Barely passing M2 to 240+

[augeremt]

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Hey guys! I'm looking for advice on what resources/approach to take to score 240+, which may seem ambitious considering my performance in school thus far.

I'm 3 months out, with ~6 weeks left of classes and 6 weeks of dedicated. My foundation is very shaky, in that I've taken the P=MD thing a bit too literally and have skated through M1 and M2 just north of the pass cut-off.

Am I being too ambitious? Is this doable? Or too little too late?
What resources should I remove/add/change?

Resources thus far:
Pathoma - Throughout the year along with classes
USMLE-Rx - Throughout the year along with class exams (do questions in the days leading up to the test)
SketchyMicro
Goljan RR/Big Robbins depending on the block

Hoping to do before dedicated:
Pathoma - Review, 1.4 speed
First Aid
Kaplan HY - Read the before-mentioned First Aid to me
Kaplan Qbank - 10-20 questions/day on systems I've reviewed
SketchyMicro

Dedicated:
UFAP

My only beef with Kaplan is that it's very time-consuming if I want to get through it and Pathoma before dedicated starts (~4 hours/day of video alone), which doesn't leave much room for questions, studying for my classes to actually pass the year, etc.

I'm a decent test-taker when I actually put in the work. We're true pass-fail so there was no motivation for me (short-term) to do better than the cut-offs. With Step looming soon, the fire under the butt is sufficiently lit and I hope I haven't messed things up for myself too much.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[Ophthoseidon]

I'm never one to tell someone they can't do something (and I wish you luck), but the odds are definitely stacked against you. If everyone could just get low 70s, study hard for a little bit, and get a 240+, the average would be significantly higher than 230. There are exceptions to the rule, but average students typically do average, below average students typically do below average. If you are bottom 10% of the class, it's going to be very difficult to score average (230). your plan looks pretty decent but basically everyone is going to do the same thing (UFAP +1-2 extras, e.g. sketchy/Rx). Just put your head down and start barreling through like everything depends on it. I hope it works out in your favor.

 

[psychMDhopefully]

That was harsh

 

[Entadus]

To respectfully disagree with Ophthoseidon, I don't think a 240 is overambitious. It's a decidedly middle-of-the-pack score (only half a STD above the mean). If you were trying to get a 260 I might agree with Ophtho tell you to rethink your goal... but if you are a strong test taker with the will to study harder then you ever have in your life, it can't be impossible to get a 240.

(but even if you do, know that the really dedicated people have chances at 250+, 260+... so you're not really doing anything special by finally taking the Step seriously.)

 

[Ophthoseidon]

To respectfully disagree with Ophthoseidon, I don't think a 240 is overambitious. It's a decidedly middle-of-the-pack score (only half a STD above the mean). If you were trying to get a 260 I might agree with Ophtho tell you to rethink your goal... but if you are a strong test taker with the will to study harder then you ever have in your life, it can't be impossible to get a 240.

(but even if you do, know that the really dedicated people have chances at 250+, 260+... so you're not really doing anything special by finally taking the Step seriously.)

I agree, definitely not impossible. But I'm just speaking from a pure statistics standpoint. I have no knowledge of OP in person or actual grades. P=MD mentality could be getting 80% on all exams, which would bode better than getting 69-73 on all exams. I hope OP can pull it off!

 

[augeremt]

Thanks for the responses and good vibes! I have a better foundation in some blocks than others (cardio, GI) so it's not barely passing across the board. That's just how the average works out. Some systems I totally bombed (heme-onc, pulm) so I'm focusing more on those now. It's slower going because I'm also learning the current block but such is life.

I'm prepared to suck it up for the next 3 months to dig myself out of this hole. Honestly, that's how I function best, which is why I'm in this situation to begin with.

 

[Dannyboy676]

Oh man, I'm exactly the same way as you.
Taking my exam mid june. Starting Uworld soon. I still have neuromuscular, ob/gyn, heme/onc left though in school and its hard reviewing past organ systems at the same time.