programmer1813
New Member
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2025
- Messages
- 1
- Reaction score
- 4
Hey all! I got my Step 2 score a few weeks ago. I wasn't initially planning on doing a write up but I have some tips that worked for me that I think might be helpful to some of you! Thinking about these tips really changed the way I approached studying, especially now that the focus of Step 2 has changed.
What I think doesn't really work as well as it used to is Anki. The NBME is well aware of the concepts in the popular Anki decks, and the new questions seem to go out of their way to avoid testing those concepts. If flashcards have always worked for you, I think it's reasonable to continue to use them to review the facts that just require straight memorization. However, it's become clear that the new version of Step 2 isn’t about rapid-fire fact regurgitation anymore. The questions are way longer and lean heavily into basic science integration from Step 1, not to mention significant integration between different Step 2 systems (i.e., more questions nowadays are cardio + pulm + renal, rather than just a first order cardio question).
What helped me was a shift in mindset. I stopped studying just to learn the facts to answer the question and instead trained myself to deep dive into every topic. When UWorld gave me a CHF question, I didn’t just learn the guideline-recommended meds. I reviewed the underlying cardiac physiology, drug mechanisms, and why certain treatments fail, because I knew those kinds of questions would come up eventually. When I missed a question, I didn’t move on until I really felt like I understood both the clinical and the basic science concepts underlying the question.
I made it a point to constantly ask: Why is this happening? What’s the mechanism? What basic science concept is hiding in this clinical case? That style of thinking paid off way more than speeding through content ever did.
So if you’re aiming high, my biggest advice is this: treat Step 2 like a clinical extension of Step 1. Don’t separate the two in your brain. Integration is the skill that gets rewarded now. Think deeper, not just broader. If you're relying too much on surface-level tools, and not seeing your scores improve, start digging into the “why.”
Happy to answer questions!
What I think doesn't really work as well as it used to is Anki. The NBME is well aware of the concepts in the popular Anki decks, and the new questions seem to go out of their way to avoid testing those concepts. If flashcards have always worked for you, I think it's reasonable to continue to use them to review the facts that just require straight memorization. However, it's become clear that the new version of Step 2 isn’t about rapid-fire fact regurgitation anymore. The questions are way longer and lean heavily into basic science integration from Step 1, not to mention significant integration between different Step 2 systems (i.e., more questions nowadays are cardio + pulm + renal, rather than just a first order cardio question).
What helped me was a shift in mindset. I stopped studying just to learn the facts to answer the question and instead trained myself to deep dive into every topic. When UWorld gave me a CHF question, I didn’t just learn the guideline-recommended meds. I reviewed the underlying cardiac physiology, drug mechanisms, and why certain treatments fail, because I knew those kinds of questions would come up eventually. When I missed a question, I didn’t move on until I really felt like I understood both the clinical and the basic science concepts underlying the question.
I made it a point to constantly ask: Why is this happening? What’s the mechanism? What basic science concept is hiding in this clinical case? That style of thinking paid off way more than speeding through content ever did.
So if you’re aiming high, my biggest advice is this: treat Step 2 like a clinical extension of Step 1. Don’t separate the two in your brain. Integration is the skill that gets rewarded now. Think deeper, not just broader. If you're relying too much on surface-level tools, and not seeing your scores improve, start digging into the “why.”
Happy to answer questions!
Last edited by a moderator:
