Step 2 CS October Score Release Thread

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My permit isn't there, the link is but I don't see step 3 registration come up. Does that mean that I didn't pass?

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hopefulrad08 said:
It was on the ecfmg site? How do you know for sure you passed? Is the result there or just link to step 3 registration?

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Fcvs says passed!!! The ecfmg site permit link it’s not a good indicator. Mine is still there. I also tried to register for step 3... and was allowed to register.
 
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FCVS says Pass and I was allowed to register for Step 3. This is probably the biggest relief I've experienced since I actually got accepted to medical school. But at the same time it's bittersweet because I know that there are many people no more or less qualified than me who failed and now have a useless new obstacle to overcome. I will never stop talking about how much of a disgrace this exam is and I'm hopeful that when our generation of physicians is running the show we will not allow students to be subjected to this kind of greed.
 
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bananafish94 said:
FCVS says Pass and I was allowed to register for Step 3. This is probably the biggest relief I've experienced since I actually got accepted to medical school. But at the same time it's bittersweet because I know that there are many people no more or less qualified than me who failed and now have a useless new obstacle to overcome. I will never stop talking about how much of a disgrace this exam is and I'm hopeful that when our generation of physicians is running the show we will not allow students to be subjected to this kind of greed.
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Feel the same way. Hoping the best for everyone and that this exam eventually goes away

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Praise God!!! I PASSED! Jesus sits on the throne! Was so sure I failed. Forgot to wash hands several times. Messed up diagnosis several times. Put the incorrect work up for really classic things. Had little supporting evidence for some. Did shotty exam maneuvers. Forgot vitals were on the second tab and just put wnl. Was the absolute last person out of each encounter with barely any time for my note. I just want anyone reading this in the future to know that prayer works.
 
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For someone who didn't pass (not me, I'm grateful I passed) schools will not see the failing result unless he updates and re-releases his eras right? I called eras and they said he would need to release the failing score for programs to see it but then also said when he takes it again and releases the passing score, schools will see both the pass and the fail. Is that true?


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Kira said:
For someone who didn't pass (not me, I'm grateful I passed) schools will not see the failing result unless he updates and re-releases his eras right? I called eras and they said he would need to release the failing score for programs to see it but then also said when he takes it again and releases the passing score, schools will see both the pass and the fail. Is that true?


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That is correct, it would be in their best interest to reach out to the deans (if possible) and determine how to approach this. This has happened to others and they have still had successful matches. They just need to own it and schedule the retake and vow to have it in before rank lists (IE take the retake before end of December). Probably wise to not announce it before interviews finish coming out.
 
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throwaway1000000 said:
100%. But just to reassure future test takers, grading is lenient. Will post a detailed post tomorrow, but definitely take it seriously. Do the amboss and FA cases 2 times each. Give yourself a good few weeks to prepare (if on rotations). If not on rotations, 2 weeks is probably more than enough if you study all day.
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I definitely agree, I spent about 2 weeks on rotations (~2 hours a day, full day weekends preparing) and walked out of there feeling fine. The stress builds over the next few months, where after a while I was convinced I forgot to do a physical exam on everyone. Its just the idea of the arbitrary nature of this test, the cost, the difficulty scheduling, and the idea that one day with 12 fake patients can alter the course of your ability to match when you could have great evals and great rapport with your patients IRL.
 
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Smartones said:
Hey guys!
Please how does the FSMB thing work? I tried setting up an account and they replied that I don’t have an FID ID assigned yet. I’m I at the wrong place?
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I had that issue earlier, I was using the wrong email, make sure you re register using the email associated with your USMLE account
 
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steelergirl66 said:
You must have your diploma and then it takes approximately 2 weeks after that.
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Does anyone know if it just does this automatically? I have my diploma and everything in already, was just waiting for this pass to see what else has to be filled out.
 
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Thank goodness I passed!! I will be very interested to see the ICE/CIS breakdown when the official scores are released. I feel like I must have dipped into borderline for ICE, but who knows. A pass is a pass!!!! So nice to have this worry off my shoulders before interview season really gets going.
 
