Doctors in Training Step II

[njshibby]

Anyone try this yet? I know a lot of his material is predicated on his past students so he might working the kinks out of it, but if it's as good as the step 1 material I'm buying.

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[Captopril]

I would like to follow the 5 hour/day lecture set and also do a 44 q set of UW each day.

I haven't done the Step 2 DIT vids yet, but if they are as lengthy as the Step 1 lectures, it actually comes out to ~6hrs a day since you have to take at least a few breaks in between.

 

[kazuma]

I haven't done the Step 2 DIT vids yet, but if they are as lengthy as the Step 1 lectures, it actually comes out to ~6hrs a day since you have to take at least a few breaks in between.

Did you find yourself having to pause the videos often or did you just take breaks in between?

 

[Captopril]

Did you find yourself having to pause the videos often or did you just take breaks in between?

I would watch each vid all the way through, pausing only when he tells you to (to take a quiz, etc). The typical day had 3 vids/day, so I'd watch the vid all the way through, take a 30 min break, next vid, 1hr lunch break, last vid. That usually ended up taking 6-6.5h

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

I got the same deal, but I'm not starting until a week from today since I'll be taking COMLEX PE this Thursday. That will give me access right up until I take step 2 USMLE on July 17th (I take COMLEX 2 on July 12th). I have about 400 more questions to go until I'm done going through UW for the first time (year subscription).

Honestly, I'm unsure how I'm going to attack it since I haven't seen how detailed the videos are. I would like to follow the 5 hour/day lecture set and also do a 44 q set of UW each day. I doubt that will be feasible since I'm still on my last rotation, but that's my plan. If the lectures are pretty heavy and take some time to set in, I might not be able to do all 5 hours/day.

Let us know what you think about the videos on Monday. I'll post some feedback after I start the videos too.

Do you think it's feasible for someone to move their USMLE on 12th, PE on 14th, and then COMLEX 17th? Or is there not a date for the USMLE on the 12th?

 

[kazuma]

Do you think it's feasible for someone to move their USMLE on 12th, PE on 14th, and then COMLEX 17th? Or is there not a date for the USMLE on the 12th?

I don't see why not. That is pretty much the same schedule that I will have, except I'll be taking a couple of exams for my school in between the 12th (COMLEX) and the 17th (USMLE). You may have to check out several prometric sites in order to find the dates you need. I'm actually taking these exams on opposite sides of the state (~2+ hrs between each city).

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Well, just took the COMSAE 2 form A ... FML.

Apparently, shelf performance and studying your balls for them mean nothing. Ironically, my lowest was in EM and IM, and I just had 2 months of IM and thought I was killing those Q's and that OBGYN (the rotation I had 1st) was my weakest!

Not sure what to do now. Wonderful!

Kazuma, I'm not so sure I should even bother with the USMLE now. Good bye specialty medicine! Hello ... primary care =/

 

[kazuma]

Well, just took the COMSAE 2 form A ... FML.

Apparently, shelf performance and studying your balls for them mean nothing. Ironically, my lowest was in EM and IM, and I just had 2 months of IM and thought I was killing those Q's and that OBGYN (the rotation I had 1st) was my weakest!

Not sure what to do now. Wonderful!

Kazuma, I'm not so sure I should even bother with the USMLE now. Good bye specialty medicine! Hello ... primary care =/

Seriously? Without mentioning specifics, exactly how bad did it go? Close to the mean?

You still have quite a bit of time to prepare. Maybe try a practice USMLE or UW self assessment before you write off the USMLE. After a few weeks of studying if you are still scoring low with the practice USMLE's then it might be best to not take the USMLE. But don't give up yet, you still have some time.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Seriously? Without mentioning specifics, exactly how bad did it go? Close to the mean?

You still have quite a bit of time to prepare. Maybe try a practice USMLE or UW self assessment before you write off the USMLE. After a few weeks of studying if you are still scoring low with the practice USMLE's then it might be best to not take the USMLE. But don't give up yet, you still have some time.

Thanks - check your PM.

 

[nope80]

I just bought this and honestly i think its overrated. I may ask for my money back. The lecs are really not that great. Maybe its just the one i'm doing now..the guy is really a terrible lecturer, he's just reading out of the book and he talks so fast. not adding much new info. kinda disappointed i have to say...

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

I listened to the sample immunology lecture - looked good to me.

