How Do I Choose the Best USMLE® Books?

To choose the best USMLE® books for a specific course of study, it’s important to look at what kind of content is covered in the book, and how it is covered; getting the opinion of experienced test takers can also be helpful. The United States Medical Licensing Examination is a key part of getting credentialed for doctors who want to practice in the United States. Study books are an especially important resource for helping students to do well on the USMLE®.

One way to pick the best USMLE® books is to review resources from the National Board of Medical Examiners and related groups. The NBME oversees aspects of the USMLE®, and may put out some information to let students know what to anticipate on this very long certifying exam. With information about the USMLE® in hand, students can look through books to find the best study materials.

Another way to help in choosing the best USMLE® books is to review comments made on medical forums on the Internet. Some of these forums actually have in depth information on what is the most useful book for the USMLE®. Some sites include spontaneous votes by a community of medical readers on what top USMLE® books are actually the best for effective study.

When students want to do well on the test, and are looking through many options for self study, it’s absolutely important to pick out resources that pertain to the most common information presented on the test, and which identify questions that will actually arise on test day. To this end, students can scan some of the chapters of a USMLE® book and make sure that it addresses the specific content areas that they have been informed are on the test.

Beyond the actual content in the book, students who learn in different ways may want to look at “learning modalities” as a way to figure out which books will be best for their USMLE® preparation. Some books blend different ways of learning, like text, visuals, mnemonics, and other helpful techniques, while others are limited to text, and may be insufficiently diverse for some students. On the other hand, students who have become used to reading through dense text may have no problem with text-only books, and may even prefer them. Finding the best format, content, and track record for a USMLE® book will help shoppers identify the best picks for the USMLE®.