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US-MD, passed using the FSMB trick! Here are the steps for those that don't want to look back:

fsmb.org/fcvs/ (or Google "fsmb fcvs")
Login
Make an acct; sign in
Click FCVS (the actual checkmark) under "Credentialing Services" (yellow)
Start App
Education & Certification tab (right)
Exam History
 
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eduh said:
Does anyone know if it just does this automatically? I have my diploma and everything in already, was just waiting for this pass to see what else has to be filled out.
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No. It’s not automatic. You need to type in registering for USMLE step 3 and follow the directions. Start the application and it tells you what forms you need to complete. There is a form which you will need to get notarized and mail to them at the time you submit your step 3 application.
 
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I truly cannot believe I PASSED.

I know everyone says this, but after the test, I was absolutely convinced I had several diagnoses wrong, I ordered several tests that were unnecessary, I didn't show enough empathy, etc. This thread and SDN in general had been my rock over the past 3 months, and so to all of you, thank you! I'll for sure post in every thread I can about providing support, outlining my mistakes and what I wish I had done, etc. and please reach out to me if you're reading this and need support
 
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Super thankful for my pass right now. I have 2 x’s into the borderline for ICE and the CIS bar touches the borderline box as well, so I sure didn’t pass with flying colors. But as someone who has had trouble with OSCEs throughout med school, I’m just thrilled to put this behind me!
 
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Failed ICE, just for those who failed and are wondering if they are the only ones...

oh well, bunch of money down the toilet.
Really not the biggest deal, but so annoying...

Gonna take the next month off and practice like crazy. Anyone in NY wants to practice, DM.
 
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shtumpa said:
Failed ICE, just for those who failed and are wondering if they are the only ones...

oh well, bunch of money down the toilet.
Really not the biggest deal, but so annoying...

Gonna take the next month off and practice like crazy. Anyone in NY wants to practice, DM.
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Sorry to hear that. Honestly it could have been any of us. This whole test should be canceled.
good luck!
 
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shtumpa said:
Failed ICE, just for those who failed and are wondering if they are the only ones...

oh well, bunch of money down the toilet.
Really not the biggest deal, but so annoying...

Gonna take the next month off and practice like crazy. Anyone in NY wants to practice, DM.
Click to expand...

Where are you in NY?
 
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I PASSED !!!
But for anyone reading this, the mistakes I made:

I forgot to mention vitals on EVERY SINGLE one of my notes. I completely freaked out on my first note, and only typed a few lines on HPI, physical and only one or two differentials, THAT IS IT (no diagnostic workup or supporting evidence). Completely forgot to do the diagnostic workup on another very easy case. Left one patient on a bad note...gave pt a bad diagnosis and left the room with pt almost in tears. Was almost always the last one to leave my room before all the other students. Only counseled on about half the cases. Did not introduce my role for every case I had, only said my name, shook hands and then started asking questions. Only listed 2 differentials for all the cases.

I was almost in tears when I left, I thought it would be a much easier experience. and yet I passed!
 
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Failed 🙁
if anyone is in the new york area and wants to practice please let me know (located in brooklyn)
 
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To anyone who hasn't gotten their score yet and are waiting for next week:

My Step 2 CS Prompt never disappeared. I got my score back several hours before the prompt finally went away. It is possible to get your score WITHOUT the prompt disappearing and it is possible to pass. I know that this was stated in a previous thread, but I wanted to make it known here as well for our friends who are still waiting.
 
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Hi Everyone,
Congratulations to who passed. This was my second attempt for step 2cs, and I failed the ICE component with what looks like a single "*" and scored exceptional in the other two components. I have an attempt on step 1 as well(with december being the last month of validity of my step 1 score as I took my step 1 in 2012). Havenot given ck yet.

I just want to ask people who went through this situation or know someone who went through this, is it at all possible for a cv like mine to even be considered for a residency position in IM?

