Transcriptio
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i have one set of blueprints case series along with another set of case files.. i'm just wondering if anyone has used them b4 and found them significant in preparing for step2ck.
thanks for your valuable inputs..
greatly appreciate it
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| claudia_i
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I use blueprints neurology cases and like it. The others didn't seem very interesting to me. GL with your exams.
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| Transcriptio
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claudia,
thanks, what r the primary resources u use other than blueprints and kaplan?
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| Shakeels
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Hi, I was in confuse state like you, whether to do kaplan or blueprints, then I saw in the FIRST AID 5th edition (NEW), that those BLUEPRINTS are graded as A-, highest in the subjects PED, PSY and OB/GYN. Even SURGERY its B+ highest amoung all the material in surgery. BLUEPRINTS is not good in IM, for IM they gave highest grade to HY IM (A-).
Well, as I'm in US, I can't have KAPLAN notes for cheap, and I have to buy, either old edition from ebay, or buy new edition for about 400$. Even its not complete in some aspects for step 2ck, but yet the good source from the opinion of most of the people from every where.
I decided to go for BLUEPRINTS series, then I added UCV new edition 3rd(A- FA except for IM), and then I added usmle step 2 secrets 2nd edition (A- FA), and then I added BLUE PRINTS clinical cases for IM (A- FA), bcz I told you that USV IM is not good, thats Y I bought BP clinical cases for that and then I added HY IM which has highest grade in FA. It all cost me about 378$ as whole, as compare to 450$ only for KAPLAN NOTES.
I also want to inform you that, in First Aid, they don't have any comments on KAPLAN notes, as they gave comments and feed backs in their usmle step 1. I don't know why, I have emailed them already for 10 days, usually they reply with in one day or two, but now I haven't recieve any reply from them.
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| claudia_i
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Hi Transcriptio, kind of late answer but I have my CS in 2 days and I've been preparing. I read PreTest question after each chapter to see how well I memorize the material. I only use blueprints if therse is something I'm not comfortable with. Also I keep Cecil's Essentials of Medicine handy as a reference book, I glance at it once in while.
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| rami_v
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Honestly, from my friends I do not think that Blueprints is enough. The topics are not very deeply covered, and the test is getting harder. People used to say that once you passed Step 1, Step 2 was nothing. That's not true any more.
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| Shakeels
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well, yes BP is not enough for all the subjects, e.g Medicine, its not good in BP, I decided to go with HY IM, and people like it, even the guy who did from KAPLAN IM, liked it. Surgery, its also not complete, but if you add KAPLAN then it will be good. And rest of its good in BP, I would say more then enough. Actually I read exam experience here, and more then 10 people used, and they git very good scores, like above 90, and they never touched KAPLAN. Thats why I decided to go with BP, before that I saw in FA for usmle step 2ck, and BP is rated good A- in all except IM, and Surgery.
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| Transcriptio
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To Claudia: thank you for your feedback. Wish u pass your step 2 cs with flying color.. how about sharing your step 2cs experience with us if u have time?
To Shakeels: thank you for information. can u tell me what rank the first aid 5th edition gives to case files series of different subject? i.e case file pediatrics, case file im, case file sugery and so on.
i agree with Shakeels. I have done reading both BP and kaplan and find them really great. kaplan itself hardly has any figures/tables while BP has lots tables n figures to reinforce memory cram. BP IM is great too although it doesn't give too much information but it presents symptoms on a 'broad' perspective and doesn't let the reader end up looking at details like blueprints pediatrics does. as for BP ob&gyn, i personally feel that ob section is too much information and i lost myself while reading it but gyn section is superior!! bp surgery is short but helps draw out some key surgical procedures that kaplan fail to elaborate; but kaplan surgery vigenettes section is the best!! i personally rank bp im A+, bp ob&gyn A, bp ped A, bp surgery/pscy A-
one thing confused about BP is that how much information you need to know for step 2 ck since it is designed for both step 2 n 3?
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| Shakeels
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for clinical cases, UCV is graded the best for all of them, for IM its B+ , for IM they gave BP clinical cases the highest A-.
If you want to know, how much you have to know for exam, then I can say that, try some good questions e.g q book , q bank, mock exam, Usmle World.
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| Transcriptio
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To Shakeels:
i dont mean the ucv case series. i mean the other set of clinical case series. for example, case file pediatrics (ISBN:0071410163 ), case file surgery (isbn0071402527), case file ob&gyn (ISBN: 0071402845), case file internal medicine (ISBN: 0071421912) , case file psychiatry ( ISBN: 0071421823). i appreciate your time looking up their rank if there r any from first aid 5th edition.
by the way, in the comprehensive section, what r the top 3 only recommended by first aid 5th edition?
thank you very much
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| Shakeels
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Actually transcriptio, I don't have FA, I went to borders store and saw their ratings and bought those books, I'm sorry for that. I heard that FA for step 2ck is not good, so, I bought usmle secrets for step 2 instead of FA for usmle step 2 ck 5 th edition.
I'M SORRY FOR THAT.
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| Transcriptio
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Shakeels,
that's okay.. do u also happen to buy board n ward for step 2?
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| Shakeels
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nop not yet. Tell me how is it???
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| Transcriptio
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i dont have it.. but lots people who use it claim it is the best review book for step 2 ck.
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| claudia_i
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Boards and wards is really really good review but time consuming. A shorter and very good one one is Crush the boards.
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"Opportunities are like sunrises: if you wait too long, you miss them."
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| Shakeels
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Topics: 27
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I will prefer usmle secrets for step 2ck, its the same author brochert for crush the boards. Its in q&a form, which many people like it, and its A- graded in FA, 5 th edition
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| claudia_i
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You're right Shakeels, I prefer the Q&A format, too but I couldn't remember the title of the Q&A edition of the book when I wrote the post.
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