I’ll post this because I used to look for a similar post to give me hope back then...
USMLE STEP 1 2018 - PASS (220)
USMLE Step 2CK 2019- FAILED (207)
USMLE Step 2CK 2020 - PASS (240)
Yes it can be done, I’m not even the first...
Failing is a terrible feeling especially when you’ve never experienced it academically. We see so many posts about stellar scores yet people shy away from sharing attempts when there are many others going through the same scenario. Not the best scenario unfortunately but definitely a possible one. It requires as much effort if not more to overcome the mental barrier and go through the whole nerve wracking process all over again.
I’ll try to keep it short but you can msg me anytime with questions, concerns, or even just support.
First time around, unstructured studying, multiple gaps, distracted, arbitrary deadlines, and high risk taking...
I had finished all the nbmes at this point with low passes or even fails. I used UW and MTB mainly. I got ~210 UW1 and 207 UW2 a week out. Still wanted to do it because I usually underperform on assessments and I trusted my knowledge...
Exam day was a disaster. Halfway through I knew I had failed but kept going hoping subsequent blocks would be better. I left feeling so drained physically and emotionally. I still hoped I passed having read so many feel that way afterwards. The following weeks were a blur because I had applied to the 2019 match; the reason why I took my exam so quickly in the first place...
Suddenly, mid IV season I had gotten my expected score, a fail. By 2 points only...I tried to repeat my exam before rank list but I was too depressed and couldn’t focus. I withdrew my application and the journey to recovery began...
It is very important, to realize what happened, what went wrong, and what you can do about it. You won’t be able to focus and study again if you don’t fully recover from such an extreme shock. When I failed I had gained over 40lbs, looked and felt terrible. Thoughts were still racing in my head and my anxiety was through the roof...again, not an ideal place to start off preparing again. Pick yourself up, and gradually work your way upwards.
Second time around, things were different. I was eating right and working out everyday. I had revised STEP 1 notes, studied my STEP 2 notes again, and did UW continuously X2 + incorrect Qs. I also used Anki...
Even though I remembered some questions, the fact that my first prep was inadequate meant I didn’t digest the concepts properly and I was learning a lot of things for the first time. I went over every explanation and learned to pick up the pertinent info from large question stems. This just came with lots of practice and finding out what approach fit me...Don’t rush the process. Exam day was much much better, I knew I had passed but had no idea how I performed. Looking back, I feel that it would’ve been def possible for me to score in the 250s had I not been fatigued in the last 3 blocks. Exam stamina is very difficult for me. I did not do any practice tests or even the free 120s. I trusted the process and believed in my preparation. I used my performance on new UW questions as a guide. I had >300 completely new qs that I did timed and untutored. My UW avg the first time was ~63% and the second time was ~77%.
How much you want something will dictate the effort you put in and how much you are willing to give it...
Stay safe and good luck with exams everyone!