Need advice, I'm struggling with Step 2CK studying :(

[zeppelinpage4]

Hello everyone, I'm really struggling and freaking out right now.

I blocked off almost 6 weeks of study time for my Step 2CK, scheduled for 8/27.

I'm only two days in, but I feel like my studying isn't working. Just as a background, I needed 8 weeks to study for step 1, and scored a 199. IM was also my first rotation, and weakest shelf exam. All in all, I'm going in knowing I have to study and cover more than most people to pass.

I'm starting with infectious diseases. I tried skimming MTB2 for infectious disease, but it lacked a lot of detail...was just listing antibiotics. I decided to read the infectious disease section of Step Up 2 Medicine, since I heard that is very comprehensive and good if you have a weaker knowledge base.

But I just did my first infectious disease Uworld block and got crushed with a 53% on tutor mode. I felt like the majority of questions came from Step 1 knowledge, and Step Up 2 Medicine didn't cover even half the information that showed up on Uworld.

TLDR:
-I have a weak knowledge base
-My Step 2CK is on 8/27 and I can't push it back because all the other dates are booked solid.
-MTB2 lacks details
-Step Up 2 Medicine has detail but doesn't seem to help with Uworld at all.
-For my peds, ob/gyn, and psych shelf exams, I did CaseFiles + Uworld which worked really well. I like to read a book to get a good overall review to get the big picture, and then do Uworld to fill in the details.

Main concerns:
1) Are there any other review books I should try (First Aid Step 2CK. Crush, MTB3, StepUp2Step2 etc.) ?

2) Should I give either Step Up 2 Medicine or MTB2 another try?

3) Should I drop all review books and just focus on Uworld? I can do 2 blocks (80 q's/day) max, so it would take about a month to finish one pass. Leaving me two weeks to go through incorrects and review weak subjects.

4) Is 6 weeks dedicated enough for someone like me? I struggled with Step 1, so I'm anxious about getting off on the right foot, so I don't risk failing Step 2. However, I can't change my date, and I don't know if any dates will open as the exam approaches.

5) Any other advice?

Sorry for the long post, the advice I received on these forums saved me on Step 1. So I wanted to get advice early in my studying.

Thank you to all who respond.

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[1badvette]

No way you'll be able to read and retain Step up to medicine in the period of time you have , The book only covers IM and step 2 CK is more than IM . My advice would be would to ditch all you have listed above and to stick with Uworld " Ignore % correct" and Onlinemed Vids .. The online Med videos will help you build a solid base .

Buying his notes is not a bad idea , i like to pre read his notes before watching his clips , then read them again after and then move on to next section .

So ... Pre-read -> Watch Clip -> Re -read = usually takes less than 30 min to do each section .

 

[zeppelinpage4]

No way you'll be able to read and retain Step up to medicine in the period of time you have , The book only covers IM and step 2 CK is more than IM . My advice would be would to ditch all you have listed above and to stick with Uworld " Ignore % correct" and Onlinemed Vids .. The online Med videos will help you build a solid base .

Buying his notes is not a bad idea , i like to pre read his notes before watching his clips , then read them again after and then move on to next section .

So ... Pre-read -> Watch Clip -> Re -read = usually takes less than 30 min to do each section .

Thanks! I totally forgot about MeeEd. But yes, it seems best for me to drop the review books and focus on Uworld.

 

[ClinPathDO]

I did UWorld once during 3rd year with review books, Had about 3 weeks of dedicated study time and did UWorld over again, about 3-4 blocks a day, random timed. I found review books too time consuming and low yeild versus UWorld. Ended up with a 263 on USMLE CK.

 

[Light Yagami]

You don't have much time. Watch onlinemeded videos once and get to Uworld. Do Uworld in tutor mode by subject. One you finish Uworld make sure you buy the NBME exams and do them timed.

 

[pd1112]

I would not spend any time on NBMEs unless it's at the end of August. Also, I wouldn't do questions in tutor mode. It ends up taking even more time. I would do 1-2 sets per day for the next 1-2 weeks while watching as many meded videos as you can. Then start increasing to 3-4 blocks per day for a couple weeks with fewer videos. For the last 1-2 weeks I would have a couple days of 1-2 sets and a couple days of 5-6 sets or more to build up some stamina. The rest of the time spent reviewing weak areas with videos and reading more UW explanations. Most important things for you IMO are getting through all or most of the videos and getting through UW once, timed and random to simulate the test. You'll be fine.

 

[1badvette]

I agree with pd112 .. He talks slow and clear , i would speed it up to 1.5x or even better Google has an app that allows you to watch any clip in 1.75X which works the best .. The x2 speed was to much . Using the 1.75 speed cuts down IM vids by 10 hrs lol

 

[pathologyDO]

MTB is not a complete source. You should supplement with either Kaplan videos or Dr. Fischer's videos, both follow MTB. My study plan was something like this:

Morning/Early Afternoon: Read MTB chapters, watch videos, re-read after watching. I also like to write out on paper the diseases to test my retention in a format like.... Disease, Ddx, s/sx, PE, most accurate test, treatments
Evening: UsmleRx focused on subject I covered in MTB (1-2 blocks) + 1 random UWorld block


You will not be rocking UWorld at the start. Your goal is to take notes and learn from the questions in UWorld, and your scores will go up as you move through MTB and get a better grasp for the material