Customer Reviews

CS Checklists: Portable Review for the USMLE Step 2 CS (Clinical Skills Exam)

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

 

 

This book was utterly useless and infact misleading in many ways. I was initially misled by the cover which has the same color coordination as the highly successful (and very helpful) First Aid for Step 2 CS.

Then there are errors in this book which could lead to failure if you follow them, for example:
"Name and address of the patient is important for every patient" The name is provided and you will just fluster the poor actors and yourself if you ask them for their home address.

Clearly this book was written by someone who has no experiance whatsoever with the real step 2 CS.

I did pass my Step CS but because of the first aid for step 2 CS. I never write reviews but I felt that after being duped I had to warn others about this book.

Started out with this book, since it was small, portable, and I borrowed a copy for free. A week before the exam I gave in and spent $45 on First Aid instead, which actually told me what I needed to know for the exam. I agree with everything in the previous review: the color scheme is misleading, and the lists of questions and physical exam steps are overly detailed and incorrect. The differentials are mostly correct but sometimes incomplete. In the earlier edition that I used, the follow-up list included such items as medications, referrals, etc. which are not supposed to be listed on the real Step 2 CS. I would not recommend buying this book.

This book is not the same or a smaller version of the large First aid.
This book was weirdly written and not helpful. Waste of trees.

This is good for last minute reviews. Good for coming up with differentials and for diagnostic tests. Has treatment plans and referral suggestions, although these are not part of the CS. Not much information on how to handle patients, such as what to do when a patient asks you about insurance, about wanting to leave, about angry patients and how to deliver bad news - but that is not too hard to deal with. Liked it, overall.

Would be more helpful if organized by Chief Complaint. Also- lists for workup are not accurate according to rules and regulations of the CS exam. Counseling, referrals, trials of meds, etc are part of the encounter itself. Only forbidden parts of the exam, lab tests, diagnostic tests are allowed in the workup. It is time for a new, updated edition.

This is a book for someone who wants to waste his money
I wish I had donated the money

I'm an IMG studying for Step 2 CS, I took it once-flunked it because I didn't take the test seriously enough. I bought this book because I thought it was of the same quality as the First Aid books, it is not. The checklists, while helpful if you're totally lost, are unrealistic in content [e.g. they suggest you should get the full Name and Address of your pt?]. I read it once, looked through others and decided I'd wasted enough time on this and moved on to something more relevant. Avoid making the same mistake I did and stick to studying from First Aid

checklists are good.
Rest is better in other books..
Serves for on the go reading...

I went to St. George's University and had Dr. Rooney as a tutor. She is a very capable and down to earth person, and this book goes stepo by step from interview to diagnoses with lots of great tips. Thanks!