The pass/fail trick works. I passed! No more Steps! Besides board certification in IM, this is what I've been working so effing hard for the last 8-9 years.
I took the exam twice. Haven't failed a step before, usually do about 1 standard deviation above average, Step 2 taken in early 2014. I was shocked that I dropped 2-3 standard deviations and failed by 2 points when I took the exam the first time in Dec 2016. prepared for 3 weeks the first time, but was more like a cramming session in regards with Uworld and MTB. Took Step 3 eight months (8/2017) later and score is back to the usual standard deviation above average.
Things I changed the second time through that I thought benefited me:
- Adopted a point of view as a general practitioner when studying for the exam
- When I failed Step 3 the first time, I adopted a strategy of reading the direct question first, the answer choices, and then the question stem before choosing the answer. Why I chose to do this, not completely sure. On previous exams, I read the questions from beginning to end; questions stem first, the direct question, and the answer choices before choosing an answer. Main difference is that I felt like the answer came easier to me, and I was figuring out the concept instead of playing Sudoku
- Reviewed high yield concepts in my weak subjects, which were pediatrics, ob/gyn, and psychiatry. Watched a High Yield peds lecture -- it was a lecture intended for Step 2 found on University of Texas to refresh myself a week before the exam. Both times I took the test, I felt like it was pediatric heavy.
- I did average on Biostats the first time around, did better the second time. Watched a high yield on biostats by Dr. Randy Neil on youtube and opened up the biostats section in First Aid for Step 1.
- Scheduled the exam 2nd week into vacation, Gave myself 5 days to sit down and focus studying and sleeping, 2 days to rest, and then take the exams. This has been my usual pattern when taking exams, study study study then rest a few days before the exam so I thought I go back to this routine. Crappy thing was that I had crazy pretest anxiety the 2nd time around and slept only 2-3 hours each night before the exam but man am I happy I overcame that. The first time I took Step 3, was pretty exhausted from residency itself, studied all the way to the night before the exam, and had work in between testing days.
- Didn't change much with CCS, reviewed Uworld cases again and browsed through Crush CCS once
- Did Uworld twice (i did it once the first time), ranging 80-90% a third time through, reading MTB again, and started Kaplan questions x 1. I actually thought Kaplan questions are helpful. I also referenced First Aid for Step 1 many times for the above. Made flashcards with all of the above.
- Put a little bit more effort in studying ethics, thought they are easy points I could get.
Hope this helps. So glad this part is over. Good luck.
