Resources
First Aid for Psychiatry
-the best book out there. Read it at least once, twice is very doable. Combined with the course pack is normally enough to honor if you pay attention to your patients.
WSU Psychiatry Course Packet
-well written with useful questions, extremely high yield.
Lange Psychiatry Question book
Lange psychiatry. I did two chapters, chap 3 adult psychopathology and chapter 4 somatic treatment and psychopharmacology. Both very high yield topics.
Up To Date
-for your patients-the more you read on your patients the better your overall preparation.
NBME exam: very helpful, some questions seemed to appear on the shelf however no explanations.
Case files Psychiatry– gives clear cut pictures on basic presentations, no nuance or depth that shelf questions will often probe at. Case files-most normal presentations of the biggest disease, the breadth of coverage is insufficient, also clunky if you wish to reference a specific illness. For psychiatry this is not a good idea.
Blueprints Psychiatry: great for a firm basis of pathology and knowledge for reference, not a quick read. Not recommended given the utility of the top resources.
Pretest Psychiatry: will provide questions on all the areas of psych but not in SHELF format.
USMLE World Psychiatry
-not all encompassing but reading the explanations as always is to your benefit.
Hot Topics
1. Pay attention to the required lectures, they are excellent. The topics you are told are high yield are in fact high yield.
2. Paying attention to neurotransmitters and pharmacy MOA are huge, as are illicit drug intoxications, normal bereavement vs. adjustment disorder, schizoaffective vs schizotypal vs the other schizos,.
3. Psychopharmacology: what neurotransmitter are you impact
4. schizotypal vs schizoaffective vs schizoid vs schizophrenic
5. Personality disorders very high yield to know in depth
6. Dementia sub types and pharmacological treatment for Alzheimers, alcohol abuse, diabetes, thyroid causes, vitamin deficiencies.
7. Time course of medication onset and clinical utility, antidepressants can take weeks!
8. Neurotransmitters of toxicological substances as well as medications.
9. Normal Grief vs depression vs adjustment disorder
10. Pediatrics-know what is normal and what is actually a problem, don’t be afraid to prescribe kids on this exam
11. Thirty percent neurology questions
12. General knowledge of the applicability of Alcohol, Smoking, and Diabetes (the big three of medical school) to the exam in question. Always good for 5-10 questions on the shelves.
Regarding Step 2:
A minority of Step 2 questions, but reviewing First Aid for Psychiatry in a day may be the most useful way to prepare come exam review time.
First Aid for Psychiatry
-the best book out there. Read it at least once, twice is very doable. Combined with the course pack is normally enough to honor if you pay attention to your patients.
WSU Psychiatry Course Packet
-well written with useful questions, extremely high yield.
Lange Psychiatry Question book
Lange psychiatry. I did two chapters, chap 3 adult psychopathology and chapter 4 somatic treatment and psychopharmacology. Both very high yield topics.
Up To Date
-for your patients-the more you read on your patients the better your overall preparation.
NBME exam: very helpful, some questions seemed to appear on the shelf however no explanations.
Case files Psychiatry– gives clear cut pictures on basic presentations, no nuance or depth that shelf questions will often probe at. Case files-most normal presentations of the biggest disease, the breadth of coverage is insufficient, also clunky if you wish to reference a specific illness. For psychiatry this is not a good idea.
Blueprints Psychiatry: great for a firm basis of pathology and knowledge for reference, not a quick read. Not recommended given the utility of the top resources.
Pretest Psychiatry: will provide questions on all the areas of psych but not in SHELF format.
USMLE World Psychiatry
-not all encompassing but reading the explanations as always is to your benefit.
Hot Topics
1. Pay attention to the required lectures, they are excellent. The topics you are told are high yield are in fact high yield.
2. Paying attention to neurotransmitters and pharmacy MOA are huge, as are illicit drug intoxications, normal bereavement vs. adjustment disorder, schizoaffective vs schizotypal vs the other schizos,.
3. Psychopharmacology: what neurotransmitter are you impact
4. schizotypal vs schizoaffective vs schizoid vs schizophrenic
5. Personality disorders very high yield to know in depth
6. Dementia sub types and pharmacological treatment for Alzheimers, alcohol abuse, diabetes, thyroid causes, vitamin deficiencies.
7. Time course of medication onset and clinical utility, antidepressants can take weeks!
8. Neurotransmitters of toxicological substances as well as medications.
9. Normal Grief vs depression vs adjustment disorder
10. Pediatrics-know what is normal and what is actually a problem, don’t be afraid to prescribe kids on this exam
11. Thirty percent neurology questions
12. General knowledge of the applicability of Alcohol, Smoking, and Diabetes (the big three of medical school) to the exam in question. Always good for 5-10 questions on the shelves.
Regarding Step 2:
A minority of Step 2 questions, but reviewing First Aid for Psychiatry in a day may be the most useful way to prepare come exam review time.