Official Step 2 CK Resources Thread

[Pox in a box]

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What sources are you using for Step 2 CK (specifically those other than online question banks)?

Here's a few books that have been discussed previously and I'm curious to know what people think about some of the "newer" resources that have recently been published:

1. Secrets
2. Crush
3. First Aid
4. Deja Review
5. Boards & Wards
6. Cracking the Boards
7. Prescription for the Boards

 

[manning18]

You should browse through older threads, as they should have some useful info. I started with Secrets (which is the same as Crush) and found it way too general. I switched over to First Aid (FA) and have been very pleased with the content. I saw the glowing reviews (5/5 starts from 11 reviewers) that Deja got on Amazon, so I went ahead and bought it.
I recently started to read Deja, after having obtained working knowledge of FA. Deja is an excellent resource, but its utility is limited until the examinee has the basics down (ie FA, etc). You should build your base of knowledge with FA and then supplement it with Deja and questions. USMLEworld appears to be the preferred question pool, based on comparisons with QBank.
If you know those three sources, you should do well, with no need for the other books you inquired about!

 

[Pox in a box]

You should browse through older threads, as they should have some useful info. I started with Secrets (which is the same as Crush) and found it way too general. I switched over to First Aid (FA) and have been very pleased with the content. I saw the glowing reviews (5/5 starts from 11 reviewers) that Deja got on Amazon, so I went ahead and bought it.
I recently started to read Deja, after having obtained working knowledge of FA. Deja is an excellent resource, but its utility is limited until the examinee has the basics down (ie FA, etc). You should build your base of knowledge with FA and then supplement it with Deja and questions. USMLEworld appears to be the preferred question pool, based on comparisons with QBank.
If you know those three sources, you should do well, with no need for the other books you inquired about!

Thanks Manning. I've read through a lot of the older threads but I'm wanting a major consensus for today and some of these books are so new that not many have even used them. They aren't discussed much. Why do you say Crush and Secrets are the same? It's the same author but not the format.

 

[manning18]

Crush and Secrets have virtually identical content, in a different format and are both authored by Brochert. B&W gets mentioned on this site from time to time and gets fairly good reviews, though I'm not familiar enough to comment on it. I can not recall any mention of Cracking the Boards or Rx, though a friend of mine used Rx and thought it was OK.

 

[VincentAdultman]

B and W is good if you've been useing it throughout 3rd year. I'm not sure it's as useful if you are just breaking open 2 weeks before you take the test.

FA is clutch tho.

UW is overrated!

 

[manning18]

Pompacil, do you think knowing FA well is enough to pass? Even withOUT using UW? What made you think UW is overrated? Thanks!

 

[VincentAdultman]

If you knew FA, I think you could pass. It covers the high yield areas well and I was impressed with how much detail it went into. I wouldn't skip doing questions though. I think that's most important of all. Speaking of which....

I said UW was overrated kind of as a joke...considering the cult-like status it has on this board. Qbank has gotten better in terms of quality and I don't think you can go wrong either way (UW is cheaper though.)

 

[mjl1717]

If you knew FA, I think you could pass. It covers the high yield areas well and I was impressed with how much detail it went into. I wouldn't skip doing questions though. I think that's most important of all. Speaking of which....

I said UW was overrated kind of as a joke...considering the cult-like status it has on this board. Qbank has gotten better in terms of quality and I don't think you can go wrong either way (UW is cheaper though.)

Thats one of the things about this field:

There is always ONE guy telling you something contradicting, whether its "haha I didnt study at all for step 1 or 2" or " haha o those were the easiest exams I ever took" or "haha UW is overrated" . I always wondered if the motivation was 1) they starved for attention or 2) want to sound important or big or 3) what I call "Napolean complex" or 4)a lump all category of pride and ego or 5) doesnt now how to constructively use time. My comment is why discount a well tested product. {also I dont work for U.W.}

 

[VincentAdultman]

Thats one of the things about this field:

There is always ONE guy telling you something contradicting, whether its "haha I didnt study at all for step 1 or 2" or " haha o those were the easiest exams I ever took" or "haha UW is overrated" . I always wondered if the motivation was 1) they starved for attention or 2) want to sound important or big or 3) what I call "Napolean complex" or 4)a lump all category of pride and ego or 5) doesnt now how to constructively use time. My comment is why discount a well tested product. {also I dont work for U.W.}

How about because I think it's overrated?

