Step I Those who scored >245 on Step2, how did you prepare?
Started by PTCA
books: prescription for the boards, boards & wards, crush the step 2
questions: NMS (68% average), qbank (71% overall average)
time: 3 months or so? i started studying during my sub-I (mid-september to mid-october), continued during 2 weeks of rads, then started questions during november (month off for interviewing). took the darn thing mid-december.
questions: NMS (68% average), qbank (71% overall average)
time: 3 months or so? i started studying during my sub-I (mid-september to mid-october), continued during 2 weeks of rads, then started questions during november (month off for interviewing). took the darn thing mid-december.
Wow, 3 months is a lot longer than I've heard for Step 2. Did you not have a lot of free time to study, or did you feel you really needed to put a lot into it?
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NMS question book, Blueprints, 5 days of studying (about 5-6h/d)=>250 score.
I decided that I wanted to try and match my Step 1 2-digit score, so I wanted to give myself ample lead time. But yeah, I was only able to study from 1-3 hours a day with rotations and other stuff going on.
Took the opposite route. Took two weeks after 3rd year was over to study. Figured that I'd only become more ******ed the longer I waited. Used Boards and Wards, Kaplan Q Bank, and NMS question book. Beat my Step one by a few points so I was pretty happy. Of course this strategy will only work if you can fight through the end of third year burnout for two more weeks. I took the first two weeks of fourth year off so I had the luxury to do that. But most of the Step 2 stuff is things you have just learned so I would do it while its still fresh in your head.
i did not have a lot of time to study given rotations/electives. started reviewing ob/gyn and peds (blueprints) in early october because i figure i could handle medicine and psych topics okay without much endeavor. for surgery, i reviewed trauma only. took exam end of november instead of end of december. used qbank, nms for questions. reviewed step 2 secrets, boards and wards, and step 2 first aid, but liked the first 2 better. none of these review books have been significantly updated. wish i reviewed neuro a little better.
hope that helps
-s.
hope that helps
-s.
