FA step 1 is to step 1, as "Blank" is to step 2

[Powel6016]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Looking for the ultimate study source for step 2.

FA step 1 is to step 1, as "Blank" is to step 2

or like this:

First aid step 1: Usmle Step 1
<blank>: Usmle Step 2

Please fill in the blank. 😀

 

[kemper6036]

first aid for step 2 is pretty decent IMHO. dont forget usmle world

 

[radiodoc99]

Kaplan Notes+FAStep2+Crush+UWorld/QBank/USMLERx = Step 2

There is no one book or source which is sufficient for Step 2.

 

[Neo2011]

Kaplan Notes+FAStep2+Crush+UWorld/QBank/USMLERx = Step 2

There is no one book or source which is sufficient for Step 2.

I think you inadvertently left out Step 2 Secrets, and Master for the Board 🙂

 

[Man In White]

Seriously .. just do UWorld as many times as you can.

 

[Powel6016]

I just heard recently about: Kaplan Medical USMLE Master the Boards Step 3 by Conrad Fischer, that its the next best thing. That its sufficient for step 2. What do you guys think?

 

[DrVanNostran]

I just heard recently about: Kaplan Medical USMLE Master the Boards Step 3 by Conrad Fischer, that its the next best thing. That its sufficient for step 2. What do you guys think?

He is coming out with a book for step 2:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607146533/ref=pd_luc_sbs_02_01

Seems like it will excellent based off his reviews for step 3. I think I might pick up the Step 3 book, is it good for management? I hear that planning/directing care is one of the harder things for a third year medical student to grasp.

 

[Waysensei]

I am about to start year 3 and would like to avoid making the mistakes of years 1-2 where I purchased far too many sources. I would like to get only 1-2 books (the equivalent of FA + Goljan for step 1) that will carry me to a good score on step 2.

I also have heard about "Master the Boards" and that it is good for step 2 prep. However, since it is a step 3 book, will it have too much information that is extraneous for step 2? If so, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I thought RR Path was far too detailed for step 1 yet was my most referenced book in years 1-2.

I just heard recently about: Kaplan Medical USMLE Master the Boards Step 3 by Conrad Fischer, that its the next best thing. That its sufficient for step 2. What do you guys think?

 

[DrVanNostran]

I am about to start year 3 and would like to avoid making the mistakes of years 1-2 where I purchased far too many sources. I would like to get only 1-2 books (the equivalent of FA + Goljan for step 1) that will carry me to a good score on step 2.

I also have heard about "Master the Boards" and that it is good for step 2 prep. However, since it is a step 3 book, will it have too much information that is extraneous for step 2? If so, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I thought RR Path was far too detailed for step 1 yet was my most referenced book in years 1-2.

I think we should just wait for the step version to come out this fall. I think I might go ahead and get the step 3 version as well, might be a nice reference to have next year.

 

[Waysensei]

First editions scare me. I tend to stay away from them. I bought the FA for the Basic Sciences set. What a waste of money IMO and this was from the FA team.

I think we should just wait for the step version to come out this fall. I think I might go ahead and get the step 3 version as well, might be a nice reference to have next year.

 

[Powel6016]

He is coming out with a book for step 2:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607146533/ref=pd_luc_sbs_02_01

Seems like it will excellent based off his reviews for step 3. I think I might pick up the Step 3 book, is it good for management? I hear that planning/directing care is one of the harder things for a third year medical student to grasp.

Idk if its good for management, but its for step 3 I bet it def includes stuff relevant to step 2 and they go a little further. So maybe if you just know the basics from the step 3 book maybe that will be good enough for step 2.

 

[Powel6016]

I am about to start year 3 and would like to avoid making the mistakes of years 1-2 where I purchased far too many sources. I would like to get only 1-2 books (the equivalent of FA + Goljan for step 1) that will carry me to a good score on step 2.

I also have heard about "Master the Boards" and that it is good for step 2 prep. However, since it is a step 3 book, will it have too much information that is extraneous for step 2? If so, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I thought RR Path was far too detailed for step 1 yet was my most referenced book in years 1-2.

Yea RR Path was a lot but I loved it. I'm also looking for the "FA +RR combo" for step 2.

 

[Waysensei]

What is the difference in content between step 2 and step 3? If I study a step 3 book, what is the material that is missing/extra that I don't need for step 2?

 

[kemper6036]

Seriously .. just do UWorld as many times as you can.

amen brotha 👍

 

[MedicineMan99]

FA for Family Medicine Boards. That's all you need.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

FA for Family Medicine Boards. That's all you need.

Really?

 

[lord_jeebus]

USMLEWorld is all you need if you've been studying for shelf exams this/last year.

