Customer Reviews

Pretest Medicine: Pretest Self-Assessment and Review

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The answers to the questions are the strength of this book. The questions themselves are much less clinical than the scenarios seen in MKSAP or Case Files. Overall, the book is closer to Step 1 prep than Shelf or Step 2. With the IM Shelf being one of the most difficult to finish in the alloted time, practice with clinical vignettes--as opposed to matching and 2 line scenarios--is more realistic and high yield. Buy MKSAP and Case Files instead.

Although I generally tend to like the PreTest series, the questions in this book are not challenging enough to prepare you for either the internal medicine shelf exam or the USMLE Step 2 exam. It does fit in a lab coat pocket, though. Although it's not enough to ace the internal medicine shelf, I would recommend the Case Files series Internal Medicine text.

I found this book useful. It contains around 400 MCQs (choose-the-best-answer format), including matching questions. At the end of each chapter is corresponding answers, a reference to the text where you can find the background of the answer, and a short discussion of various issues raised by the question.

Most of the questions are based on case scenarios. In addition, many questions are accompanied by x-rays, diagrams, and ECG.

Chapters include: Allergy & Immunology, Infectious Disease, Rheumatology, Pulmonary Medicine, Cardiology, Endocrinology & Metabolic Disease, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Hematology & Oncology, Neurology, Dermatology, Prevention & other Topics.