The dude wanted feedback on resources and I gave it. In my experience, the only thing UW has over Kaplan is price. All I heard while I was studying was how UW was SO MUCH BETTER. Well it turned out that Kaplan worked out great for me. So yes, I think USMLEworld is overrated. Sorry to rag on your precious UW though.

For the record, I thought the exams were hard and worked my ass off to prepare for them.

 

[manning18]

Pompacil, are you familiar at all with Deja Review for Step 2? It got killer reviews on Amazon, which is why I bought it. Just started my 2nd read of it. It's 266 short pages, so one can get through it in 2 days (maybe even 1 day after having read it once/twice before).

http://www.amazon.com/Deja-Review-E...6/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-7104514-1897536?ie=UTF8

I'm happy with it thusfar, as it pinpoints a lot of specific scenarios and highlights work up/treatment. A lot of the content overlaps with FA (some basically verbatim), but a good deal is stuff covered in FA, but presented in a different light, which is nice. Thanks!

 

[VincentAdultman]

Pompacil, are you familiar at all with Deja Review for Step 2? It got killer reviews on Amazon, which is why I bought it. Just started my 2nd read of it. It's 266 short pages, so one can get through it in 2 days (maybe even 1 day after having read it once/twice before).

http://www.amazon.com/Deja-Review-E...6/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-7104514-1897536?ie=UTF8

I'm happy with it thusfar, as it pinpoints a lot of specific scenarios and highlights work up/treatment. A lot of the content overlaps with FA (some basically verbatim), but a good deal is stuff covered in FA, but presented in a different light, which is nice. Thanks!

This thread is the first place I've ever heard of it. Is it new for this year?

 

[manning18]

Deja is a relatively new book, as most of its authors graduated from Ohio State Medical School in 2004. The edition I have is 1st or 2nd. It seems to be much less well-known than some of the major Step 2 sources, though a Step 1 Deja was even more recently released. I agree that FA has good detail and covers the main topics well. By supplementing FA with Deja and UW, I think things will work out!

 

[Pox in a box]

B and W is good if you've been useing it throughout 3rd year. I'm not sure it's as useful if you are just breaking open 2 weeks before you take the test.

FA is clutch tho.

UW is overrated!

Did you really think FA is clutch? I haven't read it all but I thought the cardiology section was very weak. It's pretty brief and confusing. Their system approach is odd...then they leave out surgery alltogether.

 

[VincentAdultman]

Did you really think FA is clutch? I haven't read it all but I thought the cardiology section was very weak. It's pretty brief and confusing. Their system approach is odd...then they leave out surgery alltogether.

I don't know...I thought cardiology was good enough. The way FA tackles the content with the systems approach is really no different than what B and W does. I guess it's just a matter of what works best for you.

Surgery...yea FA was pretty weak there. But I just used qbank to back myself up in that regard. Besides, I found that on the actual test, there is MUCH more IM compared to surgery, all of whch being trauma. But that's just me.

 

[drdrew267]

First off, I am a NORMAL student, I am not one of these wizards and totally scary students that seem to reel off titanic board scores like they were genetically engineered to do so. What I'm about to share is based on my own personal, painfully and sweatfully-earned experience so do with it as you will!

Step 2 resources I used?
1) First Aid for Step 2 CK: people say they don't like bullet points but people are stupid - look, you only have 2 months at the most so this is the best comprehensive review out there PERIOD. Use this as a notepad, use this as a quick final review, as a plus, it's got excellent pictures, excellent background. The ONLY drawback = takes at LEAST SIX WEEKS TO DO (I barely made it) - if you have less time, forget it. (see B&W/Secrets)

***Optional addition: Step up to Medicine: use this instead of Harrisons/Cecil's for the sake of time when you read other review books and say to yourself "...wha....??" It is comprehensive, althought watch out b/c the clinical guidelines (Blood pressure, DM treatment goals) may be out of date.

