Customer Reviews

Kaplan Medical USMLE Step 2 CS: Complex Cases: 35 Cases You Are Likely to See on the Exam (Kaplan USMLE)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Length:: 2:01 Mins

This book is a good insurance policy for Step 2CS.

If you're an American med student, you probably have been through the ringer already: multiple OSCE's and clinical exams. However, you still probably need to brush up on some things.

If you're an IMG, this book is outstanding. It really coaches you on the best phraseology to use around your standardized patients and provides some great tips on exam strategy.

Overall, the book is pretty good. It's a little less useful for AMG's, but it's a decent review for everyone.

what I liked about the book is , it didn't waste my time reading irrelevant information about what's the test or how it is projected (I beleive all Med. graduates and USMLE students know pretty much enough about the system).. this book just gave a very breif right on the money good information about the test then stroke towards the most often tested cases .

This is the best book I used for my preparation to Step 2 CS. I was quite nervous and read all books available for it. It helped me pass this exam without any sweat. FA for CS and Complex cases will cover 99.9% of cases offered on this examination. There is absolutely no need to go for Kaplan, Swartz or any other classes (which flourish on suckers). UsmleWorld is useless in my opinion since it contained cases similar to FA at an additional premium.
In short: all materials have to be used with dedicated partner. If your English is bad, try reading common statements out loud and recording your voice for review. Follow outlined mnemonics and you will pass!

I've flunked the CS once, so I know what is and what is not required to pass. The first time I took it I didn't take the test seriously enough, I skimmed First Aid a week before and memorized the differentials and the general structure. That wasn't enough. I flunked in the CIS parts- the parts that stress the concierge aspect of the test [e.g. asking permission to examine a pt, asking if the light is too much for their eyes in a meningitis case, asking if they need a tissue if they are crying] so I bought this book due to the good reviews and I was not disappointed. Well thought out, well laid out plan to tackle the 15 minute exam, the cases are diverse and come with extensive explanations and discussion. I highly recommend this book. If you want to be more thorough I'd recommend you pair this with First Aid the latest edition and use their practice cases and especially minicases to sharpen yourself before the test. I take it again in a month, wish me luck!

Having read both Kaplan and FA, I'd say this book was not of great help for preparation.
First of all, the cases were presented in narrative format, which made it extremely difficult to practice with a study partner! On the contrary, in FA, the cases were written in a Q&A template, giving the "patient" a nice overview of his/her role within minutes. Moreover, the differential diagnosis section in the form of flashcards did not help at all. The hints for the differentials were too vague, not providing the appropriate guidance needed to narrow down to RELEVANT diagnoses.
Additionally, many cases were way too complex and distractive, far from what I encountered in the actual exam...
The only part I liked in this book was the first section (the basics). Memorizing some Q, clarifying some details and reading how to organize the PE per system, made me more confident about Hx&PE.
If anything, I would suggest reading only Section I from this book and everything else from FA...

The other review sources for the USMLE Step 2 CS were very broad and there is not always adequate explanation. Basically the concept I took from the other review books I have looked at was that you are just supposed to memorize the way they do it and regurgitate it back on the exam. This book actually explains everything in detail, and tells what and why the graders of this test are looking for. It also goes in to much more detail of the required physical exam needed for the exam- because we all know how to do a physical, but we don't know the exact way the graders of the exam want us to perform each physical exam manuver. Also, the notecards that come with this book are great, so that when you get the general complaint from the door you can quickly recall atleast some differential diagnoses that will get you started.

I read through three books before my CS exam: Kaplan Complex Cases (KCC), Kaplan Clinical Skills (KCS), and First Aid for Step 2 CS (FA). By far, this book (KCC) is the best out of the three of them. I had several cases on my real test that were very similar to the cases in this book.

The introduction part of all three books is more or less comparable, but I really liked how KCC goes through mnemonics for the history and reviews each physical exam by system, step by step. It made me feel very comfortable and well-prepared for the exam just from reading that 80 pages. The KCS book's introduction had the same kind of review as well, and it also had some practice exercises in it that you could do, but those probably aren't necessary for an American student. The FA book had no mnemonics, and the new edition has this travel section that I didn't find at all helpful. I thought FA's introduction was the least helpful.

After the introduction section, all three books then have a series of cases. Both KCS and FA have blank pages in each case where you can write a practice note and then read the authors' notes to compare them to your own. Again, writing all those practice notes is probably overkill for an American student. What is nice about KCC is that instead of giving you space to write all these practice notes, the authors go through each case step by step, and explain the logic behind each part of the history, physical, and note. They kind of do that a little in the other two books also, but the case explanation is more thorough and just organized better in KCC.

At the end of KCC, there is a series of flash cards with differentials on them that you can tear out of your book if you want to drill with them. I didn't feel they were necessary and didn't use them, but some people might find them helpful.

Finally, the Kaplan books are like half the price of FA. I don't know why FA is so expensive, but it's pretty ridiculous to waste your money on that book when the KCC book is so much better anyway. If I could do it all over again, I would only buy KCC and not even bother to read either of the others.

As an IMG, it was very important for me to study well for the CS. All of my upperclassmen had told me to memorize First Aid for the CS and I'd be good to go. The problem was, when I cracked open that book, it was really cut and dry without much explanation. That's probably suitable for US MDs, but if you are used to clinical work in another country, you need a little guidance to help prepare you for the protocols in America.

Distraught, I turned to various forums online for recommendations. Someone told me to try this Kaplan book, so I gave it a shot. Best $25 you can spend for your USMLE prep! Not only were the cases more accurate to the ones you see on test day (due to a more recent edition than First Aid), this book really made sure to explain the small details that are overlooked in FA. This book does a great job of presenting a thorough protocol to follow, which is especially important if you are used to histories and physical exams in a foreign system.

I passed CS with high "bars", and I only studied this book (with a bit of practice with family members). Great book!

This book is much better compare to Kaplan Step 2 CS regular book. Would recommend to start on this book first.

Th delivery was fast. Book was new as promised. The content is very good and explains well what to expect on exam day and how to build your strategy with different cases. Well explained physical exam and patient notes part. A necessary book!