Big Help Please on Prep

[jfksenior]

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For those of your prepping for step 2, could a MSIII just use usmleworld and do the questions for each clerkship to prepare for the shelf, and thereby already have prepared for step 2?
I'm all about the efficiency here...
but maybe the shelfs are much more detailed? or step 2 is totallt different style?
many thanks for your insights...

 

[manning18]

To maintain USMLEworld (UW), one would have to keep paying for the subscription. A three month block, I believe, costs $249, so it would cost you about $1K to maintain UW all year round. Plus, you'd have already gone through all of the questions by the time Step 2 came around, so it would be harder to receive any additional benefit by using UW (though, in theory, you'd already be wellprepared). I think it might be better to use the Pre-Test books for each M-3 Clerkship than to use UW as an M-3. You can get some nice deals on used books (i.e. Pre-Test, First Aid) from amazon. I, personally, would recommend the First Aid for each Clerkship, though you may be somewone who prefers Blueprints. Then, you can supplement your reading by doing questions from Pre-Test. One source that, in a sense, combines text and questions is the "Case Files" series, published by Lange. There should be one for each Clerkship. I think your idea may work in theory but, at the end of the day, you'd probably be better off using FA + Pre-Test or maybe just Case Files for each Clerkship. That said, you are correct in that knowing the M-3 material well will go a LONG way in succeeding on Step 2. Hope this helps; you can PM me with any additional questions. Good luck!

 

[sponch]

I highly recommend reading Boards & Wards by Ayala, et al. during your 3rd year. This helped me day to day as well as a way to quickly review topics for my shelfs, though it should not be a substitute for reading books like Blueprints or textbooks.

 

[jfksenior]

thanks,
you're right, UW would be too expensive, but maybe then just doing questions from the Kaplan Qbook (40 bucks) and practicing questions for and also reaidng case files for each clerkship. i hope that would prepre one for each shelf and then by the end would leave one well prepared for step 2. i guess i just don't like the idea of repeating information. would rather read one thing 3x and know it well. And also reading B&W with each casefile book and each set of questions from UW.

does that sound reasonable enough to pass the shelfs and do well on step II?

 

[manning18]

I agree that it is beneficial to read limited sources mainy times and know them well.
Q-Book would be useful, but it might be better to buy smaller boks that are focused solely on one discipline (i.e. OB/GYNE, Medicine, Peds, Psych, etc) as the shelf exams hit each discipline hard and are very detailed. One source of questions could be
Pre-Test and another source would be Case Files which, like I said, is kind of a
text/test combination. In addition, maybe you could go through the relevant questions in Q-Book, which has a total of 850 questions, spanning all disciplines.
It sounds like your plan is as follows:
Case Files, Boards and Wards and the relevent questions in Q-Book for each Clerkship. Is this correct?
To answer your question, Yes, this does sound reasonable enough to pass the shelves and do well on Step 2-CK. That said, while B&W is nice, from what I remember it lacked the depth to be comprehensive enough for any given shelf exam.
I'd recommend First Aid (or Blueprints, depending on which style you prefer) for each Clerkship and then supplenting it with Pre-Test OR Case Files. I think doing all three (FA/Blueprints, Pre-Test and Case Files) for each Clerkship, while thorough, would require a major time commitment, that you may or may not be able to satisfy.
Either method should be fine. The method I suggested would work better for myself, but you should be able to decide which works for you. Good luck!

 

[jfksenior]

thanks manning, very helpful...

my plan would be,
for each clerkship:

read Case files, sections from B&W, FA for Wards, Secrets and practice questions from Qbook.

hope thats enough...

 

[omarsaleh66]

I havent taken step2 yet (3 more weeks) so i dont know how much it will help me in that area. But all I really used in 3rd year were the kaplan videos and notes for step2. I would do questions as well if i had time. These notes and video alone should get u an A or a B atleast. If u add casefiles (I wish I would have done this) on top of that while u are in the wards--> think u can ace your shelf exams.

I didnt use textbooks or any other 3rd year books except the kaplan notes and videos, and MKSAP II, case files for Obgyn and skimmed a little casefiles for Medicine (this was at the end of 3rd year, and thats when I realized i should have used case files for all of the rotations)


later
Omar

 

[manning18]

That's quite thorough! It should be enough. A few suggestions: I think Secrets is pretty bad, as it's way too general (esp for shelf exams). I'd recommend FA for each individual Clerkship (i.e. FA for Medicine is one book, FA for Peds another, then FA for Psych is a 3rd etc) over the ocmprehensive FA for the Wards, which relates more to behavior, note writing, etc as opposed to shelf prep. Case Files is great! Pre-Test is worth looking into, but I think you're pretty well prepped with your current plan (with or without these additional suggestions)!

thanks manning, very helpful...

my plan would be,
for each clerkship:

read Case files, sections from B&W, FA for Wards, Secrets and practice questions from Qbook.

hope thats enough...

 

[me454555]

Manning,

Crush/Secrets may be very broad but I will say that there are some details in that book that I can't find anywhere else. I think their optho section is excellent, way better than FA or B&W and there are some HY tidbits.

 

[manning18]

Thanks, maybe I'll check out some of the sections you referred to, as well as the "100 top secrets" or whatever the last section is called. I thought OB/GYNE, Psych and Peds were awful, which is when I started to shift mroe towards FA!

 

[OBfan]

To maintain USMLEworld (UW), one would have to keep paying for the subscription. A three month block, I believe, costs $249, so it would cost you about $1K to maintain UW all year round. Plus, you'd have already gone through all of the questions by the time Step 2 came around, so it would be harder to receive any additional benefit by using UW (though, in theory, you'd already be wellprepared). I think it might be better to use the Pre-Test books for each M-3 Clerkship than to use UW as an M-3. You can get some nice deals on used books (i.e. Pre-Test, First Aid) from amazon. I, personally, would recommend the First Aid for each Clerkship, though you may be somewone who prefers Blueprints. Then, you can supplement your reading by doing questions from Pre-Test. One source that, in a sense, combines text and questions is the "Case Files" series, published by Lange. There should be one for each Clerkship. I think your idea may work in theory but, at the end of the day, you'd probably be better off using FA + Pre-Test or maybe just Case Files for each Clerkship. That said, you are correct in that knowing the M-3 material well will go a LONG way in succeeding on Step 2. Hope this helps; you can PM me with any additional questions. Good luck!

This is really bad advice. USMLE world is 175 for 3 months and well worth it to do with the rotations and then do them again before step 2.