3) Step 2 SECRETS - there really is no secret about this book, it is amazing.
If you only had 1 month to study, you better know this book. THIS IS ESSENTIAL.
***Incidentally - Crush is a WASTE OF TIME (DO NOT BUY IT) it is written by the same guy and literally has the same text as Secrets, just more pictures and the same text organized into tables...sorry Mr Rochert, "secret's" out!

4) OBGYN book you used for 3rd yr (I used Blueprints/First aid, use your judgement on how much you read of this since everyone differs in their re-learning capabilities...I'd suggest doing Q's to see where you're at). The rumors you heard are really true, OBGYN is the elephant in the room for Step 2!!

5) Hematology text you used in med school - again for background and/or pics

6) Boards and Wards...eehh - wasn't too impressed, the detail isn't nearly good enough for comprehensive review althought its overall coverage of topics is probably the best out there besides First Aid. But then again, if you only have a month, I'd combine this with Secrets since First Aid takes longer. However, IF you have time for First Aid, drop this one.

My results made me ecstatic. Step 2 = 239/97 (better than my Step 1 baby!). The difference? I spent the exact same amount of time but I used USMLEWORLD instead of Qbank. I got ~65-73% on USMLEWORLD. There really is no comparison or arguing about its superiority over Kaplan. It is comprehensive. It is well-organized. It is representative. It is informative. But most of all, it is CHEAP!!

Hope this helps! Good luck everyone!! 😀

 

[pjl]

I did not do as well as I wanted on step 1, so I wanted to do better for step 2. For this I took 3 weeks off of rotations and took the test the last day. I read through Crush step 2 one and a half times. I did UW AND kaplan. I liked the UW better I think, although they get confused in my head. I did all the questions in these 3 weeks. I ended up doing 40 points better on step 2. Based on this I think those resources would be overkill for smarter people. I am the dumbest kid in my med school class.

 

[josephf1]

what is the latest version of step 2 ck FA, is it 2005? or is there a newer one?

 

[manning18]

2005 is the latest I know of and is entitled First Aid for USMLE Step 2 CK, as opposed to previous editions where the CK was excluded from the title. You should check with Amazon or McGraw Hill (the publisher's) website before buying, as you'll want the latest edition!

 

[om207]

I searched amazon and the publisher's website for the newest edition of First Aid for the Step 2 CK, and it seems like the newest one is 5th Edition (Copyright 2006, Pub. 09/2005). Does anyone know when the 6th edition will be out? (website says 6th Edition= Copyright 2007, Pub. 06/2007)

thanks! 👍

 

[manning18]

The best way to find out with the best accuracy is by contacting the Publisher. In this case, it's McGraw-Hill (Educational division). I was waiting for the FA Step 2 Case Book and it kept getting delayed, so contact McGraw is the best way to get the most accurate info. If you need FA in the near future, you should go ahead and purchase the edition that is currently available. If you're an M-3, maybe you can wait, but you shouldn't need to wait if you'll need to pass the test this school year to graduate!

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

First off, I am a NORMAL student, I am not one of these wizards and totally scary students that seem to reel off titanic board scores like they were genetically engineered to do so. What I'm ...

Hope this helps! Good luck everyone!! 😀

Thanks for the useful post that actually discuses resources!
You rock!

😍

 

[mrdowntoearth]

Does anybody know how First Aid Wards is different from First Aid Step 2K? Has anybody ever used FA Wards to prep for Step 2K?

 

[mrdowntoearth]

Does anybody know how First Aid Wards is different from First Aid Step 2K? Has anybody ever used FA Wards to prep for Step 2K?

Nobody knows?

 

[Pinner Doc]

Nobody knows?

I don't know, but I would be interested to find out as well.

 

[VincentAdultman]

Does anybody know how First Aid Wards is different from First Aid Step 2K? Has anybody ever used FA Wards to prep for Step 2K?

