For the love of all that is holy, PRACTICE YOUR CCS!!!!

[Doctor W]

Had 6 months off since graduation. Decided to study an hour a day for step 3. Yesterday I took the first day, and today I took 2nd day. OMG, I shouldve trained more with the software for the CCS. For the CCS portion, I only studied for 4 days. I read alot of the cases and I understood how to place orders from study uworld and CrushStep3, but to study as many cases as I did, I ended each practice case early. I failed to study what to do when the popup came up. Good god, that POPUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1-For the first 3 cases, whenever the 2 min popup came up, I deleted most of my orders, and put in new ones like consults because I assumed the patient got better. It wasn't until the 4th case I read the popup more clearly when it said place orders for "CURRENT situation". From then onwards I kept the orders (like Oxygen lol), and added consults. How the hell did I not learn about the popups???????

2-Probably killed 3 patients. I didn't understand what was wrong and why the pts didnt get any better, until a few minutes before the end I finally got it. I quickly put in EXTREMELY IMPORTANT consults (for both of them), and as soon as I placed order, the popup came up (again for both of them). I have no idea if the consults went through!!! If the consults don't count when the popups come, then I killed 3 patients (one of them being a child, and which is destroying me mentally).

3-I forgot how to treat one of the most important/commonly tested life-threatening problems that probably every medical student knows about (has to do with cardiopulmonary system). I don't want to break the rules, so I'm not gonna say what the diagnosis was, but dear god, if an attending found out, I'd never hear the end of it.

4-I did a procedure on a patient while they were home.

5-Made a patient go home, then come back to the office 4 times in the same day.

6-monitored only a few of the patients because again, I assumed the popups meant either they died, or they great.

7-Thankfully I remembered all my cases, and I'm searched them up through uworld, and CrushStep3. I'm noticing now that I forgot to do aloooooooooooooooooot of stuff.

Fingers crossed I pass. I'm glad to have gotten it out of the way, I just wish I studied more for the CCS cases.

For the MCQs: I only used uworld step2+3, and I felt good (most of the material was still fresh in my head as I took step 2 recently). Just make sure you read the rapid review portion of step 1.

Goodluck everyone

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[pip-tazo]

Thanks for the exam experience, very helpful! Looking to take mine within the next few months.
Did you find UW to be sufficient with CCS? I'm doing the ccscases program first before tackling UW CCS.
Did you find UW Step 2 helpful or was UW Step 3 enough? Wondering if I should order UW Step 2 or is it a waste.
On exam day was the software laggy?
Thanks!

 

[MetroPath]

Thanks for the exam experience, very helpful! Looking to take mine within the next few months.
Did you find UW to be sufficient with CCS? I'm doing the ccscases program first before tackling UW CCS.
Did you find UW Step 2 helpful or was UW Step 3 enough? Wondering if I should order UW Step 2 or is it a waste.
On exam day was the software laggy?
Thanks!

I took Step 3 6 times. I found out late in the game how important CCS is and how it can boost your score. My scoree on CCS was to the far right. UW CCS is the best but you also have to have knowledge of how to manage other conditions that may not show up on the UW CCS cases but most of the high yield cases are there. Man im still having nightmares of Step 3.

 

[steveme]

Had 6 months off since graduation. Decided to study an hour a day for step 3. Yesterday I took the first day, and today I took 2nd day. OMG, I shouldve trained more with the software for the CCS. For the CCS portion, I only studied for 4 days. I read alot of the cases and I understood how to place orders from study uworld and CrushStep3, but to study as many cases as I did, I ended each practice case early. I failed to study what to do when the popup came up. Good god, that POPUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1-For the first 3 cases, whenever the 2 min popup came up, I deleted most of my orders, and put in new ones like consults because I assumed the patient got better. It wasn't until the 4th case I read the popup more clearly when it said place orders for "CURRENT situation". From then onwards I kept the orders (like Oxygen lol), and added consults. How the hell did I not learn about the popups???????

2-Probably killed 3 patients. I didn't understand what was wrong and why the pts didnt get any better, until a few minutes before the end I finally got it. I quickly put in EXTREMELY IMPORTANT consults (for both of them), and as soon as I placed order, the popup came up (again for both of them). I have no idea if the consults went through!!! If the consults don't count when the popups come, then I killed 3 patients (one of them being a child, and which is destroying me mentally).

3-I forgot how to treat one of the most important/commonly tested life-threatening problems that probably every medical student knows about (has to do with cardiopulmonary system). I don't want to break the rules, so I'm not gonna say what the diagnosis was, but dear god, if an attending found out, I'd never hear the end of it.

