USMLE AHHH I'm freaking out

[Psychobabbling]

I freaked out last night and canceled my exam (scheduled for this upcoming sunday/monday), requested my one extension, awaiting to reschedule. I'm sure my PD will love me, I'm already this incompetent ***** in their eyes.

I feel like how I felt for Step 1, which is not comforting. I passed, but I think that's more because I can take a MCQ test fairly well.

For example - U World - I've been doing a mix of random, subject specific, timed, untimed tutor, etc. Avg 60%. Have NOT reviewed Peds or OB in any way, shape or form.

UW Cases:
This is where my ability to do MCQ falls apart. I find myself staring at the screen or not even being able to think. It's too much of a grab bag. Some cases I can handle moderately well. Others I have no idea. I'm a PGY 3 psych resident, and that medicine stuff is really hard to pull back to being second nature (slowly coming back the more questions I do).

If the whole exam was MCQ, I would just take it. My memory is triggered enough in MCQs that even if I have no idea, I can read a question fairly well to at least make an educated guess. I just don't know enough for "it's Rheumatoid Arthritis, work it up."

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Any tips on how to get better with this. I think I need to review MTB more, I've only done what I've done once.

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[IMreshopeful]

Don't skimp on biostats, as at least 5-6 questions per section for me included biostats questions. Fair amount of ethics. MTB has absolutely NO biostats, which annoys the hell out of me. Also don't skimp on the OB or peds, as there's a fair amount of it (though not nearly as much as the medicine).

Since you're so far removed from medicine, I definitely recommend practicing as much CCS as possible, as that's likely to be your weakest section (no disrespect intended ).

 

[doc424]

Hey Psychobabbling... I am a second year psych resident at staten island university hospital and unfortunately failed step 3 twice Never failed a step exam before I just took it last time end of feb and got a 189-ONE point away!!!! Anyhow, just wanted to know what program you are in bc my program is kicking me out now bc they require passage by the end of the second year and have already told me I will not be renewed for third year. What program are you in and do they have any open pgy3 spots??? do they require passage of step 3 by any particular point in your training? Thanks!!

 

[Rock2168]

Don't skimp on biostats, as at least 5-6 questions per section for me included biostats questions. Fair amount of ethics. MTB has absolutely NO biostats, which annoys the hell out of me. Also don't skimp on the OB or peds, as there's a fair amount of it (though not nearly as much as the medicine).

Since you're so far removed from medicine, I definitely recommend practicing as much CCS as possible, as that's likely to be your weakest section (no disrespect intended ).

Agreed. I've heard that there's a fair amount of biostats on the exam. Be sure to practice up with 2x2 tables. CCS represents 25%(?) of the exam. UWorld CCS is the way to go with maybe a dash of the second (Feb 2012) ********** video (first half of it) if you have time.

 

[Psychobabbling]

Totally didn't follow up with this thread after my freak out lol

I ended up taking a complete break for a couple of weeks. Went back into it and just did ~50 questions a night. Burned through ~30 CCS cases the night
before/early morning of part 2 of the exam.

Also did a little over half of UWorld's biostats section, which was pure money

Day 1: Started with "you're going to fail"...."I guess sitting out a year won't be that bad..." to Day 2 "f* it, whatever"....."oh wait, I think you're getting some of these right..."...."CCS isn't that bad, let's see how many I can do in a row...."

Outcome:
205, with my highest score on CCS and GI lol

 

[yayforscrambling]

Totally didn't follow up with this thread after my freak out lol

I ended up taking a complete break for a couple of weeks. Went back into it and just did ~50 questions a night. Burned through ~30 CCS cases the night
before/early morning of part 2 of the exam.

Also did a little over half of UWorld's biostats section, which was pure money

Day 1: Started with "you're going to fail"...."I guess sitting out a year won't be that bad..." to Day 2 "f* it, whatever"....."oh wait, I think you're getting some of these right..."...."CCS isn't that bad, let's see how many I can do in a row...."

Outcome:
205, with my highest score on CCS and GI lol

awesome job! congrats! did you by any chance take any of the NBME practice exams or Uworld's self assessment? or did you go into the real thing just relying on your uworld performance?

trying to decide when I'm ready to take this thing... thanks!

 

[Psychobabbling]

I didn't do any of the NBME practice exams or the U World self assessment.

I was scoring around ~60% on U World if that helps.

That was the most anxious I have ever been for any exam I have ever taken. Taking it has a PGY-3 psyc resident sucks lol. It's done now, which is all that matters

 

[yayforscrambling]

I didn't do any of the NBME practice exams or the U World self assessment.

I was scoring around ~60% on U World if that helps.

That was the most anxious I have ever been for any exam I have ever taken. Taking it has a PGY-3 psyc resident sucks lol. It's done now, which is all that matters

lol, i can't even imagine doing this crap as a pgy3... congrats again dude