USMLE Step 3 Secrets (USMLE Step THREE SECRETS 2nd Ed/2e), Second Edition PDF

On the USMLE examinations, and throughout medical education, associations are often
made between disease processes and certain racial and ethnic groups or even
socioeconomic status. These associations become linked with individual groups and can
perpetuate stereotypes, misinformation, and racism. In essence, physicians in training
are taught to link key words, phrases, and ideas for the purposes of making associations
on examinations and in clinical contexts.
Associations made with certain terms or disease processes, without qualifications or
explanation, can cause those of us in health care to believe that being a part of a
particular group causes one to have a predilection for health problems and disease
processes. The reasons a disease process is more prevalent in certain racial, ethnic, and
socioeconomic groups may be due in large part to long-standing social inequities,
health disparities, structural racism, oppression, adverse childhood experiences,
politics, environment, and likely many other factors. It is vitally important to remember
that an increased prevalence should not be assumed to be intrinsically linked to being
part of any particular group.
Because USMLE Step 3 Secrets is designed to help prepare you for success on the
USMLE Step 3 exam, some of these keywords and linkages remain in this book out of
necessity because the linkages are so prevalent on standardized exams. Despite this, we
encourage you to consider the broader social issues outlined here and work within the
health care system to call out and try to eliminate inappropriate associations between
disease processes and individual groups of people. We owe it to our patients and to
society to do this and to be better going forward.