difference btwn shelf exams vs step 2

[crystalgreen]

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hey guys...im really confused as to the difference btwn preparation btwn shelf exams and step 2. should i be using different books for each? for example, can i use first aid for step 2 for shelf exams? i also heard blueprints is good but is it for step 2 prep or shelf??? please explain and recommend study materials for each...thanks alot!!!!

 

[ACSurgeon]

hey guys...im really confused as to the difference btwn preparation btwn shelf exams and step 2. should i be using different books for each? for example, can i use first aid for step 2 for shelf exams? i also heard blueprints is good but is it for step 2 prep or shelf??? please explain and recommend study materials for each...thanks alot!!!!

This is a lot like step 1 and pre-clinical courses. Could you have passed first/second year using first aid? NO.

Same here. As a third year, you are trying to build the strongest clinical foundation you can. 1 or 2 review books (blueprints, case files, etc) for each rotation should be good enough. When it comes time to study for step 2, that's when you pick up a review book (e.g. first aid) and a qbank and review what you can in 2-4 weeks. The only thing I'd recommend that would count as studying for step 2 DURING third year is to work through UW questions that pertain to each rotation.

Hope this helps

 

[crystalgreen]

This is a lot like step 1 and pre-clinical courses. Could you have passed first/second year using first aid? NO.

Same here. As a third year, you are trying to build the strongest clinical foundation you can. 1 or 2 review books (blueprints, case files, etc) for each rotation should be good enough. When it comes time to study for step 2, that's when you pick up a review book (e.g. first aid) and a qbank and review what you can in 2-4 weeks. The only thing I'd recommend that would count as studying for step 2 DURING third year is to work through UW questions that pertain to each rotation.

Hope this helps

nice..i see what you mean...im doing obgyn right now and we have a recommended textbook and its 400 pgs...so is blueprints...will i need to read both??? 800 pgs seems like alot for during rotations. if i had to pick one which one?

 

[ACSurgeon]

nice..i see what you mean...im doing obgyn right now and we have a recommended textbook and its 400 pgs...so is blueprints...will i need to read both??? 800 pgs seems like alot for during rotations. if i had to pick one which one?

Haha... that would be overkill. I only used case files and did the online questions provided by ACOG. I didn't do great but did well enough that I don't think I would do it differently. People who used blueprints liked it, so if you can learn that book well, plus do some questions' you should be set! Good luck.

 

[Meerkatology]

i don't think anyone has ever read a letter in the "suggested textbooks" that rotations give you.

i'm a question person so i don't think blueprints helped me much either ( i tried it for a couple rotations

i found doing question books along the way was the best. UW, pretest, etc.

for step 2 review you can do 1st aid + whatever question source.

alot of ppl do UW again for step2 after doing them the 1st time for shelfs.

but step2 q's are pretty similar to shelfs.