This guide contains information on the resources the library has for preparing for the USMLE Step 2.
AOA Guidance
Advice from the Class of 2021:
First Aid and Lange can get you the honors.
Lange Q&A should be done after UWorld to fine tune skills. OME is way too vague for this one. You can master Psych. UWorld and practice NBMEs cover pretty much everything.
Used First Aid just to look things up, didn't actually read it. Used Lange just for extra practice questions, although UWorld questions are better.
Hammer UWorld, know criteria and treatments, and you can crush this one.
I read the whole Psych section from First Aid and used the Psych First Aid as a spot reference during the clerkship. NMBEs are definitely important because I felt this NBME in particular had questions that were very different from UWorld style questions. Emma Holiday is great for some of the more medical/psych stuff that isn’t covered in the psych section of UWorld, but be wary as she is working off DSM-4 not 5 and some of the definitions for specific psych diagnosis vary.
Call Number: Main Collection WM18.2 C337 2012. Print and online available.
Sixty real-life cases that illustrate essential concepts. Each case includes complete discussion, clinical pearls, references, definitions of key terms, and USMLE-style review questions with detailed explanations of the correct answers. With this system, you'll learn in the context of real patients, rather than merely memorize facts.
Call Number: Main Collection WM18.2 K63p 2016. Print ONLY.
Completely updated for the new DSM-5. 500 USMLE-style Q&A cover core topics on the shelf exam. Complete explanations explain each answer option. Answer discussions condense essential topics for high-yield review.
The NBME® Psychiatry Shelf exam assesses a student’s ability to diagnose and treat psychiatric illnesses. The exam will incorporate knowledge from other Shelfs, namely Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, OB-GYN, Geriatrics, and Preventive Medicine, and touch on psychiatric medications, adverse medication reactions, mood disorders, and psychoses.
The Introductory Textbook of Psychiatry equips the clinical student with a sure and knowledgeable grasp of the many facets of psychiatry. Now in its fifth edition, this best-selling book has been revised and updated to reflect the latest advancements in the field. Guiding readers in an easy-to-follow, conversational style, the expert authors and teachers divide the text into three parts: Part I focuses on the background of psychiatry, including diagnosis and classification, interview and assessment techniques, and the neurobiology and genetics of mental illness. Part II introduces all DSM disorders, arranged by diagnostic category. Part III addresses special topics, such as legal issues, child psychiatry, psychotherapy, and psychopharmacology. The book also includes insightful case vignettes, valuable key points, helpful self-assessment questions, useful tables and charts throughout, and a glossary of commonly used terms.
