Step III Changes to step 3 in 2013

Started by Jamaicacarioca
Get help with your application

Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.

Browse articles Compare schools My application plan Read Interview Feedback
Practice for interviews Ask an Advisor
Sort by date Sort by votes
Hey

The changes in 2013 are supposed to involve a reduction in the number of Multiple choice questions on the exam. The CCS portion remains unchanged.
There are supposed to be changes in 2014 as well but not sure what exactly that entails.

Hope this helps
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
newbieme said:
Hey

The changes in 2013 are supposed to involve a reduction in the number of Multiple choice questions on the exam. The CCS portion remains unchanged.
There are supposed to be changes in 2014 as well but not sure what exactly that entails.

Hope this helps
Click to expand...

Yep. My understanding is that in 2014, it will be 2 separate exams. For the current one, I think there are less MCQs and apparently some sort of abstract type thing that we read and answer questions from.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jamaicacarioca said:
Can someone please comment on the changes to step 3 to be implemented in 2013, and how to prepare for them.
Click to expand...

The changes actually happened Feb 2012.
The number of MCQs decreased from 480 items to 474 items.
The number of CCS cases increased from 9 cases to 12 cases.

They also added the following: Items with an associated drug ad or abstract will be introduced into the MCQ section of the USMLE Step 3 examination beginning in mid-February 2012. Each drug ad or abstract will appear as a 2- or 3- item set*; examinees will see no more than 5 of these item sets in their examination.

Other than that....they plan to change again soon. It says no earlier than 2014. They want to make Step 3 two separate tests...meaning, you will have to pass day 1 and day 2 on their own. They will not be combined into one score. When this happens it will be more stressful as I assume passing only one day means you would have to sit both days all over again!

UGH!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
According to usmle.org there are few changes from 2012 in regards to the #'s of MCQ, this includes a slight decrease in # of Q's (used to be 48 or so in each block during the 1st day) any comments of how many Q's per block in the new formate, please?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
How will it really change? Isn't the exam already 2 days?

If I'm reading correctly, the only diff is that they will count it as TWO separate exam instead of one.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Take this garbage by the end of 2013 regardless of how hard your intern yr is...by next yr the fail rate will be so high (having to pass both components seems ridiculous)....will NOT be worth the stress.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ive actually more than just changes in number of questions. Someone was saying theyre adding some step 1 stuff back into it - like bits of biochem and genetics. Oh well, will get done with it in june.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hello fellow residents/attendings,

Im a recent subscriber to q u a tia m d, a physician community where one can learn new topics and take surveys, CME credits, for amazon dollars. Ive actually earned around $100 amazon dollars the first week. Im only a PGY1 and cant moonlight, so this extra amazon money has been nice.

PM me if anyone is interested.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.