It is hard to believe that it has been 14 years since the first edition of Step-Up to Medicine was published. Now in its fifth edition, the success of this book has always been linked to its in-depth, yet concise coverage of every medical topic that a student will encounter during the clinical years of medical school and corresponding NBME shelf examinations. This fifth edition of Step-Up to Medicine has been extensively revised and edited based on constructive feedback from students, residents, and faculty. To this end, we recruited a stellar team of medical professionals, led by Dr. Mark Duncan and Dr. Kelley Chuang, to update every topic and enrich the content of each chapter. We
would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank these physicians for offering their expertise and valuable time in this endeavor. The quality of this edition of Step-Up to Medicine is the result of their tireless efforts.