Kaplan lecture notes +UW to crack CK??

[i4eye]

Hi,
Just wondering if I'm really thorough with Kaplan lecture notes which I intend to be, and practise UW questions, do I need:
1)FA
2)Kaplan Q bank?
Keeping in mind I'm an old IMG, aiming for score in high nineties, and prepared to devote 3months full time for this step. Thanks

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[Law2Doc]

Hi,
Just wondering if I'm really thorough with Kaplan lecture notes which I intend to be, and practise UW questions, do I need:
1)FA
2)Kaplan Q bank?
Keeping in mind I'm an old IMG, aiming for score in high nineties, and prepared to devote 3months full time for this step. Thanks

I think any of the resources, plus the qbank has all the material necessary -- which one you use matters a lot less than the effort you put into it. Most people seem to get by okay using FA, Crush or Secrets or kaplan books plus doing a substantial chunk of World or qbank. Go through the World/qbank answers in detail because that really is a text about everything and will be the most useful resource. The best studying for this test is going over problems and answers. The tutorial mode probably will be more useful than any text. So I think if you are using Kaplan and UW that's fine, just really put the time in to get through and know those resources. You can add more if you want or find those lacking, but it's probably not necessary. 3 months is more than most US students spend on the test, so you may need to add a resource just to fill that time, unless you enjoy repeating the same thing over and over.

 

[Medstudentquest]

I think any of the resources, plus the qbank has all the material necessary -- which one you use matters a lot less than the effort you put into it. Most people seem to get by okay using FA, Crush or Secrets or kaplan books plus doing a substantial chunk of World or qbank. Go through the World/qbank answers in detail because that really is a text about everything and will be the most useful resource. The best studying for this test is going over problems and answers. The tutorial mode probably will be more useful than any text. So I think if you are using Kaplan and UW that's fine, just really put the time in to get through and know those resources. You can add more if you want or find those lacking, but it's probably not necessary. 3 months is more than most US students spend on the test, so you may need to add a resource just to fill that time, unless you enjoy repeating the same thing over and over.

Hey Law2Doc,

You seem to have good ideas many times so can I ask you something in regards to step 2? I would imagine you know my situation by now of the issue with the not matching because of the rank list. So I was weighing my options and basically what I have left to graduate is step 2 CK.

Do you think I should extend my time to the test so that I graduate by summer as opposed to May, in case I need to reapply next year again?

Or should I try to take it as soon as possible so that if anything opens up I can apply?

I am leaning towards the first option as I don't see it's likely that there will be a ton of openings as others say, and I'd like to do as well as possible. What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Medstudentquest]

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[Medstudentquest]

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[Law2Doc]

Hey Law2Doc,

You seem to have good ideas many times so can I ask you something in regards to step 2? I would imagine you know my situation by now of the issue with the not matching because of the rank list. So I was weighing my options and basically what I have left to graduate is step 2 CK.

Do you think I should extend my time to the test so that I graduate by summer as opposed to May, in case I need to reapply next year again?

Or should I try to take it as soon as possible so that if anything opens up I can apply?

I am leaning towards the first option as I don't see it's likely that there will be a ton of openings as others say, and I'd like to do as well as possible. What are your thoughts on this?

I'd say do what you need to to do well on CK, since people are actually going to see the score when you apply for things. So if that means taking another month to devote to studying it pays to do so. Unlike a lot of folks who matched and thereafter are taking it just to pass, this test can help or hurt you. I'd hate to see you rush to get it done and then score poorly and end up hurting your chances.

 

[Medstudentquest]

I'd say do what you need to to do well on CK, since people are actually going to see the score when you apply for things. So if that means taking another month to devote to studying it pays to do so. Unlike a lot of folks who matched and thereafter are taking it just to pass, this test can help or hurt you. I'd hate to see you rush to get it done and then score poorly and end up hurting your chances.

Sorry about the multiple postings btw. That's what I'm thinking as well. Do you think taking it in early July would be too long to study?

As far as what to study with, I am using Kaplan, UW. Do you think investing in Kaplan Q bank is worthwhile? Any other resources?

If I can ask, how long did you study for step 2, and what's the average that most people take? I've noticed some people say oh i took 2 weeks or a month. 2 weeks seems awfully short period of time to study. 4 weeks is more reasonable, but still.

 

[Law2Doc]

Sorry about the multiple postings btw. That's what I'm thinking as well. Do you think taking it in early July would be too long to study?

As far as what to study with, I am using Kaplan, UW. Do you think investing in Kaplan Q bank is worthwhile? Any other resources?

If I can ask, how long did you study for step 2, and what's the average that most people take? I've noticed some people say oh i took 2 weeks or a month. 2 weeks seems awfully short period of time to study. 4 weeks is more reasonable, but still.

Either world or qbank should be fine -- pick the one you like. World is more affordable so that's what most SDNers seem to use, I think. Like I said above pick one text resource (FA, Crush, Kaplan, Secrets) to use along with one question bank and that should be enough -- after that its more a matter of the time/effort you can devote.

I don't know if there's a good answer for how long people tend to study for this because many people are studying on top of things, rather than devoting time solely to this test. I personally studied sporadically over a longer period of time while juggling a number of other things, while others were able to schedule in an intense month to study because of more flexibility in their elective schedules. I think the 2 weeks notion is a bit of an exaggeration -- it comes from the old standby that "you spend 2 months on step 1, 2 weeks on step 2, and just get a #2 pencil for step 3." that's simply a humorous exaggeration. But if you have the time to spend, then sure, spend it. It can only help.

 

[abbaroodle]

I took CK early (between 3rd and 4th yr) and it was really important to me to do well. I had about a month of dedicated studying. Maybe closer to 4 wks. But it was actually pretty perfect. But it also depends on how "dedicated" your dedicated time is (distractions, focus, etc), how much you remember from 3rd yr, and how many practice Q's you feel you need to do. For me, I was pretty dedicated and motivated, remembered a lot from 3rd yr (it was July-Aug), but wanted (needed?) to do a lot of USMLE World.

 

[Clemson Doc]

I took CK early (between 3rd and 4th yr) and it was really important to me to do well. I had about a month of dedicated studying. Maybe closer to 4 wks. But it was actually pretty perfect. But it also depends on how "dedicated" your dedicated time is (distractions, focus, etc), how much you remember from 3rd yr, and how many practice Q's you feel you need to do. For me, I was pretty dedicated and motivated, remembered a lot from 3rd yr (it was July-Aug), but wanted (needed?) to do a lot of USMLE World.

And you got a score you are pleased with?

I have the next six weeks to study approximately one hour per day (I'm on a light rotation), plus a few hours here and there on weekends. Then I will have four weeks of time off to exclusively study for this exam. I plan to read from Crush and Secrets for the next few weeks, and click through the USMLERx question bank (I already have it) for a light review and to cover those things that might be in First Aid that I am not getting from Brochert in Crush and Secrets. Then I plan on devoting most of the final four weeks to USMLE World, as I feel that it should be the core resource used. I hope to make it through all of USMLE World in tutor mode, and perhaps review the questions I missed. I also hope to re-read Secrets to stay on top of the important things I need to know.

My goal is to make at least a 240, but obviously the higher the better. Does this sound doable? Is this a good use of my time?