Step 2 CK Strategy

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I'm finishing up my third year and planning on taking Step 2 late-ish next year (late December probably). I scored >250 on Step I, and don't want to shoot myself in the foot by taking Step II early and somehow doing poorly.

That said, I'd really like to blow Step II out of the water (260-270). I have the month of December off completely, but I'd like to be studying before then. I've done ok on my shelves (mostly in the mid/high-80s for raw scores), but nothing that really left me feeling super-satisfied about my performance I guess.

My first few months of M4 will be pretty busy, so should I plan on fitting much time in there for studying? I'm not even sure what resources I'll be using, besides UWorld and Step Up to Medicine....
 
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Statistically speaking, wouldn't scores in the mid-high 80's actually be better than your Step score?

My plan for CK is UW, MKSAP, Crush Step 2, and maybe Step Up to Medicine and studying during my first 2 months with a month off for dedicated study. I'm not going 'til late September, though, so that's certainly subject to change.
 
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MilkmanAl said:
Statistically speaking, wouldn't scores in the mid-high 80's actually be better than your Step score?

My plan for CK is UW, MKSAP, Crush Step 2, and maybe Step Up to Medicine and studying during my first 2 months with a month off for dedicated study. I'm not going 'til late September, though, so that's certainly subject to change.
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I'm honestly not sure; our school just gives us the number that I guess is the raw or "adjusted raw" or whatever score, and not the percentile. And I don't know how reliable the "70 +/-8" mean/SD thing is.

Anyway, at this point I'm suddenly seriously considering pursuing Derm (I was Ortho), and although I'm happy with my Step I score, it basically makes me feel "average" at best among the superstars that match into Derm.

I like your approach, and I want to be sure I focus on a few solid resources and master them rather than spread myself too thin.
 
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GuyWhoDoesStuff said:
I'm finishing up my third year and planning on taking Step 2 late-ish next year (late December probably). I scored >250 on Step I, and don't want to shoot myself in the foot by taking Step II early and somehow doing poorly.

That said, I'd really like to blow Step II out of the water (260-270). I have the month of December off completely, but I'd like to be studying before then. I've done ok on my shelves (mostly in the mid/high-80s for raw scores), but nothing that really left me feeling super-satisfied about my performance I guess.

My first few months of M4 will be pretty busy, so should I plan on fitting much time in there for studying? I'm not even sure what resources I'll be using, besides UWorld and Step Up to Medicine....
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If you're mid-high 80s you're already in good shape. That's at least a SD up, even if you don't buy into the +/- 8 thing, which I've gotten mixed information from, even from course coordinators who interpret them. One SD up is 250. Two is 270. Whatever you've been doing you should probably keep up. The only barrier is teh volume of knowledge (one shelf on one subject is obviously easier than all subjects on one exam).

Crush you can do in a weekend. Its a primer, a review

First Aid and Step Up are essentially equivocal, and you can pick whichever format you like more.

Secrets is good if you aren't doing a dedicated study period, and need to study on the fly. It also has some extras on top of FA/SU. I'd say it supplements the FA/SU + UWorld Combo.

UWorld hands down best Qbank for Step 2. You wont need more than one. Its not even a question.

Chakrabs said:
Shouldn't you be interviewing for residency in December?
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Though as this poster says, if your goal is to rape Step 2, it ought to be to boost your application. Taking it in December is WAY too late. Interviews are usually over by January, maybe some stragglers in February, but if you take your test in December,the only thing it will do is tip slightly the rank list. By the time you're at the rank list situation, board scores really aren't relevant. Board scores get you the interview, you get you the job.
 
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OveractiveBrain said:
If you're mid-high 80s you're already in good shape. That's at least a SD up, even if you don't buy into the +/- 8 thing, which I've gotten mixed information from, even from course coordinators who interpret them. One SD up is 250. Two is 270. Whatever you've been doing you should probably keep up. The only barrier is teh volume of knowledge (one shelf on one subject is obviously easier than all subjects on one exam).

Crush you can do in a weekend. Its a primer, a review

First Aid and Step Up are essentially equivocal, and you can pick whichever format you like more.

Secrets is good if you aren't doing a dedicated study period, and need to study on the fly. It also has some extras on top of FA/SU. I'd say it supplements the FA/SU + UWorld Combo.

