Deja Review Biochemistry, Second Edition

I found myself needing more diagrams from this book. There should be a beginning section with a complete picture of the TCA cycles and the other important cycles. It made it difficult to reference this book because the sections diagrams are snapshots (i had to make my own).The positive was that by going through multiple sections to find the right diagram and important tie-ins I feel like i retained a lot of material. This book is a quick and easy way to show yourself that you do not know enough biochemistry for step 1.

Let me cut to the chase here. I am an assiduous USMLE studier and I own just about every text and QBank. When push comes to shove, you need to consolidate. FA + Microcards + Lange pharm cards + QBanks + Goljan audios are all you really need (I also recommend Underground Clinical Vignettes - Anatomy). I bought this book, along with many of the other DejaReviews, and they are generally worthless for boards purposes. I found DejaReview USMLE Step-1 good as an adjunct during second-year, but as I said before, as you get closer to the exam and begin to figure out what REALLY matters, it's the resources I listed in the second sentence, and that's it. DejaReview is good Q&A trivia-type questioning. But come the USMLE, you need vignette-skills (QBanks) and dense shelf knowledge (the other resources I listed).

The book was as I expected to be !

I used Deja Review to review biochem towards the end of my second year before I started my dedicated Step 1 study period. The entire book can be easily read in less than two days, and it gives you a crash-review in biochem. Would I exclusively use this book to study for Step 1? No, because it has too much material. However, that being said, since FA poorly explains biochm concepts, refreshing your memory with this book makes going through the biochem section of FA much easier. Also, the 1st edition of this book is really, really bad, however, the second edition has major revisions and is an excellent resource.

I found the Deja Review Biochemistry to be a good concise book to REVIEW biochemistry while providing a clinical context to the material. It is a great study book for the USMLE Step 1, however I will not recommend using this book solely for a biochemistry course. I recommend using it in addition, after which it can be used by itself for exam preparation etc....5 stars for use as a review book.

Bit expensive. Other wise good for newbies