- Joined
- Feb 1, 2006
- Messages
- 118
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- 4
Ok I am a Canadian Grad. Wrote the Step 3 in 2006. Studied from Toronto notes, First Aid for Step 3, and Strong Medicine for Step 3.
Strong medicine was weak. Disjointed and simple a collection of facts. Was not useful to me at all.
The bulk of "First Aid" was the same. No where near as good as the Step 2 version. The only useful items were the 100 sample cases at the back which gives you some idea of what to do for the CCS cases but often are missing some important points.
If I had to do it over I would get First aid for the 100 sample cases but not read through the whole thing. Our training is good enough that you really should not have to study much for this test.
The multiple choice questions were pretty straight forward and easy for me. Finished in 4 hrs. The CCS cases were more challanging (took 6.5 hrs). Of the 9 cases, I did not finish 3 (ran out of time). My main problem was with frequent vital signs. You have a sick patient in the ICU I damn well want vitals q1h I just don't want to be notified every time unless they are abnormal. This a real weakness I had with the program because with only 20 min of "real time" having to advance the clock, click to close the window that pop's up with the normal vitals and advance the clock again, it takes 1-2 min just to get through 24hrs of q1h vitals. Perhaps I would have been fine saying "continous cardiac monitoring" but I also want a sat! I am not sure what the CCS really wants, the pt probably would not have died with q6h vitals and would be caught with continous monitoring but I was not sure what the program wanted. For one ICU case I only got to day 3 before I ran out of time because of the 72 times I had to click the damn vital's button.
I found it very useful was to practice the CCS simulation software. Do the sample cases but also make up your own and practice writing orders for an Astmatic, or CHF, or Stroke, ect to get an idea of what you would have to type.
I really found www.valuemd.com forums the most useful resource. Downloaded "Asters notes" for pearls for the multiple choice questions then went through this CCS forums and copied all the sample cases and answers to a giant word document and printed them out to practice.
Beyond insuring every pt you discharge has a follow-up appointment and the right meds, a super easy way to score points is in your final end of session orders type "Advise". Then you get a window that pops up with a list of patient education and you just go crazy. Everyone gets minimize alcohol, no smoking, wear seatbelt, safe sex, medication compliance, med side-effects, ect. I would click on the same 10-12 items every time and my final "health maintaince" score was off the chart. Easy points to get. Just don't do this during the case unless absolutly necessary (eg. Rx for Flagyl so need to say no EtOH) as it takes 5 min each and you have to order them individually. At the end of the case it takes no time and you can order in bulk.
Total time studying = 1 week at the same time working on the LMCC II.
Worked for me: Scored a 251 and 99.
P.S. Having to go to the USA for 2 days to write a computerized exam sucks. Why can we write the Step 1 and 2 in Canada (not the CS) at Prometric but have to go to Prometric in the USA for Step 3? Makes no sense.
Strong medicine was weak. Disjointed and simple a collection of facts. Was not useful to me at all.
The bulk of "First Aid" was the same. No where near as good as the Step 2 version. The only useful items were the 100 sample cases at the back which gives you some idea of what to do for the CCS cases but often are missing some important points.
If I had to do it over I would get First aid for the 100 sample cases but not read through the whole thing. Our training is good enough that you really should not have to study much for this test.
The multiple choice questions were pretty straight forward and easy for me. Finished in 4 hrs. The CCS cases were more challanging (took 6.5 hrs). Of the 9 cases, I did not finish 3 (ran out of time). My main problem was with frequent vital signs. You have a sick patient in the ICU I damn well want vitals q1h I just don't want to be notified every time unless they are abnormal. This a real weakness I had with the program because with only 20 min of "real time" having to advance the clock, click to close the window that pop's up with the normal vitals and advance the clock again, it takes 1-2 min just to get through 24hrs of q1h vitals. Perhaps I would have been fine saying "continous cardiac monitoring" but I also want a sat! I am not sure what the CCS really wants, the pt probably would not have died with q6h vitals and would be caught with continous monitoring but I was not sure what the program wanted. For one ICU case I only got to day 3 before I ran out of time because of the 72 times I had to click the damn vital's button.
I found it very useful was to practice the CCS simulation software. Do the sample cases but also make up your own and practice writing orders for an Astmatic, or CHF, or Stroke, ect to get an idea of what you would have to type.
I really found www.valuemd.com forums the most useful resource. Downloaded "Asters notes" for pearls for the multiple choice questions then went through this CCS forums and copied all the sample cases and answers to a giant word document and printed them out to practice.
Beyond insuring every pt you discharge has a follow-up appointment and the right meds, a super easy way to score points is in your final end of session orders type "Advise". Then you get a window that pops up with a list of patient education and you just go crazy. Everyone gets minimize alcohol, no smoking, wear seatbelt, safe sex, medication compliance, med side-effects, ect. I would click on the same 10-12 items every time and my final "health maintaince" score was off the chart. Easy points to get. Just don't do this during the case unless absolutly necessary (eg. Rx for Flagyl so need to say no EtOH) as it takes 5 min each and you have to order them individually. At the end of the case it takes no time and you can order in bulk.
Total time studying = 1 week at the same time working on the LMCC II.
Worked for me: Scored a 251 and 99.
P.S. Having to go to the USA for 2 days to write a computerized exam sucks. Why can we write the Step 1 and 2 in Canada (not the CS) at Prometric but have to go to Prometric in the USA for Step 3? Makes no sense.
