16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
DSM Rehash, January 28, 2006
This review is from: Blueprints Psychiatry (Blueprints Series) (Paperback)
After hearing several positive things about Blueprints Psychiatry, I decided to go to the store and buy it. Didn't want to work too hard, didn't want to look like a total moron. Then I picked it up, and I think I've seen bulkier books written by another doctor (Seuss, that is). But brevity isn't necessarily bad, so I checked it out at the library instead and read it in 3 days of semi-hard studying. Yeah... I think should've gone with the other book, Green Eggs and Ham.
The problem with Blueprints is that it largely rehashes DSM-IV guidelines. That's OK, and it's a big part of psych, but you can get that with the Current Clinical guidelines pocketbook. What I was really expecting/wanting was something that (1) had bits of annoying trivia pertinent to the exam (2) more information on psychoactive drugs (3) described in more detail patient presentations and (4) discussed how other medical diseases could present like psych disorders. Blueprints skims these issues.
I would buy First Aid for the Psych Clerkship instead. It's a quick read as well but provides more info. I had a good score on the psych shelf, and I think switching primary sources had a great deal to do with it. If you like the Blueprints series, just check it out or borrow it from a friend. Blueprints Q&A, though, is an excellent question resource.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best psychiatry review for USMLE step 2, March 31, 2000
This book is concise and easy to read to cover psychiatry for USMLE step 2. The description of each topics are straight to the point, and focusing on the details that appear in the exam. The biggest weak point of this book is that it lacks clinical viganettes, so it can be hard for you to get the image of each disorders. So if you can get one of those clinical viganette books, that will be perfect. Additionally, they are missing some important topics, such as sleeping disorders, but still, this is the best available at this point.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent review for wards and Step 2, January 23, 2001
This book helped me do quite well on Step 2. It is both concise and relevant. It covers the essentials with review-level depth; if you're looking for a core textbook, this ain't it. Its only drawback is the price per page ratio.
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