If you must buy a book, First Aid or Secrets. But don't sacrifice USMLEWorld time to read it.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

USMLEWorld is all you need if you've been studying for shelf exams this/last year.

If you must buy a book, First Aid or Secrets. But don't sacrifice USMLEWorld time to read it.

Yeah, but you're also a very bright individual.

I studied very hard during cores for the shelf (and did well on them) and apparently forgot quite a bit of minutiae. So, I'm spending these 1-2 weeks going through everything and while it has refreshed my memory, I still feel like part of it tries to seep out. Doing Q's helps but sometimes it doesn't. Any advice for the average joe like myself with these issues?

 

[lord_jeebus]

Yeah, but you're also a very bright individual.

I studied very hard during cores for the shelf (and did well on them) and apparently forgot quite a bit of minutiae. So, I'm spending these 1-2 weeks going through everything and while it has refreshed my memory, I still feel like part of it tries to seep out. Doing Q's helps but sometimes it doesn't. Any advice for the average joe like myself with these issues?

Step 2 has much less minutiae than Step 1. I would do a full UW run-through before spending much time with a review book. Perhaps read Secrets - it's short and sweet.

 

[MedicineMan99]

I agree that Secrets is a great book- not comprehensive of course. A friend of mine (who took the "new" COMLEX II and failed) immediately memorized FA for Family Medicine Boards (which makes perfect sense if you think about it), UWorld, Secrets and then passed comfortably.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

I agree that Secrets is a great book- not comprehensive of course. A friend of mine (who took the "new" COMLEX II and failed) immediately memorized FA for Family Medicine Boards (which makes perfect sense if you think about it), UWorld, Secrets and then passed comfortably.

What about the use of COMBank and COMQuest? Did that help?

 

[shift_roro]

FA/Secrets/UWorld

 

[MedicineMan99]

What about the use of COMBank and COMQuest? Did that help?

Yes sorry I forgot to mention them. I know 3 people who failed the "new" COMLEX II. They all THEN did the same thing and passed comfortably. Here is what they THEN did:

FA for the Family Medicine Boards
Secrets
Boards & Wards
UWorld
COMQUEST
COMBANK

That is it. I'm really truly convinced that is all you need to do well. That's all I'm doing.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Define "comfortably" ... I've got 5 weeks to go, I'm not sure if I should change up my strategy or not.

I just don't want to get into something where I end up reading 10000 different sources. Is that do-able in the 5 week period?

I've got Step Up to Step 2 + DIT Notes I've taken, Secrets, Boards/Wards. I've got OMT Review and this Medical Malpractice handbook I'm gonna read through for a day or so. Finished COMQuest in 8-9 days total, now just going through and reviewing the Qs ... start COMBank next week. I plan to re-watch DIT another 1-2 more times. I also have UW Q's and may do some Q's out of those, too.

 

[MedicineMan99]

Define "comfortably" ... I've got 5 weeks to go, I'm not sure if I should change up my strategy or not.

I just don't want to get into something where I end up reading 10000 different sources. Is that do-able in the 5 week period?

I've got Step Up to Step 2 + DIT Notes I've taken, Secrets, Boards/Wards. I've got OMT Review and this Medical Malpractice handbook I'm gonna read through for a day or so. Finished COMQuest in 8-9 days total, now just going through and reviewing the Qs ... start COMBank next week. I plan to re-watch DIT another 1-2 more times. I also have UW Q's and may do some Q's out of those, too.

At this point then I would suggest sticking w/ FA for Family Medicine Boards, Secrets, UWorld, Comquest, and Combank. You probably won't have time to read all of FA for Family Medicine Boards right now so focus on Secrets and the question banks. My one friend failed the first time with ~350, and passed w/ a 500 (he really is not a good test taker to begin with so that's quite an improvement).

Did you find DIT to be worth the money?

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

I think it's pretty good. I'll be taking another COMSAE this weekend, so hopefully I do much better than my pre-lim COMSAE I took right after my core rotations.

I'm not the best test-taker myself, but I passed Level 1 pretty comfortably and I've noticed quite a jump on my COMQuest scores. I've still got COMBank to do (probably do about 100/night and there's 1200 total, i think? - so I should be in under 2 wks with that).

FA for FM book has some errors, for example, meningitis due to neurosurgical procedure I think is S. aureus as the #1 causative agent. This was harped on with DIT, and also on e-medicine. This is me quickly scanning through some chapters with a PDF I found though ... (I KNOW I KNOW, random small detail that's unlikely tested, but .. meh, seems good overall, just ... long.

 

[markglt]

fa + uw over and over and over = solid score, no doubt. fa 2ck is solid. too bad fa suxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for s3

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

.