The ultimate guide and review for USMLE step 2 clinical skills exam/ Mark H. Swartz.

Includes index.

CONTENTS
SECTION 1. THE BASICS ABOUT THE USMLE STEP 2 CS EXAMINATION --
What are Standardized Patients? --
Purpose of Step 2 CS --
Examination Length --
Examination Format --
Eligibility for Step 2 CS --
Step 2 CS Registration --
Fees for Step 2 CS --
Location of Regional Clinical Skills Evaluation Centers --
Selecting Exam Time and Place --
Rescheduling Exam Dates --
Scoring of Step 2 CS --
Reporting of Results --
Score Reporting --
What If I Don't Pass --
On Your Exam Day --
Description of the Examination Center --
Other Important Information About the Exam --
Suggested Time Management --
Types of Examination Cases --
The Patient Encounter --
Announcements During the Exam --
The Patient Note --
Important Web Sites --
SECTION 2. COMMUNICATION SKILLS --
Federal Health Information Privacy Law --
Conducting the Interview --
Basic Interviewing Techniques --
Format of the History --
After the History-Before the Physical Examination --
Specific Patient Challenges --
Closure --
Common Exam Mistakes --
Spoken English Proficiency --
SECTION 3. AS"AMERICAN" AS APPLE PIE-A BRIEF CULTURAL GUIDE --
American Culture --
Language --
Religion --
Time Zones --
Business Practices --
Travel --
Forms of Address --
Food --
Greetings --
Gestures --
Smoking, Alcohol, Presciption Medications, and Recreational Drugs --
Sports --
Dress --
Education --
Work --
Relationships --
Birthing --
Death --
Health Care --
Holidays --
American jargon --
Miscellaneous Do's & Don'ts
SECTION 4. PRACTICE CASES --
General Case Instructions --
Case 1. Martha Miller 63-year-old woman with headache --
Case 2. Peggy Graham 45-year-old woman with abdominal pain --
Case 3. Philip Ross 35-year-old man with lower back pain --
Case 4. Judy Manoff 51-year-old woman with wrist pain --
Case 5. Elizabeth Natt 39-year-old woman with numbness of her feet --
Case 6. Andrew Litt 27-year-old man with headache --
Case 7. Charles Lang 58-year-old man with progressive shortness of breath --
Case 8. Andrea Hill 34-year-old woman with chest pain --
Case 9. Ted Fox 63-year-old man needing a prescription refill --
Case 10. David Evans 52-year-old man with blood in his urine --
Case 11. Sylvester Flint 55-year-old man with dizziness --
Case 12. Joy Devereaux 55-year-old woman with difficulty in swallowing --
Case 13. Tomas Sanchez 41-year-old man with abdominal pain and jaundice --
Case 14. Wendy Blalock 55-year-old woman with vaginal bleeding --
Case 15. Jesse Prince 2[fraction 12]-year-old boy with cough --
Case 16. Betty Balcomb 65-year-old woman with shortness of breath --
Case 17. Barry Pinchet 74-year-old man with confusion --
Case 18. Vinny Maoli 36-year-old man with worsening cough --
Case 19. Mei Ling 41-year-old woman with blood in her stool --
Case 20. Esther Davis 69-year-old woman with difficulty in walking --
Case 21. Susan Bell 31-year-old woman with loss of menstrual periods --
Case 22. Brian Rourke 53-year-old man with chest pain --
Case 23. Thomas McMann 58-year-old man with loss of energy --
Case 24. Eva Marchevska 87-year-old woman with difficulty in sleeping and fatigue --
Case 25. Jacques Milano 17-year-old man who is "feeling down" --
Case 26. Erica Warren 49-year-old woman with recurrent cough --
Case 27. Denise Butterfield 25-year-old woman with knee pain --
Case 28. Kathy Arden 41-year-old woman with palpitations --
Case 29. Janice Gardner 25-year-old woman with abdominal pain --
Case 30. Leo Mandel 30-year-old man with diarrhea and abdominal pain --
Appendix A. Acceptable Abbreviations --
Appendix B. Possible Case Diagnoses.

Guides you through the Step 2 exam. Focusing on the important concepts of the exam, guide also suggest many communication techniques vital in establishing an excellent doctor-patient relationship. It contains thirty practice cases which help you hone your history-taking, physical examination, and communication skills.