USMLE Official 2014 Step 2 CK Experiences and Scores Thread

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exudate

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With all the changes going on, I think it is a good time to start a new thread and keep all the scores and experiences organized in one thread. Similar thread was really helpful for step 1, so I am hoping this one will be equally great and helpful to all.

Good luck to all the Step 2 CK'ers in 2014!

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OP that is a good idea, I'll post my experience and score here once it gets released in 3 weeks

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Sat it today.

Studied about 3 weeks, but not with 100% motivation. Was burning out after a very busy year, and just wanted to be done by the end of it. Used UWorld, MTB2 and Secrets.

The exam itself – I felt that UWorld was good preparation for both the style (and length) of questions. The only questions that were seriously longer than what UWorld prepares you with were the psych questions on test day. Reading accounts on here I was expecting massive stimulus materials throughout, and that simply wasn’t the case (for me).

Blocks were 42 to 44 questions throughout. Biostats were straightforward (and stats are not my strength) – NNT, Attributable risk were the only calculations. Probably about 5 drug ads, totalling about 12-15 questions. Otherwise it’s very hard to tell how I performed. There were blocks which I finished only in the nick of time, and others with 15mins to spare – and not so much because of length of questions, but the difficulty.

Ultimately, UWorld is the only thing you really need. YMMV based on the score you’re chasing.

Will update scores when they come through. Good to be done.


P.S. I have 59 days remaining on a freshly wiped UWorld Step 2 Qbank for $100. PM if interested.
 
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Please fill out this form . you will see exam experience of 180 ppl after filling out the form. :)

here are the results if you haven't done any steps yet !


Update: We now have more than 200 exam experience! Thank you everyone :)

Update: Graphs for step 1 and 2 updated and separated in different sheet


speypy.png

speypy.png
 
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My exam is probably going to be at the end of August or sometime in September. I've finished two rotations thus far: pediatrics and psych. I'm currently in OB/GYN. I feel that Step 2 is going to be much more difficult for me compared to Step 1. My NBME shelf scores for peds and psych were lower than the US national average. The only questions which I get right when doing practice questions are the Step 1 related questions.

Anythiing that's Step 2, is a hit or a miss, especially when it comes to: what's the next best step, next step in management, etc etc. I'm using Kaplan QBank as well, and find it extremely difficult. I'm using Kaplan Lecture Notes + SU2S2 + Uworld + Kaplan Qbank + USMLERx + DIT. Figured, since I have all this time, just try to prepare as early as I can.
 
My exam is probably going to be at the end of August or sometime in September. I've finished two rotations thus far: pediatrics and psych. I'm currently in OB/GYN. I feel that Step 2 is going to be much more difficult for me compared to Step 1. My NBME shelf scores for peds and psych were lower than the US national average. The only questions which I get right when doing practice questions are the Step 1 related questions.

Anythiing that's Step 2, is a hit or a miss, especially when it comes to: what's the next best step, next step in management, etc etc. I'm using Kaplan QBank as well, and find it extremely difficult. I'm using Kaplan Lecture Notes + SU2S2 + Uworld + Kaplan Qbank + USMLERx + DIT. Figured, since I have all this time, just try to prepare as early as I can.

you are using way too many resources if you are using all of them to study for your shelf exams.
 
you are using way too many resources if you are using all of them to study for your shelf exams.

He's right, you will lose focus with so many books and qbanks, just focus on UW questions and the recommended textbooks for your rotations

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you are using way too many resources if you are using all of them to study for your shelf exams.
He's right, you will lose focus with so many books and qbanks, just focus on UW questions and the recommended textbooks for your rotations

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Sorry for the confusion fellas. I planned to use all those resources for Step 2 CK. Usually for my shelf exams I generally just do Kaplan +/- Another recommended text book + UWorld + another Qbank. Just disappointed in my performance. Feel that I'm going to have such a difficult time for Step 2 compared to Step 1. I don't know if it's something with my thought process, but I saw Step 1 as one giant puzzle. Just had to connect the dots and that was it. Step 2 seems the complete opposite.

I remember there was a Peds question and basically the kid had omphalocele or gastroischisis. Asked what was the next best step. I wrote down get the kid in for surgery - wrong, lol. The better answer was to sanitate or something along those lines. Stupid questions like that...I miss.
 
