The USMLE Step 3 examination is the final part of the national medical licensing exam series and is typically taken during the intern year of residency. While the exam requires the test taker to call upon the knowledge he or she has learned during medical school, many of the questions focus upon the application of this information to the clinical management of patients. Test preparation is frequently challenging because the hectic schedule of residency may significantly limit the amount of time available for studying.
Step-Up to the USMLE Step 3 was written with the needs of the busy resident in mind and was designed to be a high-yield review for the USMLE Step 3 exam. In addition I intended to write this review in a format that best reproduces the clinical decision-making made by residents on a daily basis. The review is written in a case-based format to reproduce the potential clinical scenarios seen in the examination. Each case contains a thorough history and physical, pertinent diagnostic studies, and a list of differential diagnoses. Each of these diagnoses is reviewed using a combination of text, tables, figures, and color images, and an explanation of why each condition is or is not the answer is provided. I believe that this organization lends itself particularly well to the preparation for the Step 3 exam.
I invite anyone to send me reviews, questions, and comments for this book. I wish all of you the best of luck in your test preparation and all of your future endeavors.