The notebook seems to be worth more than the lecture, I could be wrong though. I'll find out on Monday. I hope Step Up to Step 2 is that good, because Crush blows due to it being superficial.

 

[nope80]

i havent gotten the lec book yet so i can't speak of that. i just started w the gyn lecs cause i was curious. i hope they are different lecturers for each lecture. nothing like the quality of the kaplan step 1 videos i used last year...

 

[cromagnon]

I would agree it def sucks. IMO, he is a terrible lecturer, it is very hard to sit through several hours a day of his videos. There are definitely some good points but the time investment is just too high for what you get out of it.

It's too bad because I had high hopes for this product.

 

[radiodoc99]

Anyone try this yet? I know a lot of his material is predicated on his past students so he might working the kinks out of it, but if it's as good as the step 1 material I'm buying.

DIT is like going to class and listening to lectures if that is your style. You need a lot of time for it and so if reading online or board review books did not work the first time around, then go with it. USMLERx, Kaplan may be coming out similar lectures. QBank has short clips and if you like that format go with it. Pick on and stick to it.

Does anyone know if DIT is really the best at one particular subject? I like FA for path, cardio and boards and wards for outpatient medicine. Does DIT have some really outstanding lectures?

 

[lord_jeebus]

We have determined that several testimonials in this thread were posted by DIT employees posing as medical students using multiple accounts. These posts have been deleted.

As with any post on SDN, but particularly in the USMLE/COMLEX forums where commercial products are frequently discussed, bear in mind that some users may not be who they seem to be.

 

[Captopril]

We have determined that several testimonials in this thread were posted by DIT employees posing as medical students using multiple accounts. These posts have been deleted.

As with any post on SDN, but particularly in the USMLE/COMLEX forums where commercial products are frequently discussed, bear in mind that some users may not be who they seem to be.

WTF, wow that makes me really think twice about using DIT. What douches.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Interesting.

I can't deny though that my 2nd practice test (took 2 weeks after the 1st practice test, after which I'd covered everything once) netted in a significant increase in terms of performance and a lot of what's covered shows up on COMQuest and the COMSAE.

However, that's still pretty shady ... legit companies don't usually need to do this ... interesting indeed.

 

[humabot]

We have determined that several testimonials in this thread were posted by DIT employees posing as medical students using multiple accounts. These posts have been deleted.

As with any post on SDN, but particularly in the USMLE/COMLEX forums where commercial products are frequently discussed, bear in mind that some users may not be who they seem to be.

kaplan does this all the time...but they are a bigger company and so they got more power over sdn...

sdn=kaplan tool

in a few weeks or months kap will come out with a program similar to DIT with a similar price--just watch

 

[lord_jeebus]

kaplan does this all the time...but they are a bigger company and so they got more power over sdn...

sdn=kaplan tool

in a few weeks or months kap will come out with a program similar to DIT with a similar price--just watch

If you find any posts that you suspect come from Kaplan, please report them. They are not exempt from the SDN Terms of Service.

 

[kazuma]

I did notice that DIT was fairly aggressive in trying to get me to line them up with an off campus luncheon so they could pimp their product to my colleagues. For my troubles they offered to refund and portion of my purchase price depending on how many people they recruited.

Needless to say, I never arranged a meeting. I think it would have been pretty unprofessional for me to lure my colleagues into an expensive program that I hadn't had a chance to personally evaluate while in addition to them partially subsidizing my course. DIT made sure to leave me several messages, but eventually they gave up.

Would the pseudo-student accounts and testimonials be grounds for false advertising or legal ramifications toward DIT?

I'm still on the fence on whether I like DIT. I've finished 1/3 of the lectures. I have to admit that he is a boring lecturer. I couldn't imagine how much better these lectures would be if they were by Goljan. I'm debating if my time would be better spent doing more questions in UW etc. I should be able to see if DIT is helping when I take a comsae or nbme in a week or so.

 

[thedon35]

I'm a real person! I liked DIT Step 1 and my former roommate is doing DIT Step 2 and really likes it.... Who were the perpetrators?? hahah

 

[Solandri]

Wow I had been planning on getting DIT for Step 2 after I read so many good things about. Glad I saw this though. You can be sure I'll also try and dissuade my fellow students from purchasing their products in the future.

