Pediatrics
Neonatology, growth & development, congenital and childhood disease.
Lessons
Illustrated, high-yield walkthroughs of the pediatrics concepts the boards test most.
A boards-focused map of the four developmental streams (gross motor, fine motor, language, social/cognitive) from birth to 5 years, anchored to median ages and the upper-limit red flags. Emphasizes the classic delay vignettes and their NEXT BEST STEP — hearing test first for isolated language delay, serum CK for the boy with Gower sign and calf pseudohypertrophy, and chromosomal microarray plus Fragile X with immediate Early Intervention for global developmental delay.
A Step 2 CK–focused walkthrough of neonatal jaundice that separates benign physiologic and feeding-related unconjugated patterns from dangerous hemolytic and conjugated (biliary atresia) causes, anchoring on the two boards forks — bilirubin fraction and timing — and the exact next-best-step in both workup and management.
High-yield STEP 2 CK lesson on the APGAR score and neonatal resuscitation (NRP): the five scored components and cutoffs, the golden-minute algorithm, and next-best-step decisions—PPV at HR <100 or apnea, chest compressions + 100% O₂ at HR <60, and epinephrine for persistent HR <60. Corrected: removed the unsourced Joseph Butterfield backronym-origin claim (replaced with an accurate eponym/backronym note), tightened golden-minute airway wording away from routine suctioning, and specified 'effective PPV (chest moving)' before compressions.
A high-yield Step 2 CK comparison of the three classic pediatric airway infections — bronchiolitis, croup, and epiglottitis — organized by age, buzzwords, imaging signs, and next-best-step management. Emphasizes the board traps: supportive-only care for bronchiolitis and the do-not-examine-the-throat airway emergency of epiglottitis.
A board-focused walkthrough of the three classic pediatric surgical GI conditions — pyloric stenosis, intussusception, and Hirschsprung disease — organized by buzzword vignette, best diagnostic test, and the tested next-best-step in management. Emphasizes the high-yield trap of operating before resuscitation or enema reduction.
A board-focused tour of the classic childhood exanthems — measles, scarlet fever, rubella, fifth disease, and roseola, plus varicella, hand-foot-mouth, and the must-not-miss Kawasaki mimic — organized by pathognomonic buzzword, feared complication, and next best step.
A Step 2 CK-focused walkthrough of the childhood immunization schedule, emphasizing which vaccines are due at each well-child visit, the live-versus-inactivated rules, and the true contraindications versus the classic 'false' reasons students wrongly defer vaccination.
A high-yield Step 2 CK walkthrough of normal growth parameters, the failure-to-thrive workup (weight falls first; history and observed feeding before labs), normal-variant short stature, and the classic pediatric nutritional deficiencies including marasmus vs. kwashiorkor.
Sample questions
Stems only. Sign up free to see answer choices, correct option, and the rationale.
A 19-year-old woman has a few small papules on her labia and perineum. The papules become pustular, eroded, and ulcerated over the next few days; at the same time, the patient develops painful, tender inguinal lymphadenopathy (SELECT 1 TEST) Items 496–500 Listed below are common injuries of the adolescent. Match each with the adolescent and his/her activity with which it is most commonly associated.
You hospitalize the patient for closely supervised treatment. In addition to the acute complications, there are possible long-term sequelae. These include which of the following?
A 16-year-old girl presents with lower abdominal pain and fever. On physical examination, a tender adnexal mass is felt. Further questioning in private reveals the following: she has a new sexual partner; her periods are irregular; she has a vaginal discharge. The most likely diagnosis is
Sample flashcards
Accidental poisoning (SELECT 1 AGE) Items 59–62 For each disorder below, select the dietary deficiency that is likely to be responsible. You picked: A. Caloric deficiency
A 6-year-old boy is brought to the emergency room with a 3-h history of fever to 39.5°C (103.1°F) and sore throat. The child appears alert but anxious and toxic. He has mild inspiratory stridor and is drooling. You should immediately You picked: B. Obtain an arterial blood gas and start an IV line
A 6-year-old boy is brought to the clinic with the complaint of poor growth. His growth curves demonstrate his linear development to be well below the fifth percentile. Upon close questioning, his family reports that he has had headaches in the last 2 or 3 weeks and occasional vomiting. Your physical examination reveals mild papilledema. Which of the following might also be expected to be seen in this patient? You picked: B. Unilateral cerebellar ataxia
A fully immunized 2-year-old presents to the emergency room with several days of low-grade fever, barking cough, and noisy breathing. Over the last few hours he has developed a fever to 40°C (104°F) and looks toxic. He has inspiratory and expiratory stridor. The family has not noticed drooling, and he seems to be drinking without pain. Direct laryngoscopy reveals a normal epiglottis. The management of this disease process includes You picked: D. Observation only
A 13-year-old asymptomatic girl is shown. She states that the findings demonstrated began more than a year ago. The most likely diagnosis is (Courtesy Adelaide Hebert,M.D.) You picked: C. Graves disease
A 7-year-old boy suffers multiple injuries as a result of blunt abdominal trauma. Which of the following statements concerning the proper assessment and treatment of the injuries is true? You picked: A. Most renal injuries require operative intervention
FAQ
What's covered in the Pediatrics topic?
Neonatology, growth & development, congenital and childhood disease.
How many practice questions does Pediatrics have?
293 board-style multiple-choice questions and 7 spaced-repetition flashcards. Sign up free to drill them with adaptive difficulty and a Socratic AI tutor that explains every wrong answer.
Is Pediatrics on USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 CK?
Pediatrics appears on both Step 1 (foundational mechanisms) and Step 2 CK (clinical decision-making). Our questions are tagged by exam target so you can filter to just the Step you're studying.
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