Step-Up to Surgery (Step-Up Series) [Paperback]

David W. McFadden (Author), Stanley Zaslau (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1605473936 | ISBN-13: 978-1605473932 | Publication Date: June 27, 2008 | Edition: 1

This new addition to the Step-Up Series is a high-yield study aid for surgery clerkships and USMLE Step 2 and an excellent reference for common questions arising during rotations or in the operating room. The book covers all the major topics on the surgery rotation and additional high-yield topics for USMLE Step 2. The user-friendly, highly visual format features over 150 illustrations and numerous tables. "Quick Hit" margin notes highlight important facts likely to be tested. Over 120 "Next Step Questions" and "Shelf Questions" provide excellent opportunity for review.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1 edition (June 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1605473936
• ISBN-13: 978-1605473932
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #240,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Comparative review of 'NMS surgery', 'First Aid for the Surgery Clerkship', 'Blueprints Surgery', and 'Step-Up to Surgery', June 26, 2008

By 

p53 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Step-Up to Surgery (Step-Up Series) (Paperback)

All these reviews of surgery have chapters for general surgery, as well as for surgical subspecialties.

'NMS surgery', 5th edition (2007), is almost word-by-word reprint of the 4th edition (2000) - only first chapter, 'surgical physiology', was substantially updated; all other chapters are completely untouched and all the illustrations are exactly the same; these illustrations are of average quality. So, if you have 4th edition of this book, don't bother to buy the new one. This book is too detailed for clerkship, and even more so - for the USMLE Step 2 CK; still, it's strange that it lacks some key topics - for example, there is nothing about the appendicitis! On the positive side, presented chapters are decent and give you a solid knowledge about the subject. This book also contains many case-based MCQs, but they are too short.

'First Aid for the Surgery Clerkship' (2003) is almost as detailed as 'NMS Surgery', but it's easier to read. It's strange, why they made this book so thick, when 'First Aid for the Medicine Clerkship' is so thin - internal medicine is much more important subject for the medical students than surgery. The amount of details makes 'First Aid for the Surgery Clerkship' the great resource for clerkship, but it may be too much for the USMLE Step 2 CK. The outside margins contain mnemonics and exam tips, ward tips, and OR tips, which are very helpful; still, this book could be improved by adding more 'patient typical scenarios' - 'First Aid for Clerkship' series do not contain MCQs, so this may be a great substitution for them. There are also many radiologic images in this book, which are more important for the USMLE Step 2 CK, than the illustrations of anatomy and surgical operations. On the negative side, this 1st edition has many glaring typos - for example, colorectal cancer staging is in the chapter for stomach (p.206) - this should be improved for the 2nd edition (2009).

5th edition (2009) of 'Blueprints Surgery' is much more expanded and improved than the previous edition of this title - it's more concise than previous two books, and easier to read, so it may be more suitable for the medical students who need time-efficient review. I think it contains appropriate amount of details for the USMLE Step 2 CK, but it may not be enough for clerkship. This edition is also very well illustrated. At the same time, its focus is wrong for shelf exam and for the USMLE Step 2 CK (anatomy and surgical operations instead of the diagnostic approach and the patient management). At the end there is a Q & A section with 100 case based MCQs.

'Step-Up to Surgery' - sadly, this title is completely not up to par with 'Step-Up to Medicine'. It's dry monotonous style is difficult to read and memorize; besides, it badly lacks the depth and details you really need to know for clerkship, as well as for the USMLE Step 2 CK; Illustrations are also very scanty and they mostly depict anatomy and surgical operations instead of radiology. This book has two appendices: 'Next Step Questions' and 'Shelf Questions'. The first one is case-based, though - not in the boards-format. The second one does contain MCQs, but many of them aren't case-based; both this sections are too brief.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars POS, August 2, 2008

By 

Silverback - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Step-Up to Surgery (Step-Up Series) (Paperback)

I heard step up to medicine is a great book, so I bought this. Too bad I did. I am on page 3 and have already found 4 errors

1. the 4 in the 4/2/1 rule is truly for mL, not L.
2. 4/2/1 is for hourly drip, which is not stated, and the rule is lumped with a daily fluid needs paragraph.
3. It is stated the the rule of thumb is 30ml/kg/hr AND 30 ml/kg/day. Which is it?
4. pg1. The calculation for intravascular volume is wrong ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN NOTES. If total body water is .6 of body weight, and extracellular volume is .4 of that, and intravascular is .25 of that, the correct calculation is 70kg*.6*.4*.25. They left the .6 out. So either their math is wrong or their notes are wrong.

not only that but the explanations are terrible, for example the one for paradoxic aciduria during a hypokalemic hyponatremia.

I am learning a lot by proofing it though.