Sorry for the confusion fellas. I planned to use all those resources for Step 2 CK. Usually for my shelf exams I generally just do Kaplan +/- Another recommended text book + UWorld + another Qbank. Just disappointed in my performance. Feel that I'm going to have such a difficult time for Step 2 compared to Step 1. I don't know if it's something with my thought process, but I saw Step 1 as one giant puzzle. Just had to connect the dots and that was it. Step 2 seems the complete opposite.

I remember there was a Peds question and basically the kid had omphalocele or gastroischisis. Asked what was the next best step. I wrote down get the kid in for surgery - wrong, lol. The better answer was to sanitate or something along those lines. Stupid questions like that...I miss.

You just have to try to get into a "common sense" mode, since many questions require a combo of good common sense and some basic knowledge. They love that on the surgical questions especially. E.g. patient with a clinical exam that SCREAMS appendicitis. Do you do CT scan or take to OR? You take to OR, because even if CT is negative, you still go based on clinical suspicion. Another example, pregnant woman comes in with pain and vaginal bleeding (sounds like abruption), fetus in distress, etc., the choices will include things like induce labor, C-section, put in 2 IV catheters. Your first instinct will be to manage the fetus, i.e. C-section, but you need to think of the very first thing you need to do - stabilize the mother and get access.

The only way to get better at this is to take a step back and think of how you would do things in real life, and also to do lots of questions and see the thought process that goes into answering them successfully.
 
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Sorry for the confusion fellas. I planned to use all those resources for Step 2 CK. Usually for my shelf exams I generally just do Kaplan +/- Another recommended text book + UWorld + another Qbank. Just disappointed in my performance. Feel that I'm going to have such a difficult time for Step 2 compared to Step 1. I don't know if it's something with my thought process, but I saw Step 1 as one giant puzzle. Just had to connect the dots and that was it. Step 2 seems the complete opposite.

I remember there was a Peds question and basically the kid had omphalocele or gastroischisis. Asked what was the next best step. I wrote down get the kid in for surgery - wrong, lol. The better answer was to sanitate or something along those lines. Stupid questions like that...I miss.

You will get better as the more questions you do, as they will teach you HOW to think. Around here the consensus is to use UW questions for that end, not Kaplan.

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You just have to try to get into a "common sense" mode, since many questions require a combo of good common sense and some basic knowledge. They love that on the surgical questions especially. E.g. patient with a clinical exam that SCREAMS appendicitis. Do you do CT scan or take to OR? You take to OR, because even if CT is negative, you still go based on clinical suspicion. Another example, pregnant woman comes in with pain and vaginal bleeding (sounds like abruption), fetus in distress, etc., the choices will include things like induce labor, C-section, put in 2 IV catheters. Your first instinct will be to manage the fetus, i.e. C-section, but you need to think of the very first thing you need to do - stabilize the mother and get access.

The only way to get better at this is to take a step back and think of how you would do things in real life, and also to do lots of questions and see the thought process that goes into answering them successfully.

lol, I got both those questions you posted wrong. even though she may have the classical presentation of appendicitis, i figured you'd still want to get some type of confirmatory diagnosis, before operating on the patient. i had so much more confidence in Step 1, even way way way before my dedicated study period.

You will get better as the more questions you do, as they will teach you HOW to think. Around here the consensus is to use UW questions for that end, not Kaplan.

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Thanks. Yeah, I did UW for Pediatrics and Psych. Psych questions were a good reflection of what I saw on the shelf. Questions were long, and straight to the point on asking, what's the diagnosis. Still surprised to see that I did significantly below average compared to US students.(80/68). Pediatric questions were...hmm, decent. Then again, I feel I don't use UW properly either. I just do the questions, but don't go back to read the explanations. Just do them, and as long as my score was significantly higher than the average, then I'm content.
 
Those UWorld explanations are what you're paying $$$ for... They're good! Read them! Even just skimming is better than nothing.

OMG man THIS!! UW is not used to feel good about yourself, its usefulness resides in the detailed explanations to each answer choice. That's why you feel so lost, you have not been using it the right way.

