Best time during intern year to take Step 3?

[MusicalMed]

Hello all,

When is the best time to take Step 3? Do you take it early on? Later in the year? Before residency even starts?? My prelim program said I just had to do it before the end of the year, but just curious as to when most others take it. Is it also typical for students to reimburse you for Step 3?

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[Dral]

Took it around April just after my night float month (my night float was at the VA and I didn't get called very often, so I had time to study).

I think it would have been just as well to take it at the beginning of the year...the peds and ob/gyn stuff leaves the brain quickly unfortunately. Def my worst score of the three, but I already had my advanced spot so meh. *shrug*.

I did my prelim at a fairly top tier place, and I have to say, I don't remember if I was reimbursed at all or not. Part of me thinks they reimbursed categoricals, but not prelims? I could just be making that up. I'll stop rambling now...

 

[differentiating]

Programs usually specify on their websites whether they cover step 3 costs or not. Most of the programs I applied to did, but I don’t know if that’s generalizable.

 

[mvenus929]

I'm peds, and took it in February. Had to study to recall all that IM stuffs I hadn't needed to know since third year. The OB stuff was easy since I was on newborn and working with the OBs when I took it 🙂

My program did not pay for it.

 

[MusicalMed]

Thanks all! I just found that my program does pay for it as long as I do it while in the prelim year, so that's pretty awesome. I feel like taking it early would be good, but I also fear that I will be too busy running around like a chicken with my head cut off for the first few months.

 

[Raryn]

I was IM. I took it in February after my EM month - EM was a very light rotation that was quite general, so I had extra time to study and exposure to the most relevant material.

 

[Apollyon]

I was IM. I took it in February after my EM month - EM was a very light rotation that was quite general, so I had extra time to study and exposure to the most relevant material.

You IM resident slacker! When you were only seeing 0.5pts/hr, it would be light!

/sarcasm

 

[ortnakas]

IM: took Level 3 in January in the middle of an easy rotation after a rotation that alternated between being easy and busy. Worked out okay. I don’t think timing in the year matters as much as timing it in a rotation when you’ll have time to knock out some questions (and probably not July/August when you’ll still be new-intern-overwhelmed).

 

[scarletgirl777]

Took it in June only because that was a time when I knew I'd be on elective. I am a good test taker but it was not difficult--i just wanted to be sure I'd have adequate sleep in the days leading up to the exam. Whatever you do don't delay it until after prelim--your advanced program could get annoyed with you.