Hi, I think that studying for step 2 CK is like learning a foreign language, i.e. really when you go through usmleworld I at least always saw a new term or something that basically I couldn't identify, i.e. maybe in the past herpetic whitlow?!? So, I would go and read a little in depth about what I don't know, on a rotation I could google herpetic whitlow and then learn some about it, . . . to take the next step is to be the active learner i.e. visualize what you would do if you had an actual case of herpetic whitlow in the office, i.e. how would you investigate it? how would you know it is herpetic whitlow? it may seem like an obscure factoid, but this is what every family practice knows how to deal with . . ., so basically I would recommend:
1. Use First Aid, read about say multiple myeloma, put the book down for a second and visualize what a patient presenting with multiple myeloma would present as, and how you would treat/diagnose, stage them . . . then look at/re-read the section again, . . . I found that I was just reading to identify diseases, step 2 asks maybe 1/2 to 1/3 what is the next best step in management, so we are expected to already know what the disease it, but we need to know what to do with it. . . basically, when I studied hard I would wake up at 7:30 am to 8 : 00 am, read internet news for half an hour, and then just plain read all day . . . and you should be able to read 100 pages comfortably per day, that is just 10 pages an hour! If you hunker down you can read maybe 120 pgs a day, at the end of studying for step 2 ck I could read maybe 250 pages of first aid step 2 a day! Why? Because it IS like learning a language and I wasn't hung up on all the words I don't know. I think the best books for passing are with a Hail Marry studying schedule:
1. First Aid for Step 2 CK (3 days to read)
2. Add on Step Up to Medicine if you want (3-4 days to read)
3. blueprints ob/gyn & blue prints case files (3-4 days to read)
4. pediatrics pre-test & first aid pediatric clerkship (3-4 days)
5. first aid surgery clerkship (3 days)
6. first aid psychiatry clerkship (3 days)
7. USMLEworld reviewed by just skimming the questions in review mode (5 days)
This schedule is basically 25 days,(studying ~12 hours a day) and you could break it up by doing just 2-3 usmleworld blocks a night after reading books all day, I recommend this as I think for some reason that reading and doing UW each day is better for the brain, i.e. you stay quick with analyzing clinical scenarios AND you review topics a little more in-depth than UW. . . which helps with getting familiar with the test setup and a *couple* questions at most, . . . mostly UW helps highlight whole sections that are weak.