USMLE/COMLEX 20% discount on BRS titles

[lauraLWW]

Enjoy a 20% discount on BRS titles! Use promotion code: "WBB451ZZ" at checkout on LWW.com.

The Board Review Series (BRS) are popular outline format texts that feature bolded key terms to streamline your study. Each text utilizes dynamic designs, flow charts, illustrations, end-of-chapter USMLE-style questions, comprehensive exams, and tables that summarize information for convenient review.

Plus a FREE companion website offers an online E-book and an interactive question bank with all the questions from the book so you can customize your review tests!

Be sure to take our student survey for your chance to win an iPad!


BRS Physiology

BRS Behavioral Science

BRS Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Flash Cards, Revised

BRS Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Genetics

BRS Cell Biology and Histology

BRS Embryology

BRS General Surgery

BRS Genetics

BRS Gross Anatomy

BRS Gross Anatomy Flash Cards

BRS Microbiology and Immunology

BRS Microbiology Flash Cards

BRS Neuroanatomy

BRS Pathology

BRS Pathology Flash Cards

BRS Pediatrics

BRS Pharmacology

BRS Pharmacology Flash Cards

BRS Physiology Cases and Problems

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[peanut11]

I've heard mixed reviews on whether to buy an anatomy book to study for step 1. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do?

 

[grotto]

I don't know about anatomy but BRS Physiology is by far the best BRS book.

 

[Golding]

I've been a fan of the BRS series since MS1, but I felt a little bit underwhelmed with the series as it went past the basic sciences. The main reason is that some of the info in Psych, OB/Gyn, and Surgery/Surgery Specialties are a bit outdated. Pediatrics was still quite good. Have there been any plans to update those titles at all?

The Emergency Medicine book seemed a little out of place too, considering it's billed as a USMLE 2/3 prep. Have there been any plans on an Internal Medicine title, since that's really the meat of Step 2 anyhow?

 

[StaceyLWW]

Hi Golding! As a matter of fact, we are in the process of gauging interest in the revision of the clerkship volumes. So, your post is very timely! If you have any additional feedback about specific volumes, we would love to hear it!

 

[Golding]

Hi Golding! As a matter of fact, we are in the process of gauging interest in the revision of the clerkship volumes. So, your post is very timely! If you have any additional feedback about specific volumes, we would love to hear it!

I'd be in real support of it. There aren't really a good set of books that consistently break the clerkships down. Kaplan's set gets passed around frequently, but only their Pediatrics and Surgery are worth anything. Students go to Blueprints for OB/Gyn, but that book doesn't break down the pertinent information the way BRS did for Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology.

If I had to pick one book that needs the most cleaning up, though, it has to be Psych. Part of it has to do with the DSM updates, but also I think some of the medications/dosings printed became out of date. The book also goes into some alternative methods that probably aren't all that pertinent for the student. I had a funny experience during my Psych rotation where a patient had gone through a therapy called "rebirthing". None of my resources had any mention of the therapy, except the BRS. I saw it as a good thing and a bad thing.

Surgery could also benefit from being condensed a little bit, too. However much I thought it was cool that BRS broke down general surgery and the specialties in two separate books, I think it was sort of overkill. Somewhat helpful on the wards, but not that helpful on the boards. Even just spelling out the trauma algorithm for when to do FAST, when to rush for OR, etc. would make the surgery books a more valuable Step 2CK resource than most out there. Seemed like those kind of trauma scenarios were the only pure surgery questions I encountered, and none of my resources explained them very clearly.

 

[lauraLWW]

I'd be in real support of it. There aren't really a good set of books that consistently break the clerkships down. Kaplan's set gets passed around frequently, but only their Pediatrics and Surgery are worth anything. Students go to Blueprints for OB/Gyn, but that book doesn't break down the pertinent information the way BRS did for Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology.

If I had to pick one book that needs the most cleaning up, though, it has to be Psych. Part of it has to do with the DSM updates, but also I think some of the medications/dosings printed became out of date. The book also goes into some alternative methods that probably aren't all that pertinent for the student. I had a funny experience during my Psych rotation where a patient had gone through a therapy called "rebirthing". None of my resources had any mention of the therapy, except the BRS. I saw it as a good thing and a bad thing.

Surgery could also benefit from being condensed a little bit, too. However much I thought it was cool that BRS broke down general surgery and the specialties in two separate books, I think it was sort of overkill. Somewhat helpful on the wards, but not that helpful on the boards. Even just spelling out the trauma algorithm for when to do FAST, when to rush for OR, etc. would make the surgery books a more valuable Step 2CK resource than most out there. Seemed like those kind of trauma scenarios were the only pure surgery questions I encountered, and none of my resources explained them very clearly.

Thank you SO much for your valuable feedback! We will keep your comments and suggestions in mind when planning our revisions.