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i kinda liked kaplan step 2 q bank. did a few hundred of those questions a couple of days before the exam since my q bank was free and came with the kaplan lectures
 
Took my test on a Tuesday. Does that mean my score will be reported 4 Wednesdays from that date rather than the traditional 3?
 
On that same note, if I took the test on a Thursday, will I get my score on the following 3rd Wednesday?
 
I took my exam on 12/23 and expected to receive my score today as it is the 4th Wednesday since my exam, but it didn't come. Anybody take it the same day?
 
I took it on Dec 27th and did not get my score, I hope it gets released next Wednesday

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I took my exam on 12/23 and expected to receive my score today as it is the 4th Wednesday since my exam, but it didn't come. Anybody take it the same day?
I took it Dec 21st and didn't get my score, so you're not alone. Hopefully we'll get our scores next Weds.
 
So I got my score back today.

I used MTB - 2 and UWorld for about 2 weeks while interviewing. I did not like MTB and it was really not nearly as in depth as I was hoping it would be. Really UWorld is the only right answer to go with this test. I did it about 2x all the way through. I would recommend doing section specific in tutor mode and make sure you read the answer to learn as much as you can. A majority of the benefit of the QBank is not from the questions but rather the answers.

Step 1: 269
UWorld % correct: 84%
Step 2: 273
 
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Sat it today.

Studied about 3 weeks, but not with 100% motivation. Was burning out after a very busy year, and just wanted to be done by the end of it. Used UWorld, MTB2 and Secrets.

The exam itself – I felt that UWorld was good preparation for both the style (and length) of questions. The only questions that were seriously longer than what UWorld prepares you with were the psych questions on test day. Reading accounts on here I was expecting massive stimulus materials throughout, and that simply wasn’t the case (for me).

Blocks were 42 to 44 questions throughout. Biostats were straightforward (and stats are not my strength) – NNT, Attributable risk were the only calculations. Probably about 5 drug ads, totalling about 12-15 questions. Otherwise it’s very hard to tell how I performed. There were blocks which I finished only in the nick of time, and others with 15mins to spare – and not so much because of length of questions, but the difficulty.

Ultimately, UWorld is the only thing you really need. YMMV based on the score you’re chasing.

Will update scores when they come through. Good to be done.


P.S. I have 59 days remaining on a freshly wiped UWorld Step 2 Qbank for $100. PM if interested.

Actual Step 2CK: 248

UWorld Cumulative: 70%
UWSA: 245

Approx 2 weeks full time study spread over 3 weeks. International medical student having just finished medical school - on the back of my final clinical rotation.
 
Actual Step 2CK: 248

UWorld Cumulative: 70%
UWSA: 245

Approx 2 weeks full time study spread over 3 weeks. International medical student having just finished medical school - on the back of my final clinical rotation.

do you think Kaplan Q bank is worth doing as well, or just sticking to UW is enough?
 
Well, I got my results back yesterday, was too busy doing other stuff, I am surprised at how spot-on my score was when compared to my UWSA (which was taken 2 weeks before my actual exam)
Step 2 CK: 250
UWSA: 252
Step 1: 246
 
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do you think Kaplan Q bank is worth doing as well, or just sticking to UW is enough?
That's a pretty open question - obviously your study timeframe, score goals, etc all affect the answer. You probably have found that the consensus on here is to just do UW and do it well. I tend to agree with this; at no point was I intending to use Kaplan.
 
Well, I got my results back yesterday, was too busy doing other stuff, I am surprised at how spot-on my score was when compared to my UWSA (which was taken 2 weeks before my actual exam)
Step 2 CK: 250
UWSA: 252
Step 1: 246

alternatego congrats on the score. Can you give us a write up on how you prepared when you get time? thanks
 
I've used SDN to prepare for both Step 1 and 2, so it's time for me to give back. Thanks to everyone who has posted their experience/study tactics/correlations. I took the exam on 12/15. I used uworld during my clerkships and went through once more over ~3 weeks of semi-dedicated (had interviews during this period) study time. I didn't explicitly remember many questions (~6 months since I'd last used the qbank), but I'm sure I knew some answers based on my previous studying. I used only Uworld and a bit of MTB 2+3 in my weak areas.

