you can learn an approach that will help you get most of the points for working through a case -- which is what the exam is testing -- and most likely lead to the correct diagnosis, too.

In addition, the book gives you tips for managing the clock during cases (VERY important) and a list of commonly overlooked orders, which helps give you valuable points on the exam. There is also a section that talks about cases you are likely to see or NOT see on the exam, so you can focus your study onto high-yield topics. An appendix gives a short list of other online cases.

There are only fifteen cases in this book, but the explanations for each case are detailed. After reading this book, I reviewed the 100 cases in First Aid for Step 3. The additional 100 cases helped me practice my approach even more and gave me common cases to memorize for the exam. (You need to use this book before First Aid because the explanations in First Aid are very minimal.) After doing both of these things, along with going over the official Step 3 CD, I felt very prepared for the CCS part of the exam and actually thought it was the easiest part, unlike some of my peers who only used texts like Crush Step 3. I think the big difference was Crush Step 3 and similar books only focused on facts to memorize (more important for the first day of the exam). I can state for a fact that there were cases on my exam that were in NO review book, BUT I was able to stay calm and work through them efficiently and effectively using the strategies I learned in this book.

This book will help you pass the comp. sim. part of step 3. Some of my cases came straight out of this book. It also shows you how to score brownie pts. ie..educating your patient. Dont follow the suggestions for how toggle between screens or how to write in your answers- just follow the cases and get the practice disk from usmle step 3 website. You will not be disappointed with this book..It is all I used for the cases and was ready to rock and roll.

Not only is this book concise and affordable, but it is also extremely helpful. I am writing this review after having taken step 3 and I can say that the content is a good reflection of the test. Good luck!

This book was ok to give you a guideline on the algorithm of this test, if you can wing it from there and doing an IM residency you'll be fine, but if you are in path or derm or psych, anesthesia etc. and out of the bread and butter of internal medicine then subscribe to an interactive bank.. Even though I did a hundred cases, I was so ill prepared for the exam day CCS, they were just horrid.. you can order the million dollar workup and still not have a diagnosis, I had a patient who kept complaining of sx completely unrelated to her other findings and I have wracked my brain tying to see a correlation between the two, and the case ended before I could complete her care or figure out the diagnosis even if you start with a few differentials and the tests won't confirm your suspicions.. I don't know about other people's experience with step III but I walked out feeling like crap.. this book was an easy introduction and I recommend it for that just as an outline before you really hit the hard cases, as well trying the USMLE CD that they send out or is on the website just to get a feel of the software.. I can't say that I have found anything as realistic by way of practice to the actual test but a few Question banks out there offer a broad range that might better prepare you..good to know just the basic workup for most pts. that come in but my experience is that they weren't helpful on a few cases and after introducing invasive procedures to the mix I wonder if it actually subtracts points and nullifies any previous positive effort..

good luck

What a great addition to the Blue Prints series. This tiny book teaches you step by step how to "play the game" of the Sim section of Step 3. If you can master this, the sim section will be a breeze...I had no surprises the day of the exam, and I thank this book for giving me the tools to crush it.

it is one of nice book for step3 preparation .it really help me lots... i strongly recommended one should go thro this book before step3 exam...

The purpose of this small booklet seems to be an introduction book to the exam takers for the new format of USMLE step 3, the CCS portion. This book is only good for the beginner who does not know the exam at all. This book gives more detail about how to do the CCS than that in the USMLE orientation material and Kaplan review. If you have no idea what CCS is, you may want to read this book. However, the CCS is far more complicated than that this book described. I wish it could give more details in the skills of using the CCS software and more cases for practice.

This small book was the best review for just before Step 3. Other Case reviews are inaccurate on format or included sections... this one is "perfect" for your line of thinking for the exam.

This book was a great benefit and helped to first ease my fears of the CCS exam and second to prepare me for the actual questions. I highly recommend this book and best of luck to you on step 3.

Great case review. Hits the important points very well. A wonderful add on for studying for Step 3.