Step 2 better predicted by shelf exams or U-world?

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j1234

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I have bad shelf scores. 63-69 raw scores.

I don't think my U-world average over the first seven 44 question blocks is that bad (59%), though, because I haven't started studying for step 2. I figure that if I were to study, more it would bump up to mid 60s- maybe low 70s, which seems to correlate to a 230ish score.

Step one was a 228, so it makes since I'd have that range on step 2, but these shelf exams have me scared, because the percentile values come out so low. OB-GYN was 9th, Psych was 18th, Surg was 33rd, Med was in the 40s I thnk, etc.

Anybody have experience with the shelf exam percentiles not correlating with step 2? The only reason I can think to explain why my U-world scores might be better is maybe there's less minutae on step 2 and more basic concepts are tested.

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I have bad shelf scores. 63-69 raw scores.

I don't think my U-world average over the first seven 44 question blocks is that bad (59%), though, because I haven't started studying for step 2. I figure that if I were to study, more it would bump up to mid 60s- maybe low 70s, which seems to correlate to a 230ish score.

Step one was a 228, so it makes since I'd have that range on step 2, but these shelf exams have me scared, because the percentile values come out so low. OB-GYN was 9th, Psych was 18th, Surg was 33rd, Med was in the 40s I thnk, etc.

Anybody have experience with the shelf exam percentiles not correlating with step 2? The only reason I can think to explain why my U-world scores might be better is maybe there's less minutae on step 2 and more basic concepts are tested.

I don't think there is very much correlation. There is a wide range in terms of amount of study people do for the clinical shelf exams. You did not address how much you studied for those. With that said, a good part of why I did well on Step 2 (I feel) is because I studied extensively the first time, for the shelf exams, making my life easier for CK. All my shelf exams were several orders of magnitude more difficult than CK. With that said, I think it is a slightly bad prognostic factor that your ob/gyn percentile was so low, because that was probably the easiest shelf exam.

If I were you, I would take some time to extensively review the Kaplan notes subject-wise for each discipline and really focus on learning the material... assuming you have time to do this. Once you have done this, you can graduate to Crush/Secrets and focus on the essentials, while using u-world. Ob/Gyn is high yield and easy to master. Internal Medicine comprised the bulk of the test, and there was tons of trauma. In nearly every CK block on my test, some idiot was in a car accident and not wearing a seatbelt.

I predict you will get low-mid-230's with just a few weeks of effort, but you can probably push that to low 240's with a more sustained effort incorporating re-learning the material.
 
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