Step 1: 249
UWSA (2 weeks prior to exam, ~1/2 through qbank): 247
Uworld (second time, see above): 74%
Step 2 CK: 259

Felt terrible leaving the exam, as I did with step 1. Only looked up one answer, found I got it wrong, and then stopped thinking about the exam at all for the next four weeks. Overall I'm very happy; I had only wanted to match my previous score and not embarrass myself.
 
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Sat the test 12/31. Only used U world and made it through half the questions. (I have a baby which makes it a little bit of a challenge to study) i was a bit thrown by the drug ads and abstracts. .. The way they are presented made it feel like I was taking forever, but in reality I probably spent the same amount of time per question. I didn't feel as awful about this test as I did step 1 walking out, but I attribute that to being more concerned about managing my break time to pump milk than the test being easier. Here are my stats:
Step 1: 228
U world: 1/2 finished 71% first time through
UWSA: 245
Actual Step 2: 248

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uworld step 1 cumulative: 69%
real deal 255+

uworld step 2, started near the beginning of 3rd year, first pass cumulative: 71%
real deal 275+

take home - don't freak out if your percents aren't where you want them to be, just make sure you're using the qbanks productively (ie actually reading the explanations, annotating relevant facts into your main review book etc)
 
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For those the took CK and received their scores. Does the Mon/Tuesday (4th wed) and W/Thur/Fri (3rd wed) still hold true? What were your experiences with scoring timeline?
 
For those the took CK and received their scores. Does the Mon/Tuesday (4th wed) and W/Thur/Fri (3rd wed) still hold true? What were your experiences with scoring timeline?

I took mine on a Monday and received my score on the 4th Wednesday (3 weeks and 2 days later). So, yes, I believe the release schedule still holds true.
 
Not liking studying for this test at all and starting to really hate the MTB series. More than a few times I answer a UWORLD question with the book knowledge and end up getting it wrong. Its making me lose faith in the book.
 
270+

Studied for about 1 month, of which 2 weeks were dedicated all-day study time and the remainder was during an inpatient elective and included some interview days. I just used UWorld. Passed through it all once, read all the explanations in detail (up to 4 hrs spent per set of 44 questions). UWorld (first and only pass) came to ~77%ile average near the end, going up considerably from somewhere around ~65% in the beginning to ~81% at the end. NBME practice exams (x2) were in the 240s. Step 1 was 250+.
 
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Not liking studying for this test at all and starting to really hate the MTB series. More than a few times I answer a UWORLD question with the book knowledge and end up getting it wrong. Its making me lose faith in the book.

In what areas are you finding discrepancies between MTB and UWorld? The latest edition of MTB was just published in December 2012, so I wouldn't think there would be too many major changes in patient management during that time.
 
@Charlie Hustle

There's more than a few between Uworld and MTB.
Where he recommends doing voiding cystourethrogram, Uworld says: do bladder/renal ultrasound.
Where he says sclerotherapy is always a wrong answer, Uworld says: do sclerotherapy

Where he says: make sure culture urine one week after stopping antibiotics to confirm sterile urine, reassess periodically for 1-2 years, Uworld says: Repeat culture after antibiotics is not beneficial unless patient does not respond in 48 hours.

In MTB3 he says >12mg/dl bilirubin in a term infant is abnormal, in MTB2 he says >19.5. Uworld says: >17.


If you look at intussusception in the peds section of MTB2 and 3 you'll see in one it says
Best initial test: ultrasound
and in the other
Best initial test: abdominal x-ray
These are both 2nd edition.


Even in the first section, infectious disease of MTB2, he says on page 27: Best initial therapy for pyelonephritis: Quinolones, on the next page 28, he says: Ceftriaxone is first for pyelonephritis, then go to page 4 where he says: piperacillin, ticarcillin, azlocillin, mezlocillin, are best initial therapy for pyelonephritis.
 
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In what areas are you finding discrepancies between MTB and UWorld? The latest edition of MTB was just published in December 2012, so I wouldn't think there would be too many major changes in patient management during that time.

I agree. I wouldn't be too worried about MTB being inaccurate to the point it will change your score.

Still, Uworld is your best tool.
 
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