Surgery
General surgery, trauma, acute abdomen, and peri-operative care.
Lessons
Illustrated, high-yield walkthroughs of the surgery concepts the boards test most.
A boards-focused approach to the acute abdomen: use pain type, peritoneal signs, and hemodynamics to separate surgical emergencies from medical mimics, then apply the classic buzzword → next-best-step reflexes (unstable + peritonitis = OR; βhCG first; free air = perforation; pain out of proportion = mesenteric ischemia).
A STEP 2 CK–focused lesson distinguishing small- from large-bowel obstruction by cause, presentation, and imaging, drilling the \"next best step\" boards love — conservative \"drip and suck\" vs. emergent surgery for strangulation, endoscopic detorsion for sigmoid volvulus, and telling mechanical obstruction from functional mimics (ileus, Ogilvie).
A boards-focused walkthrough of the ATLS primary (ABCDE) and secondary surveys, drilling next-best-step decisions for the immediate thoracic killers, hemorrhagic-shock classification, and the airway-before-everything priority rule.
A board-focused Step 2 CK lesson on burn management: airway-first triage, depth and TBSA assessment, Parkland fluid resuscitation titrated to urine output, CO/cyanide toxicity, escharotomy, topical antimicrobials, and burn-center transfer criteria — anchored by next-best-step vignettes.
A Step 2 CK-focused walkthrough of perioperative care: cardiac risk stratification (METs, RCRI, surgical timing), which drugs to hold or continue, and the postoperative-day timeline that pins down post-op fever and surgical complications with next-best-step management.
A high-yield STEP 2 CK vascular surgery lesson covering AAA, PAD, and acute limb ischemia, organized around board-style buzzwords and next-best-step decisions with size/ABI thresholds and the stable-vs-unstable management fork.
A Step 2 CK-focused walkthrough of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, organizing gallstone complications, acute pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer around ultrasound-first workup and next-best-step decisions. Emphasizes classic vignette buzzwords (Charcot/Reynolds, Courvoisier, double-duct sign) and when to choose HIDA, ERCP, or surgery.
A Step 2 CK–focused surgical breast lesson covering triple assessment and age-based workup, benign lesions, breast cancer types, and next-best-step management from palpable mass and nipple discharge through inflammatory breast cancer, receptors, and axillary staging.
FAQ
What's covered in the Surgery topic?
General surgery, trauma, acute abdomen, and peri-operative care.
How many practice questions does Surgery have?
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Is Surgery on USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 CK?
Surgery 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.
Related clinical specialties topics
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