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Just creating a thread for everyone who is anticipating getting their CS score tomorrow. Good luck, everyone!
October 9 Step II CS score release
- Thread starter WaylonS
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I'm not sure whether to be nervous or uncaring about this. I have lots of other stuff on my mind, but things would be really, really bad if I suddenly got the report and failed it.
I hate waiting.
I hate waiting.
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You'll be fine--don't worry about it...make sure you enjoy yourself before you have "Xs" in all the boxes in your signature!
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Login where? NBME?
I went to check status and I am unable to find a print permit link..
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https://apps.nbme.org/ciw2/prod/jsp/login.jsp
That link. If there's no "print scheduling permit" in the top left OR if you click the "exam status" link and there is no print option there then you should get it tomorrow.
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I feel the same way here. Luckily it's been long enough to where I've forgotten it.
But, alas, this could potentially be the one thing that screws up my life.
everybody!- Joined
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Are the reports emailed to us?
Is that actually true? Mine appears to be gone. I took my test a few weeks ago but my score reporting period isn't supposed to start until Dec 4. That seems like an awfully quick turnaround on the score report based on everything I've heard. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to get my score tomorrow so I can stop torturing myself thinking I failed.
Or if I did fail, I would have plenty of time to re-take it. 
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They will email you in the morning and say that your report will be up on the nbme website later in the day.
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No email but my student affairs office texted me that I passed!
Good luck to everybody else! This stupid unnecessary stressor needs to go.
Passed. Had a few borderline in ice section. Did well in cis which I was expecting. But knew my ice was lower as my physical exams were a joke.... was nervous as hell...didnt feel confidant as i am with real pts.. go over kaplan core cases book I saw it aftr my exam and thought it was a lot more organized than first aid in presenting information......I spent few weeks on and off goin over cases on skype.. make sure to really practice with sumone dokn the cases perhaps wud felt more comfortable. In any event waz extremely stressful exam for me n gud luck everyonlse let me kno if ne question thnks!
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Does anyone know where we actually go to get the score? I haven't gotten any email or anything.
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score report up -- passed! phew.
left feeling like there was a ton I could be marked down on, did no counseling on risk factors at all and ran out of time on a good number of cases. passed by a comfortable margin in all three areas. I understand these are licensing tests and so maybe the purpose isn't to learn but as always, I would feel these things were more useful if they provided some semblance of feedback. oh well. last test of medical school passed!
left feeling like there was a ton I could be marked down on, did no counseling on risk factors at all and ran out of time on a good number of cases. passed by a comfortable margin in all three areas. I understand these are licensing tests and so maybe the purpose isn't to learn but as always, I would feel these things were more useful if they provided some semblance of feedback. oh well. last test of medical school passed!
PASSED!!
Such a relief...
Preparation:
- 1 week (3 days full time)
- First Aid: Must read!
- Kapla 35 Cases: I didn't have a chance to finish this, but I did use the cue cards at the back while I was traveling to Philly
- Must practice note writing. I noticed I made stupid mistakes the first couple times I practiced. Would not want to do that on the actual test.
- I practiced with a partner for a week, though by practice we usually just asked the questions and said what maneuvers we would do and mime through it pretty fast
Mistakes on the Real Deal:
- Forgot to counsel a couple patients
- Had to say that I didn't know the answer to a challenging question, but "I will look it up and call you back!"
- Forgot to do parts of the joint exam (did not examine one joint above one joint below; this was my last SP and she looked horrendously bored and fed up.)
- Told the patient what the most likely diagnosis was x, and while writing the note realizing its y
- Did not finish answering a challenging question although this SP already asked me a few throughout the encounter
- Probably could've kissed more butt
Anyone feeling stressed, feel free to PM me. Good luck everyone!
Such a relief...
Preparation:
- 1 week (3 days full time)
- First Aid: Must read!
- Kapla 35 Cases: I didn't have a chance to finish this, but I did use the cue cards at the back while I was traveling to Philly
- Must practice note writing. I noticed I made stupid mistakes the first couple times I practiced. Would not want to do that on the actual test.
- I practiced with a partner for a week, though by practice we usually just asked the questions and said what maneuvers we would do and mime through it pretty fast
Mistakes on the Real Deal:
- Forgot to counsel a couple patients
- Had to say that I didn't know the answer to a challenging question, but "I will look it up and call you back!"
