Volume 72 Number 3 May 2005	back to contents

Gary Slater, M.D.

Department of Surgery, The Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY.

ABSTRACT

The second editions of Blueprints Q & A Step 2 and Blueprints Q&A Step 3 Surgery are up-to-date reviews of the field of surgery, intended to prepare medical students and residents for the USMLE Step 2 and Step 3 exams. They are books in a series from Blackwell Publishing, which include reviews of pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics, and medicine. The format of the book is that of questions and answers, which is probably the most effective way to prepare for these exams.

The authors include a senior faculty member, Edward W. Nelson, and residents, Rafe C. Connors and Stephen J. Fenton, from the Department of Surgery of the University of Utah School of Medicine. Other contributors (called reviewers) come from Utah and other residency programs. The format of the Q & A Step 2 is that of four separate exams (called blocks) with questions, an answer key and detailed explanations. The Step 3 book has a similar format, except that the four blocks are divided into questions relating to a community-based health center, the office, inpatient facilities, and the emergency department.

The questions in both the Step 2 and Step 3 books are comprehensive and cover most areas that would be expected to appear on the Boards as well as in shelf exams. The answers are very helpful and just long enough to help without being too wordy. These books will be of value to both third and fourth year medical students, and to residents who are preparing to take the Boards or other exams.

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