Thank you
 
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Passed and wanted to give my $0.02! I started studying ~2 weeks before CS, using only first aid. I went into the exam feeling slightly less prepared than I wanted to. During the exam, I wasn’t sure for about ~3-4 of the diagnoses and for some of the cases, I missed key physical exam steps and labs to order. I also forgot to counsel about half the patients, and felt awkward in explaining or reassuring some of the patients. I’m pretty sure in one case, I did a physical exam maneuver that I wasn’t supposed to because the pt looked really confused as to why I was doing it.. I was pretty worried about passing this exam! My ICE X’s were on the right side, but touching the borderline bar, and the other sections were fine!
In all, very glad to be done with this exam. Congratulations to everyone who went through the exam, and for those who have to retake it, hang in there! We’re all rooting for you🙂
 
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Congrats to everyone who passed. This was my second attempt and thankfully I passed and no longer have to worry about this dumpster fire of a test. Just wanna address those who are commenting about the lack of effort they put into studying or all of the things they didn’t do during the encounter and still managed to pass...it doesn’t feel great to hear that from someone who failed, especially if they thought they prepared and performed well during the exam. It makes you wonder how badly you must’ve f***ed up to afford a fail on a test that other people are passing with little effort. This test is massively subjective and I’ve realized from this experience that there is absolutely nothing that can reassure you that you passed other than seeing a passing score. Plus, it perpetuates the misconception that this test is an easy pass and you just need to know how to say hello and wash your hands.

I know I’m ranting, but I’m coming from a good place. To those who failed- do not lose hope. This test sucks and these next few weeks/months will be tough but I have all the confidence that you can do it. And most importantly, this test doesn’t say a damn thing about your self worth. It’s just 12 people trying to remember what they thought about your 15-min interaction. Hang in there, feel free to DM me if you ever want to talk <3
 
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AMG - passed with nothing too close to borderline, ICE was a lot higher than CIS. I spent 2 months freaking out and losing years of my life over this stupid test so hopefully this post can help others who are anxious before/after this thing

My experience:
Took it in LA. Studied half-heartedly for maybe a week or two for a couple hours in the evening and more on the weekend.

I felt that First Aid did not prepare me well yet there is no better resource so kind of a catch-22. The # of questions they ask is so unrealistic. Also the way they want you to CAGE/counsel etc I think is artificial and actually detracted from my CIS score.

My main tips would be:

1) Make you sure you do a thorough ROS! You should have a standard ROS you ask everyone and then do system specific as it pertains to the case. I did not do this and feel like I missed 2/12 diagnoses because of this
2) A lot of people on these threads say the diagnoses are super obvious. I do not agree. I would say 40% were obvious, 40% you could get if you asked the right questions and 20% I'm still not sure what they were going for. They can be easy to miss if you don't ask ROS and SPECIFIC qs because SPs are trained to only respond to specific questions
3) Similar to 2. This isn't like your school's OSCE where the SPs volunteer most of the important info if you ask enough open ended questions. I felt like I needed to know what my main diagnoses were so I could know what to ask
4) Ask EVERY female pt about LMP, ask everyone about diet/exercise etc.
5) You don't have to get all the diagnoses right. I feel like I missed the top diagnosis in 3/12 and in 1 other still don't really know what they were going for. In a couple of others my diagnoses were misordered. Still got high performance on ICE
6) For CIS watch the videos online of performance on the official website, I did this AFTER my test and wish I had done it before. I think I got too caught up in CAGEing, counseling etc and forgot to just do the basic empathy stuff. Don't CAGE people who drink 1 drink per week, etc. First aid goes a little overboard imo with the idea that there is a CIS checklist and you have to do all this stuff. I ended up spending so much time doing that stuff during my first encounter I didn't even have time for closure
7) Closure carries a lot of points for CIS make sure you leave enough time for it. If I had to redo it I would save all the counseling for the end. I think trying to counsel during the data gathering part really messed up my flow and cost me time I could have used to take a better history.
8) A word about pertinent negatives. I think one thing that helped me a lot is I had a lot of evidence for each diagnosis. The way I did this was by maximizing the use of pertinent negatives. These can be things like "vitals WNL." This is not super intuitive so look at how First Aid does it and practice doing it, they actually do a nice job.
9) When you go through First Aid role play the scenarios and practice the note on the real software. 10 minutes seems like enough, but it is actually not much time for the note, I almost ran out of time in every one, probably because I spent the full 15 mins in the room for almost every patient.

Overall: I made A LOT of mistakes and still got high performance for ICE, so despite the posts on here where people seemingly did everything right and failed I think there is a lot of leeway. I think it is more important to have reasonable, well, supported diagnoses than it is to "get the answer." For many of my cases there were many reasonable diagnostic possibilities suggested by the history and only after leaving the exam did I miss what they were probably going for but it didn't seem to hurt me.
 
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