 

[thechad]

I still think they put out a quality product. I don't really care if they made a few false post (which I might remind you, there is really no proof of other than a mod saying a few accts have the same IP), they boosted my Step 1 predicted score by 20 points in 3 weeks, and I'll take that any day. I definitely plan on purchasing their Step 2 course.

 

[slowlybutshelly]

I am sitting for step 2 ck soon. I need to take step 3 as soon as possible after step 2ck. I think doing DIT once in the test taking process is good. I was thinking of doing it for Step 3 instead of Step 2ck. For which exam is DIT the best to do it for?

 

[radiodoc99]

I am sitting for step 2 ck soon. I need to take step 3 as soon as possible after step 2ck. I think doing DIT once in the test taking process is good. I was thinking of doing it for Step 3 instead of Step 2ck. For which exam is DIT the best to do it for?

DIT is excellent for USMLE. Does it work for COMLEX? Also can we watch the videos on iphone?

 

[Lamotrigine]

I don't think you can watch it on Iphone as they are all flash vids, but if you had an android smart phone you could haha.

 

[radiodoc99]

Use one resource like DIT, Kaplan, Rx and supplement it with a good online resource. Keep redoing the same resource over and over

 

[Captopril]

Use one resource like DIT, Kaplan, Rx and supplement it with a good online resource. Keep redoing the same resource over and over

I concur

 

[joanofarc0907]

I'm doing DIT for CK now, I like it, but then again I did DIT for step 1. He does just read from the book and is a fairly bad lecturer, but it keeps me on track and adds stuff to step up. Also the daily quizzes and those between sections really help me remember important fact. (And I am a REAL student) I'll let you all know how the test goes, I take it on the 26th. But so far I am noticing a significant increase in my UW scores.

 

[mangobug]

Hi, yes, I'm a real student. I kinda got freaked out when I read that DIT people were posting fake experiences, especially since I was already in the middle of the program. Here's what I got:

Step 1: <200, used another review course (will not name but not DIT)
Step 2: 240

I'm not normally a lecture person, but I felt like overall the course helped me focus and added helpful information to Step Up. I would do 3 lectures/day (about 6hrs total) and 3-4 full question sets on USMLE World on tutor mode. I found that random topics on UWorld that I got wrong were later covered in the lectures. Studied for a total of 3 weeks.
Would I have gotten the same score without DIT? Maybe. But I am very happy with my investment.
Good luck!

 

[joanofarc0907]

I'm doing DIT for CK now, I like it, but then again I did DIT for step 1. He does just read from the book and is a fairly bad lecturer, but it keeps me on track and adds stuff to step up. Also the daily quizzes and those between sections really help me remember important fact. (And I am a REAL student) I'll let you all know how the test goes, I take it on the 26th. But so far I am noticing a significant increase in my UW scores.

Def. had a significant increase in my scores from when I started studying to my real test, not sure if DIT did anything self-study wouldn't other than just give me a framework but that's what I needed for this test.

Step 1=240
Step 2 CK=250
UW=67% with about 75% complete

I liked it, but do what works for you!

 

[sswang00]

anyone else use this recently?

 

[OveractiveBrain]

I am in charge of resource organization for my school. DIT has had mixed reviews, mostly of what has occured here.

The pros: Keeps you on track, ensures thorough coverage of material.

The cons: The guy is painful to listen to, the course is horrendously long, does not add anything from reading

The results from a class of 2010 survey: Range 198-256, average 223. (N=36). The average was BELOW the national average for Step 2. It was below the score they tout on their website. Everybody improved from their step 1 (then again, usually everybody does anyway). It may be a bias of poor students trying the program and not sticking with it, but that in of itself is a significant finding. My school is always on par with the national average.

The bottom line: If you have alot of time and otherwise cannot manage your own schedule, this is well worth the money. There are probably better uses of your time, but nothing commercial in this price range.

 

[slowlybutshelly]

would you do DIT for Step3?

 

[OveractiveBrain]

would you do DIT for Step3?

Step 3 might as well be pass/fail. So no, I would not. One book at and a weekend, thanks very much.

 

[Captopril]

would you do DIT for Step3?

There's a DIT for Step 3? That guy just doesn't quit.

 

[Golding]

As a real person, I think I might throw my humble opinion in.