- Forgot to do parts of the joint exam (did not examine one joint above one joint below; this was my last SP and she looked horrendously bored and fed up.)
- Told the patient what the most likely diagnosis was x, and while writing the note realizing its y
- Did not finish answering a challenging question although this SP already asked me a few throughout the encounter
- Probably could've kissed more butt
Anyone feeling stressed, feel free to PM me. Good luck everyone!
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Has anyone NOT received a reply who took it in the last test period?
I took it at the end of August in LA, and haven't received any emails and my NBME account isn't showing a report. Am I the only one hanging in the wind, thinking about all the dumb mistakes I made during the test?
I took it at the end of August in LA, and haven't received any emails and my NBME account isn't showing a report. Am I the only one hanging in the wind, thinking about all the dumb mistakes I made during the test?
Feeling lucky. Firs attempt pass. Test is stupid, too expansive and not indicative at all. Its behind me now. Congrads to all who passed. As I was reading 1st aid I couldn't stop but wonder..you get 15 min for simple flu, MI, sexual assault ..common now. If I wanted to be an actor I'd stick to little actor studios in Hollywood. All you guys be proud of your hard work 
I took the exam in the afternoon session in Houston..My friend who took it the next day in the morning session got the result n it was a pass..I am expecting my results today..all my friends who took it before me have their results with them and I was waiting on mine and BAM my friend who took it the next day has the result..!! I know I have to wait till I get it but I m damn scared if there is any chance that I would have failed ..Should I be worried about it..??Please help me out !!Does anyone know what the chances are..??
my friend who took it the next day has the result..!! I know I have to wait till I get it but I m damn scared if there is any chance that I would have failed ..Should I be worried about it..??Please help me out !!Does anyone know what the chances are..??I don't reply often, but unlike Step1/Step2CK this exam has been making me nervous. Things can go really bad if I don't pass, but I did Hopefully the below would help:
Preparation:
- CK a week before CS
- 1 week, on and off
- Read first few chapters of First Aid (on the intro stuff, counseling, tough questions etc)
- Read some mini cases, and did about 10 cases in book
- I didn't practice note writing as I have written enough on FamilyMed and Internal Med. But I did review how to document the normal, esp Neuro/MSK which I am not familiar with.
- No real practices, but did practice in my head.
- For me, the KEY was to set up a system. I had my own system with the SIQORAAA and PAMHUGSFOSS embedded into it, also incorporating stuff like greeting the patient, washing hands, physical exam, draping etc. I wrote the mnemonics over and over again to make sure I remember it. I had a list of things I needed to do before I leave the room: ask pt if he/she has any questions, thank her for consenting to physical exam and answering questions, tell them the most likely dx, the differential, what tests we are going to order, counsel on smoke/drugs/alcohol/sex/DM/HTN.
- I'd like to ask them what they do for a living while i wash my hands By no means required of coz.
Mistakes on the Real Deal:
- Forgot to counsel a couple patients
- Forgot parts of my own system
- Only realize the dx was A, but I should have told her it's B right after I opened the door, but it was too late and I had to walk out of room.
- Forgot parts of exam (e.g. did Weber, Rinne and forgot to test hearing in the first place)
- And of course, not sure of the diagnosis and therefore not knowing the right questions to ask
Hopefully the below would help:Preparation:
- CK a week before CS
- 1 week, on and off
- Read first few chapters of First Aid (on the intro stuff, counseling, tough questions etc)
- Read some mini cases, and did about 10 cases in book
- I didn't practice note writing as I have written enough on FamilyMed and Internal Med. But I did review how to document the normal, esp Neuro/MSK which I am not familiar with.
- No real practices, but did practice in my head.
- For me, the KEY was to set up a system. I had my own system with the SIQORAAA and PAMHUGSFOSS embedded into it, also incorporating stuff like greeting the patient, washing hands, physical exam, draping etc. I wrote the mnemonics over and over again to make sure I remember it. I had a list of things I needed to do before I leave the room: ask pt if he/she has any questions, thank her for consenting to physical exam and answering questions, tell them the most likely dx, the differential, what tests we are going to order, counsel on smoke/drugs/alcohol/sex/DM/HTN.