I've looked through both, using a slightly older version of FA4W.

The big difference is that FA4W is more of a survival guide for getting you through MS3. There are sections on each of the major rotations, with tips to function well on rounds, writing notes, what to expect in a typical day, etc. After that they give HY info on some clinical problems you are likely to see. It doesn't go as in-depth as FA does in terms of actual clinical knowledge and doesn't have those "Zebras" listed in the margin.

Wards is a good book, but I would not use it for CK.

 

[mrdowntoearth]

Thanks Pompacil!

 

[hopemedbound]

Excellent information throughout this entire post, thanks a lot guys.

While I know this was touched on a while ago, I am looking into which question bank to go with for my Step 2 studying, does anyone highly recommend USMLEWorld or Qbank or USMLEasy over another with personal experience?

thanks!

 

[JulianCrane]

Where is USMLEWorld available? Do people usually take Step2 CK/CS right after third year or wait a while? I've looked at those practice questions on the USMLE website, and are those questions comparable to what is on the actual exam?

 

[Wrigleyville]

I think Step 2CK is different that Step 1 in that you already know or at least used to know 99% of the information on the test. All you need to do well is a question resource and a single review resource.

 

[VincentAdultman]

Where is USMLEWorld available? Do people usually take Step2 CK/CS right after third year or wait a while? I've looked at those practice questions on the USMLE website, and are those questions comparable to what is on the actual exam?

UW is web-based, just like Kaplan's Qbank. Just do a google search.

When you take CK depends on a few things. Some residencies (gen surgery) want to see these, so people applying for surgery take it the summer after M3. Others don't care as much, so you can put it off. In addition, if you're applying for something competitive and your step one is not so good, you study your ass off for Step 2 and hope for an improvement.

Or you could be like me and just want to get the damn thing over with and not have to worry about it the rest of the year.

The free questions are easier than the real thing, but how you do on them is still one of the better indicators of how you'll do on the real thing I believe.

 

[DIVA01]

did anyone only use the kaplan books and UW? this is what i'm thinking about doing. good idea/bad idea? anyone have suggestions? i have about 4-6 weeks. do you all think that's enough?

gracias in advance!

 

[TY06]

the best thread ever!!! thanks all.

 

[skolar79]

Can anyone comment on how Kaplan qbank % correlated with other sources and actual CK score?

thx!

 

[deleted113029]

First off, I am a NORMAL student, I am not one of these wizards and totally scary students that seem to reel off titanic board scores like they were genetically engineered to do so. What I'm about to share is based on my own personal, painfully and sweatfully-earned experience so do with it as you will!

Step 2 resources I used?
1) First Aid for Step 2 CK: people say they don't like bullet points but people are stupid - look, you only have 2 months at the most so this is the best comprehensive review out there PERIOD. Use this as a notepad, use this as a quick final review, as a plus, it's got excellent pictures, excellent background. The ONLY drawback = takes at LEAST SIX WEEKS TO DO (I barely made it) - if you have less time, forget it. (see B&W/Secrets)

***Optional addition: Step up to Medicine: use this instead of Harrisons/Cecil's for the sake of time when you read other review books and say to yourself "...wha....??" It is comprehensive, althought watch out b/c the clinical guidelines (Blood pressure, DM treatment goals) may be out of date.

3) Step 2 SECRETS - there really is no secret about this book, it is amazing.
If you only had 1 month to study, you better know this book. THIS IS ESSENTIAL.
***Incidentally - Crush is a WASTE OF TIME (DO NOT BUY IT) it is written by the same guy and literally has the same text as Secrets, just more pictures and the same text organized into tables...sorry Mr Rochert, "secret's" out!

4) OBGYN book you used for 3rd yr (I used Blueprints/First aid, use your judgement on how much you read of this since everyone differs in their re-learning capabilities...I'd suggest doing Q's to see where you're at). The rumors you heard are really true, OBGYN is the elephant in the room for Step 2!!