I studied pretty long for Step 2CK, and it sort of went in phases. As someone who went through med school enjoying the comforts of structured, scheduled lectures (even if I didn't always go to them), I looked for some kind of course that I could fill some time with. Kaplan and Falcon were out of the question because those retreats are extremely expensive, out of the way, too long, and didn't start at a right time to fit my schedule. Plus, I had done one of them for Step 1 and was dissatisfied with what I felt their contribution was to my results.

This thread was instrumental in convincing me to just try DIT. Relatively speaking, it's a lot less expensive than the alternatives out there (about $700). It's done online and you can watch them at your own pace, and actually kind of forces you to pause and go with the quizzes and reviews (which did buy me a handful of points on the real test, I must admit). The intermittent "active learning" did help keep me awake in what are otherwise dry lectures. And they let you view lectures three times each within a specific timeframe. I also figured I was going to read through "Step Up to Step 2" once through, anyway. So why not just treat this as an audiobook to move along with it? I only went through the lectures once, personally.

The truth is that he's probably about as good as you'll get anywhere else. I remember during the retreat I took for Step 1, the physiology lectures were absolutely atrocious. These were, at worst, better than those. The benefit is that the videos are all put on a password-protected area of their website, and you can always go back and replay from however far back you need to go in order to try to listen for what you've just missed.

There are a few annoying things about doing the program, though. Primarily, you have to make sure your internet connection is solid. My home connection is crappy, and it made things very difficult for studying in my room. I would go to the library on some days, but I would be confined to their hours and even their internet connection wasn't perfect. I was robbed of a "view" twice as a result of my connection. I never tried out their customer support to see if they are cool about redeeming those lost views (I knew I was only going to have time to look through them once).

The thing that annoyed me most about the videos is how he splices the more proper pronunciation of words into his audio. It gets really excessive at times, and can distract from the content being taught. It's funny when you hear it in the first few lectures in psych, but it gets old quick by the time you're watching Endocrinology.

If you do it, I think it's just worth knowing that no resource is enough on their own. Do and review some questions while you do DIT, if you so choose it.

 

[slowlybutshelly]

I am thinking of using DIT to study for step3. IS that a good idea? I wanted to use it for Step2ck but ran out of money at the end of my educational process. So I figure with residency money I should be able to afford it. My learning style is audio and visual, so it complements my style. Thoughts on if it would help with residency knowledge?

 

[Captopril]

I am thinking of using DIT to study for step3. IS that a good idea? I wanted to use it for Step2ck but ran out of money at the end of my educational process. So I figure with residency money I should be able to afford it. My learning style is audio and visual, so it complements my style. Thoughts on if it would help with residency knowledge?

I used DIT for Step 1. I can honestly say that it added a solid 20-30 points to my score over the course of the 1 month I spent on it. After a long hiatus, I decided to try it for Step 2CK. It's been good so far, but I'm also only on day 3. They lectures are a little dry, even compared to the already dry Step 1 course...but that might be the fault of the book/course material more than Dr. Jenkins himself.

I have a feeling he reads these threads, because last year people were complaining about his pronunciation and constant sniffling...and now in the 2010 version of the course he has edited out both of those things (which is actually way more annoying than leaving it in).

I think the best way to use the course is to do the ~6hrs of lectures, then review that same material for ~6hrs. Trying to learn from just the videos is pretty futile...you gotta reinforce it with revision to get the most out of it.

 

[DrVanNostran]

Bump

 

[Lespedeza]

I am in charge of resource organization for my school. DIT has had mixed reviews, mostly of what has occured here.

The pros: Keeps you on track, ensures thorough coverage of material.

The cons: The guy is painful to listen to, the course is horrendously long, does not add anything from reading

The results from a class of 2010 survey: Range 198-256, average 223. (N=36). The average was BELOW the national average for Step 2. It was below the score they tout on their website. Everybody improved from their step 1 (then again, usually everybody does anyway). It may be a bias of poor students trying the program and not sticking with it, but that in of itself is a significant finding. My school is always on par with the national average.

The bottom line: If you have a lot of time and otherwise cannot manage your own schedule, this is well worth the money. There are probably better uses of your time, but nothing commercial in this price range.

I'm going to completely agree with this post. Especially the last bit regarding the bottom line. I bought DiT for Step 2 CK prep to get through the material. It's a tad bit pricey, imo, since he basically just reads Step Up to Step 2 to you, but some of the quizzes/tables were helpful for organizing material. I obviously did well on Step 2, but I attribute that mostly to doing well through med school/rotations, and putting in the time reviewing material/UWorld. There is nothing revolutionary about this course.

