Official Step 2 info thread

[EW1779]

Ok, so I know some people are either thinking about taking step 2 early or have to take step 2 early...so I thought it would be helpful for people who have already taken it and scored well to offer some advice on just how they accomplished such a feat. Specifics would be things such as materials, length of time spent, specific areas concentrated on, strategies, and, if you're willing, what score you actually got.

The more info we can accrue the better.

How not to respond to this thread:

1. Do a search.
2. Don't worry about your scores.
3. I did so well on step 1 that the NBME actually let me skip step 2.

Thanks to all who respond!

-EW

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[Skip Intro]

How not to respond to this thread:

1. Do a search.
2. Don't worry about your scores.
3. I did so well on step 1 that the NBME actually let me skip step 2.

4. This is posted in the wrong forum.

(Unless, of course, you actually meant to post this in the Anesthesiology forum.)

-Skip

 

[EW1779]

I did mean to post it here. We all have the same goal, that is, getting our top choice program...plus, people in here are generally helpful. Besides, I searched the USMLE forum, they is a relative paucity of info on step 2....it seems most people there are concerned with step 1.

Prolly should have specified.....sorry.

EW

 

[Carm]

I took mine early. I actually took it right after third year. I wanted to make an improvement on Step I. Actually increased my score 20 points. This definitely helped me during my interviews. Came up at almost every one.

However, if you have a very strong Step I, I would wait and take it when it means nothing more than a pass/fail(after interviews). The only thing to remember is that you are probably smarter right after third year than you are towards the end of fourth since it is such a vacation.

 

[VentdependenT]

I took mine early. I actually took it right after third year. I wanted to make an improvement on Step I. Actually increased my score 20 points. This definitely helped me during my interviews. Came up at almost every one.

However, if you have a very strong Step I, I would wait and take it when it means nothing more than a pass/fail(after interviews). The only thing to remember is that you are probably smarter right after third year than you are towards the end of fourth since it is such a vacation.

What he said.

If you are a D.O. and haven't taken USMLE step I around the time of COMLEX I then it would behoove you to take USMLE step II CK (along with your COMLEX II) for maximum interview potential. If you feel you blew the test then you may click to send scores individually, if that option still exists.

 

[erasmus31]

here's a question. How late can you take Step 2 and still have a (hopefully positive) impact on getting interviews. I want to take Step 2 early to improve on Step 1, but my scheduling is kinda whack so I may have to wait mid-late sept. Will I get screened out of interviews before they get my Step 2 score?

Ditto to the origanl post questions too.

 

[EW1779]

riiight....

thanks for the replies everybody. the thing is....i don't have a solid step 1. so i'm definitely going to take it early. august 18th to be exact. so i need all the info i can get about how to do well.

EW

 

[Mman]

riiight....

thanks for the replies everybody. the thing is....i don't have a solid step 1. so i'm definitely going to take it early. august 18th to be exact. so i need all the info i can get about how to do well.

EW

how to do well? Taking it early is a good start. Buy some review books and books with practice questions and go crazy studying (first aid, appleton and lange, etc). I found Step 2 to be virtually identical to the shelf exams.

I studied for step 1 for about 3-4 weeks and for step 2 for about 1 week and improved my score by about 3 or 4 points. I'm guessing if you put in anywhere close to the effort for step 2 that you did for step 1 you will do much better.

 

[cchoukal]

here's a question. How late can you take Step 2 and still have a (hopefully positive) impact on getting interviews. I want to take Step 2 early to improve on Step 1, but my scheduling is kinda whack so I may have to wait mid-late sept. Will I get screened out of interviews before they get my Step 2 score?

Ditto to the origanl post questions too.

Scores take 4-6 weeks to be reported, and the deans' letters (which I believe reported step I and II scores) come out November 1st, although I think I had some interview offers before then. I guess to be safe, then, you'd want to take step II before september in order to be sure programs had access to your score when deciding whether or not to interview you.

 

[Carm]

How to do well on the exam is mainly user specific, but I will tell you what really helped me. I did average on my first two shelves third year until I studied for my IM exam with MKSAP for Students II. It is basically in question and answer format with detailed explanations. This helped me personally to process all of the details I knew into "testable knowledge."

Everyone has a style. Some can read a bare bones outline (first aid) and answer any question based on that knowledge alone. I found the Step style question and answer format worked the best for me. Hope that helps.

In regards to step II helping to get interviews I am not sure. UTSouthwestern is in a position to know more of what specific program do to screen, but I would guess that in most cases Step I is the initial "screen" and a step 2 score can help once you get in the interview.