4-I did a procedure on a patient while they were home.

5-Made a patient go home, then come back to the office 4 times in the same day.

6-monitored only a few of the patients because again, I assumed the popups meant either they died, or they great.

7-Thankfully I remembered all my cases, and I'm searched them up through uworld, and CrushStep3. I'm noticing now that I forgot to do aloooooooooooooooooot of stuff.

Fingers crossed I pass. I'm glad to have gotten it out of the way, I just wish I studied more for the CCS cases.

For the MCQs: I only used uworld step2+3, and I felt good (most of the material was still fresh in my head as I took step 2 recently). Just make sure you read the rapid review portion of step 1.

Goodluck everyone

I am glad you brought this up. i have discussed this issue of acting based on "current" situation several times over last one year in the other thread here @ USMLE - CCS step 3 Tips and Tricks discussion

This is crucial because none of these commercial software including UWorld teach you that. They guide you incorrectly to place orders on 2 min screen that does not pertain to the scenario and also, ask you to put screening orders etc. I am glad USMLE software is now reminding us with a popup. I am sure they are fed up with all invasive tests being placed on sick patients although the simulated time is not beyond a day. ********** has always mentioned and demonstrated this approach from beginning and as demonstrated in **********, the official exam software is best tool to practice on. One could use Uworld etc for extra practice but it doe snot help if there is no guidance on crucial scenarios like these and there are several. I would follow ********** methods 100% as they have come out correct time and again.

 

[idkididk]

...did you pass though?

 

[BazingaHero]

I am glad you brought this up. i have discussed this issue of acting based on "current" situation several times over last one year in the other thread here @ USMLE - CCS step 3 Tips and Tricks discussion

This is crucial because none of these commercial software including UWorld teach you that. They guide you incorrectly to place orders on 2 min screen that does not pertain to the scenario and also, ask you to put screening orders etc. I am glad USMLE software is now reminding us with a popup. I am sure they are fed up with all invasive tests being placed on sick patients although the simulated time is not beyond a day. ********** has always mentioned and demonstrated this approach from beginning and as demonstrated in **********, the official exam software is best tool to practice on. One could use Uworld etc for extra practice but it doe snot help if there is no guidance on crucial scenarios like these and there are several. I would follow ********** methods 100% as they have come out correct time and again.

I am glad you brought this up. i have discussed this issue of acting based on "current" situation several times over last one year in the other thread here @ USMLE - CCS step 3 Tips and Tricks discussion

This is crucial because none of these commercial software including UWorld teach you that. They guide you incorrectly to place orders on 2 min screen that does not pertain to the scenario and also, ask you to put screening orders etc. I am glad USMLE software is now reminding us with a popup. I am sure they are fed up with all invasive tests being placed on sick patients although the simulated time is not beyond a day. ********** has always mentioned and demonstrated this approach from beginning and as demonstrated in **********, the official exam software is best tool to practice on. One could use Uworld etc for extra practice but it doe snot help if there is no guidance on crucial scenarios like these and there are several. I would follow ********** methods 100% as they have come out correct time and again.

I am confuse. Are you saying to prioritize orders needed for the case at hand instead of ordering "colonscopy" to be done at a "later date/time" and its only being ordered because patient is 55 years old and never had one. Even though, current case and scenario has nothing to do with needing colonoscopy or ordering silly vaccine orders?

I just want to make sure because CCScases.com do mark you down if you don't order age appropriate screening on the 2 minute screen.

 

[steveme]

@bazinghero Yes, absolutely. Unfortunately, ccscases,com is not good for medical guidance. It is a software to put in orders and move patient and navigate. but whatever it teaches is absolutely wrong medicine. I would not rely on those protocols. When they score you for colonoscopy on 2-min screen on acute MI patient, they are guiding you very wrongly without prioritizing what is necessary for the case and deviating you in to believing that routine orders like that are necessary in unstable patients on a valuable 2-min screen. Uworld is fine for practice as they do not score you wrongly for erroneous approaches. For protocols, navigation and sequencing, I would rely on ********** and Crush. On the exam, you have 2-minutes for the case-end screen. They are looking for pertinent orders in that 2-min such as follow up monitoring tests which are really scored. These follow-ups should focus on following up toxicity as well as efficacy of an intervention. Screening orders, vaccines etc are not to be done, they waste your time in ED and Inpatient cases. In addition, if you ordered an invasive test like colonoscopy in an acute MI patient and did not choose later, it may even go against you. You reallyw ant to use your 2-mins for pertinent orders.