- I'd like to ask them what they do for a living while i wash my hands
By no means required of coz.Mistakes on the Real Deal:
- Forgot to counsel a couple patients
- Forgot parts of my own system
- Only realize the dx was A, but I should have told her it's B right after I opened the door, but it was too late and I had to walk out of room.
- Forgot parts of exam (e.g. did Weber, Rinne and forgot to test hearing in the first place)
- And of course, not sure of the diagnosis and therefore not knowing the right questions to ask
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PASSED!
Any thoughts on using this as an "excuse" to email some programs to express my interest?
Is it still too soon? My original plan was to send out a handful 2 wks post mspe
Any thoughts on using this as an "excuse" to email some programs to express my interest?
Is it still too soon? My original plan was to send out a handful 2 wks post mspe
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Congrats! Probably too soon, especially considering you can just retransmit your USMLE transcript with the push of a button!
One of our deans said not to e-mail programs until mid-October, so you have a few days yet. Good luck!
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This exam gave me angina for the 3 month wait to get back the score. Thanks to the man upstairs I somehow passed. 2 boxes in borderline but most to the right, good pass margin for CIS, and gold star for SEP
Things I messed up:
1.) Did not write a SINGLE provided vital sign. I wrote one as given by the patient in the HPI
2.) Did not ambulate a patient who i really should have ambulated. I think my family medicine preceptor would kill me if she was watching this encounter.
3.) Terrible differentials for 3 stations, two of which were obvious diagnoses that I mislabeled. On 4-5 of the stations i only listed 1-2 differentials.
4.) Half-assed contraception counseling bc i ran out of time ("have your BF use a condom")...they must have counted it
5.) Forgot to ask about smoking on a patient with hemoptysis (although frankly i got enough history about the likely diagnosis in the first 2 minutes of the case, but i would never be such a bonehead in real life)
6.) Performed Weber/Rinne test on a patient who felt dizzy. Don't know what i was thinking with that one...
7.) Did not provide general appearance of patient in several notes
8.) Did not address a chronic health problem during a station which was unrelated to the chief complaint. I think we are supposed to address everything including HTN mgmt, etc.
9.) Did not ask a patient any social history questions at all
10.) In general messed up the order of my physical exam maneuvers. I was good about getting most of the components (ie: inspect, auscultate, palpate) but again not in a pretty fashion
11.) I sat for an "emergency" room patient after introducing myself. I shook his hand too which elicited an eye roll from the patient
12.) I did not do the note correctly I am pretty sure (negatives that support the diagnosis? I though pertinent negatives help you rule out conditions...)
Things I did that must have salvaged my grade:
1.) Knock, confirm identity (ask how the pt would like to be called), introduce as resident physician and explain role, Open ended question every time
2.) Gloves always. I wish foam was an option bc this would use even less time
3.) Draped appropriately. Mostly common sense
4.) I avoided the PAMHUGGSFOSS method because it seemed to forced. I was good about the patient letting me tell their story and often times a "tell me more" would result in me getting the entire HPI. I did use good transitions to hit PMH, surgical, hospitalizations, etc.
5.) Asked why patients were crying, feeling bad, what they were most worried about. Tried to land these toward the end of the interview but you gotta broach the topic if your patient is in tears in real life so I did it during CS. Abdominal pain=Have you had any new stresses at home?
6.) Any concerns about affording visits? Meds? Help for family members? Pretend Social Worker to the Rescue!!!
7.) Good, quick mental status exams and SIGECAPS, HEADDS, CAGE, Smoking cessation screens. Counseled on the spot so i would not forget it.
8.) I balled out on the tests that I ordered. Maybe it is a sign of medical education now but I feel like the workup for chief complaints has been pretty drilled into my head by medical school
9.) I did know my ROS well and documented it appropriately. My HPI got most of the attention in my notes.
I hope this helps. Good luck to everyone in their future careers. One day all these tests will be a distant memory.
Things I messed up:
1.) Did not write a SINGLE provided vital sign. I wrote one as given by the patient in the HPI
2.) Did not ambulate a patient who i really should have ambulated. I think my family medicine preceptor would kill me if she was watching this encounter.
3.) Terrible differentials for 3 stations, two of which were obvious diagnoses that I mislabeled. On 4-5 of the stations i only listed 1-2 differentials.