Step 1: 245
Step 2: 260

 

[DrVanNostran]

I'm going to completely agree with this post. Especially the last bit regarding the bottom line. I bought DiT for Step 2 CK prep to get through the material. It's a tad bit pricey, imo, since he basically just reads Step Up to Step 2 to you, but some of the quizzes/tables were helpful for organizing material. I obviously did well on Step 2, but I attribute that mostly to doing well through med school/rotations, and putting in the time reviewing material/UWorld. There is nothing revolutionary about this course.

Step 1: 245
Step 2: 260

How are you guys organizing your schedules? 15 days of DIT + World, then another 15 on finishing world?

BTW, kudos on a tremendous score!

 

[Cooolguy]

does the course come with a DIT step 2 notebook pdf? or ebook of sorts?

 

[cushie]

.

 

[cushie]

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[cushie]

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[aceshighk]

So has there been any type of consensus on how good it is?

I used it for STEP 1, and while I realize it was a simple program, it did provide me with structure and i feel like it definitely helped my score...

is the setup similar for STEP 2? (i.e. lectures plus daily quizzes plus breaks during the lectures for small quizzes)

can anyone who's completed the STEP 2 DIT comment?

thanks,

 

[Slaol]

I am also interested in hearing reviews of DIT for Step 2 CK.

I knew some students who had good results with the program for Step I, and am thinking about doing the 2011 online version.

 

[esperanza27]

For those that have taken the DIT course, I believe DIT USES STEP UP vs FA how beneficial is that?

Thank U for ur reply

 

[Depakote]

I guess I never posted a review... I'll go ahead and comment. I bought the 2010 DIT for Step 2 CK course last year having bought the DIT for Step I course the previous year.

Overall, I thought the course was just OK. DIT Step 1 was a bit better (probably owing to the fact that it borrowed from FA for Step 1). Step Up to Step 2 just didn't seem like as strong of a source.

That said, my Step I score was strong and my Step 2 score was 20 points higher. I attribute that mainly to the material being more relevant (easier) and UWorld (which is by far the best prep source you can use).

Still, DIT for Step 2, while not outstanding, did what I needed it to, which was provide a schedule, pacing and an audio delivery of the material. The format is the same as DIT for Step 1. You're getting a little beyond that with some memory tricks... but I wouldn't say it's the most helpful. Again, the best teaching tool available is UWorld.

tl;dr: If you need someone to present the material to you on a spoonfed schedule and have a lot of money, this is the course for you. But, you still need UWorld.

 

[Captopril]

I agree with Depakote re: DIT 2CK. After doing the course, my UWorld definitely went up (hitting 70s now, whereas I started in the 50s). However, it just didn't feel like it was as strong a product as the Step 1 version. That course pretty much guaranteed my 99, whereas I still feel like I have huge knowledge gaps after Step 2 DIT. I agree with the assessment that it is the fault of the source material that DIT uses. Step Up simply isn't adequate as a go-to book. The DIT notes definitely add a great amount of material, but I think there is a need for change in the book they use. Master the Boards would be a great option, but there is probably an issue with using Kaplan materials since they have their own video/lecture programs.

In any case, if you have money to blow, DIT might be a good way to go. It still is a great way to get through a study book...but that book just isn't up to par for the test. I'm not sure that any book truly is for CK, so can't fault the DIT program too much.

I guess I never posted a review... I'll go ahead and comment. I bought the 2010 DIT for Step 2 CK course last year having bought the DIT for Step I course the previous year.

Overall, I thought the course was just OK. DIT Step 1 was a bit better (probably owing to the fact that it borrowed from FA for Step 1). Step Up to Step 2 just didn't seem like as strong of a source.

That said, my Step I score was strong and my Step 2 score was 20 points higher. I attribute that mainly to the material being more relevant (easier) and UWorld (which is by far the best prep source you can use).

Still, DIT for Step 2, while not outstanding, did what I needed it to, which was provide a schedule, pacing and an audio delivery of the material. The format is the same as DIT for Step 1. You're getting a little beyond that with some memory tricks... but I wouldn't say it's the most helpful. Again, the best teaching tool available is UWorld.

tl;dr: If you need someone to present the material to you on a spoonfed schedule and have a lot of money, this is the course for you. But, you still need UWorld.