5) Hematology text you used in med school - again for background and/or pics

6) Boards and Wards...eehh - wasn't too impressed, the detail isn't nearly good enough for comprehensive review althought its overall coverage of topics is probably the best out there besides First Aid. But then again, if you only have a month, I'd combine this with Secrets since First Aid takes longer. However, IF you have time for First Aid, drop this one.

My results made me ecstatic. Step 2 = 239/97 (better than my Step 1 baby!). The difference? I spent the exact same amount of time but I used USMLEWORLD instead of Qbank. I got ~65-73% on USMLEWORLD. There really is no comparison or arguing about its superiority over Kaplan. It is comprehensive. It is well-organized. It is representative. It is informative. But most of all, it is CHEAP!!

Hope this helps! Good luck everyone!! 😀

if it took you 6 wks to review from FA, then you are NOT normal. 42 days?! that defeats the purpose of a review book.

you're right! as you said, people are stupid.🙄

 

[JulianCrane]

When did you all take the actualy exam in relation to the start of 4th year and interviewing and such? How much time would u devote to studying?

 

[VincentAdultman]

First off, I am a NORMAL student, I am not one of these wizards and totally scary students that seem to reel off titanic board scores like they were genetically engineered to do so. What I'm about to share is based on my own personal, painfully and sweatfully-earned experience so do with it as you will!

Step 2 resources I used?
1) First Aid for Step 2 CK: people say they don't like bullet points but people are stupid - look, you only have 2 months at the most so this is the best comprehensive review out there PERIOD. Use this as a notepad, use this as a quick final review, as a plus, it's got excellent pictures, excellent background. The ONLY drawback = takes at LEAST SIX WEEKS TO DO (I barely made it) - if you have less time, forget it. (see B&W/Secrets)

***Optional addition: Step up to Medicine: use this instead of Harrisons/Cecil's for the sake of time when you read other review books and say to yourself "...wha....??" It is comprehensive, althought watch out b/c the clinical guidelines (Blood pressure, DM treatment goals) may be out of date.

3) Step 2 SECRETS - there really is no secret about this book, it is amazing.
If you only had 1 month to study, you better know this book. THIS IS ESSENTIAL.
***Incidentally - Crush is a WASTE OF TIME (DO NOT BUY IT) it is written by the same guy and literally has the same text as Secrets, just more pictures and the same text organized into tables...sorry Mr Rochert, "secret's" out!

4) OBGYN book you used for 3rd yr (I used Blueprints/First aid, use your judgement on how much you read of this since everyone differs in their re-learning capabilities...I'd suggest doing Q's to see where you're at). The rumors you heard are really true, OBGYN is the elephant in the room for Step 2!!

5) Hematology text you used in med school - again for background and/or pics

6) Boards and Wards...eehh - wasn't too impressed, the detail isn't nearly good enough for comprehensive review althought its overall coverage of topics is probably the best out there besides First Aid. But then again, if you only have a month, I'd combine this with Secrets since First Aid takes longer. However, IF you have time for First Aid, drop this one.

My results made me ecstatic. Step 2 = 239/97 (better than my Step 1 baby!). The difference? I spent the exact same amount of time but I used USMLEWORLD instead of Qbank. I got ~65-73% on USMLEWORLD. There really is no comparison or arguing about its superiority over Kaplan. It is comprehensive. It is well-organized. It is representative. It is informative. But most of all, it is CHEAP!!

Hope this helps! Good luck everyone!! 😀

I kind of resent the fact that "normal" and "titanic board scores" are mutually exclusive to you. I can't speak for everyone else who did well, but my scores are a direct result of me working my ass off for weeks as opposed to being a freak.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

While we're on the topic, did anyone use the new First Aid Cases book alongside First Aid for Step II CK (5th edition)?

It seems like a great supplement. Wondering what others think.

 

[Wrigleyville]

I did not use any case books for step 2. Underground clinical vignettes is probably the way to go if you want that type of resource. It was a winner for step 1. I knew all about random genetic/metabolic defects, but had no idea how the patients presented before reading the vignettes. It saves a lot of time wrestling through question stems.