UWorld hands down best Qbank for Step 2. You wont need more than one. Its not even a question.



Though as this poster says, if your goal is to rape Step 2, it ought to be to boost your application. Taking it in December is WAY too late. Interviews are usually over by January, maybe some stragglers in February, but if you take your test in December,the only thing it will do is tip slightly the rank list. By the time you're at the rank list situation, board scores really aren't relevant. Board scores get you the interview, you get you the job.
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Thanks for the helpful info on the study sources. I've got Step Up and I like that, so I'll probably stick with it. I'll obviously be getting UWorld, and I'll probably check out Crush.

As for when I'm taking Step 2: I've recently decided I might be applying for Derm. My understanding is that they interview a tad later than other programs. The crux, however, is that I would like to take Step 2 late enough so that my score isn't necessarily out there for everyone to see (in case something awful happens and I do poorly), but that I may get the score back in time to know it at least to be able to offer it if asked at interviews (I've heard of people being asked what their score was despite not having an official score released yet).

Anyway, I have to polish my actual study schedule and figure out exactly when to take the exam, but that's sort of the overall gestalt of my plan.
 
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I just took CK three weeks ago and felt that it tested me on a few things from the third-year shelves that were not in FA, Crush, or USMLEWorld (my three resources I used).

Therefore I think the Step 2 review books will cover the most important bases (I felt like 80% of my test was about MI's and PE's) and get you a good, solid score, but if you want to nail the obscure questions and break through to the upper scores (>260) you really have to have your knowledge from the individual clerkships down.

I got asked a few "trivia" questions like basilar skull fracture that for sure wasn't in the Step 2 books but I remember seeing in, say, Surgical Recall. No matter how many times you read FA or memorize it, you won't nail certain questions if they aren't even mentioned in the book, you know?
 
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UWorld UWorld and then more UWorld. If you finish it, do it again.

Supplement it with one or two books. I have Step-up to Step 2 and Secrets. I went one and a half passes through Secrets. Now I am doing Step Up to reinforce.

Do not let any book cock-block UWorld though.
 
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GuyWhoDoesStuff said:
Thanks for the helpful info on the study sources. I've got Step Up and I like that, so I'll probably stick with it. I'll obviously be getting UWorld, and I'll probably check out Crush.

As for when I'm taking Step 2: I've recently decided I might be applying for Derm. My understanding is that they interview a tad later than other programs. The crux, however, is that I would like to take Step 2 late enough so that my score isn't necessarily out there for everyone to see (in case something awful happens and I do poorly), but that I may get the score back in time to know it at least to be able to offer it if asked at interviews (I've heard of people being asked what their score was despite not having an official score released yet).

Anyway, I have to polish my actual study schedule and figure out exactly when to take the exam, but that's sort of the overall gestalt of my plan.
Click to expand...

You can take Step 2 as early as late August and be safe from everyone seeing your score as long as you're ready to submit ERAS on Sep 1st.

Mid to high 80's is pretty good for the shelf exams. That should put you in the low 90's for percentile. Study hard and you should be able to kill Step 2 as it is supposed to be easier than Step 1.

I have a question of my own. I scored a 260 on Step 1 and in addition to needing to do away rotations (no home program) it is one of the reasons I'm not taking CK until November. I'm not looking to destroy CK, just get a score within 5-10 points of my Step 1.

Is UW, Step Up to Med (and Step Up to Step 2 for OB/peds etc), and Step 2 secrets enough? I'll only be studying for a month but it will be a dedicated study month.

I have some concern as I'll have been 10 months out from my IM rotation. FWIW my shelf average is ~88
 
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What is your evidence for saying Uworld is better than Kaplan? I used Kaplan - hope I'm not screwed. Took the test yesterday.
 
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GladifImakeit said:
What is your evidence for saying Uworld is better than Kaplan? I used Kaplan - hope I'm not screwed. Took the test yesterday.
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Let me add that my goal was >260. I will get my score tattooed if I reach my goal. That said, it's highly unlikely. I need a good score though because I am not so good in real life (on the wards).

Here's how I prepped
Kaplan QBank (100%) average around 70% the last several blocks
First Aid CK
First Aid for Medicine
Step up to Medicine (only read half, too dense for me)
Crush
Secrets
Boards and Wards

6 weeks of my life gone. I hope I put them to good use. Test day was so awful. I felt terrible b/c of so many confusing questions, and I missed several parts of the "two part" questions just to shake my confidence. Ugh. I honestly feel like I failed. Let's hope that's not the case.
 
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Crush
Step Up to Step II
UWorld

I have 6 weeks to study. I have been consistently getting class average on Shelf exams. I am hoping to improve on my Step 1 Score and want to go into IM.
 
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UWorld and Step 2 Secrets

Shelf: Psych 88/Fam 74/Surg 84/Med 80/Peds 89/Ob 74

700 qs left in UWorld to do by Wednesday, day off Thursday....test Friday.
Only gave myself 13 days to study been averaging 73% on UWorld 4 sets a day really hope that not really using any books doesn't come back to bite me. I'll let you know in mid July if just using UWorld is effective 🙂 or just a terrible mistake 🙁
 
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Finished UWorld, Took UWSA got 224. Not great, but I went ahead and studied every single answer. I look at my mistakes, and I made some disturbing mistakes on the test on things I know. The thing is, most of the questions I get wrong isn't because of a concept I didn't know, which frustrates me. So, that pushes me even harder because I know I can do significantly better.

Next step: I just reset UWorld. Finished all of it with a cumulative 60% timed, random, 44q. This time doing them on tutor mode focusing on the explanations. Currently also reading through Step Up to Step 2. Plan on cramming secrets a few days before the test. This weekend, I am wanting to take two NBME Exams together separated by a lunch break to simulate Step 2.

Exam date: 7/9
 
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Scored 225 on a school administered NBME practice test. On OB now and went in with little OB knowledge (the gyn disorders bar had the arrow pointing past low performance 😴) and of course OB was weak. Also got killed on Psych even though I had it 4th and more recently than surg or IM

Will a month of serious studying using Step Up to Step 2 and Step Up to Med, World, and Secrets be enough to get into the 250-260 range?

Granted I was hungover and didn't put the best effort in during the test but I am still slightly surprised by my score given that the year is almost over and my past scores on Step 1 and shelf exams this year.

I am worried that a month won't be enough studying but do to my schedule I won't be able to do anything but very light studying in September and most of October. Test date is in late November
 
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2012mdc said:
Scored 225 on a school administered NBME practice test. On OB now and went in with little OB knowledge (the gyn disorders bar had the arrow pointing past low performance 😴) and of course OB was weak. Also got killed on Psych even though I had it 4th and more recently than surg or IM

Will a month of serious studying using Step Up to Step 2 and Step Up to Med, World, and Secrets be enough to get into the 250-260 range?

Granted I was hungover and didn't put the best effort in during the test but I am still slightly surprised by my score given that the year is almost over and my past scores on Step 1 and shelf exams this year.

I am worried that a month won't be enough studying but do to my schedule I won't be able to do anything but very light studying in September and most of October. Test date is in late November
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you'll be fine. i had a 216 about 3 months ago; no prior peds and only 1 wk of OB/Gyn. 261 and 258 two and two and a half months later. funny enough, ob/gyn and psych bars were to the left then. you can do it.
 
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myhandsarecold said:
you'll be fine. i had a 216 about 3 months ago; no prior peds and only 1 wk of OB/Gyn. 261 and 258 two and two and a half months later. funny enough, ob/gyn and psych bars were to the left then. you can do it.
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Thanks for the words of encouragement.

I think I'm just annoyed that I actually have to put some work in. I'm just burnt out near the end of third year.

One of my top choices (if not the top) requires a step 2 score to rank and I don't want to kill my chances by dropping 10+ points from Step 1 so I want a 250 at the bare minimum :xf:
 
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I want to take an NBME practice test. I will likely only take 2 practice tests, 1 NBME and the U World practice test. Trying to decided which form will be best to take to gauge my knowledge base. Any suggestions??
 
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myhandsarecold said:
you'll be fine. i had a 216 about 3 months ago; no prior peds and only 1 wk of OB/Gyn. 261 and 258 two and two and a half months later. funny enough, ob/gyn and psych bars were to the left then. you can do it.
Click to expand...

I agree, I had literally everything on the right of my Step 2 exam, though the OB/GYN was to in the "below average range" I got a 252.
 
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