4.) Half-assed contraception counseling bc i ran out of time ("have your BF use a condom")...they must have counted it
5.) Forgot to ask about smoking on a patient with hemoptysis (although frankly i got enough history about the likely diagnosis in the first 2 minutes of the case, but i would never be such a bonehead in real life)
6.) Performed Weber/Rinne test on a patient who felt dizzy. Don't know what i was thinking with that one...
7.) Did not provide general appearance of patient in several notes
8.) Did not address a chronic health problem during a station which was unrelated to the chief complaint. I think we are supposed to address everything including HTN mgmt, etc.
9.) Did not ask a patient any social history questions at all
10.) In general messed up the order of my physical exam maneuvers. I was good about getting most of the components (ie: inspect, auscultate, palpate) but again not in a pretty fashion
11.) I sat for an "emergency" room patient after introducing myself. I shook his hand too which elicited an eye roll from the patient
12.) I did not do the note correctly I am pretty sure (negatives that support the diagnosis? I though pertinent negatives help you rule out conditions...)
Things I did that must have salvaged my grade:
1.) Knock, confirm identity (ask how the pt would like to be called), introduce as resident physician and explain role, Open ended question every time
2.) Gloves always. I wish foam was an option bc this would use even less time
3.) Draped appropriately. Mostly common sense
4.) I avoided the PAMHUGGSFOSS method because it seemed to forced. I was good about the patient letting me tell their story and often times a "tell me more" would result in me getting the entire HPI. I did use good transitions to hit PMH, surgical, hospitalizations, etc.
5.) Asked why patients were crying, feeling bad, what they were most worried about. Tried to land these toward the end of the interview but you gotta broach the topic if your patient is in tears in real life so I did it during CS. Abdominal pain=Have you had any new stresses at home?
6.) Any concerns about affording visits? Meds? Help for family members? Pretend Social Worker to the Rescue!!!
7.) Good, quick mental status exams and SIGECAPS, HEADDS, CAGE, Smoking cessation screens. Counseled on the spot so i would not forget it.
8.) I balled out on the tests that I ordered. Maybe it is a sign of medical education now but I feel like the workup for chief complaints has been pretty drilled into my head by medical school
9.) I did know my ROS well and documented it appropriately. My HPI got most of the attention in my notes.
I hope this helps. Good luck to everyone in their future careers. One day all these tests will be a distant memory.
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Are y'all "retransmitting" your USMLE transcripts on ERAS? Seems like the logical next step, just want to check to make sure there's no downside to doing this.
Passed. Am retransmitting as well - why not?
And I like this trend of posting what we did wrong, if only to allay fears that you need to be perfect in order to pass.
- Forgot to wear gloves/wash hands for two patients; one patient scolded me for this
- Performed a certain portion of the neuro exam multiple times because I did not think I was doing it correctly, only to have the patient eventually say, "Ok, that's enough."
- Did NOT listen to hearts/lungs unless it was relevant; I truly only did a FOCUSED physical exam
- Finished every encounter at least a few minutes early
- One tactic that I found worked well was asking the patient, near the end of the HPI, if there was anything they wanted to say that they left out; this often brought out key info that I otherwise may have missed
It seems like the grading is getting tougher for this largely useless test, so best of luck to everyone. And for prep I only read the very short cases in FA CS, and tried to memorize a standard format for each patient (introduce, shake hands, HPI, ROS, PMHx, etc...) that seemed to help cover all the big areas.
And I like this trend of posting what we did wrong, if only to allay fears that you need to be perfect in order to pass.
- Forgot to wear gloves/wash hands for two patients; one patient scolded me for this
- Performed a certain portion of the neuro exam multiple times because I did not think I was doing it correctly, only to have the patient eventually say, "Ok, that's enough."
- Did NOT listen to hearts/lungs unless it was relevant; I truly only did a FOCUSED physical exam
- Finished every encounter at least a few minutes early
- One tactic that I found worked well was asking the patient, near the end of the HPI, if there was anything they wanted to say that they left out; this often brought out key info that I otherwise may have missed
It seems like the grading is getting tougher for this largely useless test, so best of luck to everyone. And for prep I only read the very short cases in FA CS, and tried to memorize a standard format for each patient (introduce, shake hands, HPI, ROS, PMHx, etc...) that seemed to help cover all the big areas.
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Just for the future test takers who don't get their results in the first week of reporting, just wanted to give an update. I got my score precisely a week later, and passed. Hope that reduces some stress if your results don't show up in the first week.
