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There is so much stuff about Step 1 study advice but little regarding Step 2, so I thought I'd be nice to have a central thread with step 2 advice. So, please post your tips and advice for studying for Step 2 here.
Here are my personal recommendations for Step 2. While this is what worked for me (or what I wish I had done), it will not work for everyone. So, take the following for what it's worth and remember to always do what works best for you....
This exam is generally less difficult than Step 1, not because the questions are easier (they're not, and the exam is one hour longer) but because you are so much more familiar with the material. Rather than just learning some biochem equation for a test, for step 2 you are tested on stuff you've likely seen in your patients and thus have a better, more real-world grasp on. Generally, most people do better on Step 2. A few of my classmates made the mistake of taking the exam too lightly by barely studying and didn't pass.
Failing step 2 is a bad thing (but certainly not the end of the world). In general, residency program directors value Step 2 MUCH more than Step 1 because, let's face it, how you do on Step 2 correlates with how strong your clinical knowledge base is while how well you on Step 1 simply correlates with how well you know the Krebs cycle (and in residency no one cares about that). The reason that Step 1 is such a big deal though is that very few people have a Step 2 score available by the time they apply to residency, and therefore Step 1 is the only standardized measuring stick these programs have to compare applicants.
When to take Step 2 is wholly a matter of personal opinion. You can virtually take it any day after you pass Step 1. Almost everyone waits till 4th year though. For taking Step 2 during the 4th year, here are a few brief general strategies...
A) Taking it before you apply to residency: generally only done by people who are afraid that their Step 1 score is not good enough to get them an interview. If you have a good Step 1 score, you may decide to wait rather than risk getting a low score (remember that Step 2 is weighed more than Step 1!). Definitely a good option though if you want to do something competitive and got a less-than-desirable Step 1 score. Another advantage to this option is to just get it out of the way with and not have it looming over your head the entire year. A final advantage to taking it early is that a lot of the material tested is still fresh in your head from 3rd year. The main risk is doing worse.
B) Taking it before the rank lists are turned it: the most common route. Some programs (more common in primary care) like to see that you at least passed Step 2 before they will rank you... you'll have to ask the program if unsure or they may just tell you. If you're a competitive enough applicant to get an interview (almost all of you), then doing well on Step 2 can only enhance your application. Often people will take the exam shortly after their medicine or neurology AI as most of Step 2 is medicine and medicine subspecialities and they "kill 2 birds with one stone" by studying for the shelf. Also, by not waiting until the end of 4th year, you'll get this obstacle behind you. As with option A, the main risk is doing worse or failing as this can hurt your application quite a bit.
C) Taking it after rank lists are due: generally, this option is done by people who do really well on Step 1 and apply to highly competitive programs (Optho, Derm, Rad Onc, Rad, etc...) and don't want to run the risk of doing worse on Step 2 and thus hurting their application. Disadvantage is that it looms over you the entire year and most people are not motivated to study 2 months before graduation.
Overall, there really is no wrong way to schedule Step 2.
Studying for Step 2... these books and study tools are only a matter of personal opinion (mine and several of my classmates). Do what works best for you. I can't speak to the clinical skill exam as my class was the last not to have to take it. Regarding the computerized exam however, the tools I liked the best are:
1. Step 2 Secrets by Brochert: this book is the bible for Step 2. I would definitely read this at least once.
2. Kaplan Q bank: by far the best question bank out there... uses same computer program as USMLE and very similar questions... as accurate a representation as you can get without taking the exam itself.
-- I think that these 2 tools alone are enough to do reasonably well on Step 2 as long as you worked relatively hard during 3rd year and did well OK on your shelf exams --
3. NMS Question Book: if you don't do or can't afford Q-bank, this is the next best question source out there.
4. Boards and Wards: a great book to use throughout your clinical rotations. Lots of good high yield info if you want another text besides Step 2 Secrets and Q-bank/NMS Question book.
5. Crush the Boards: also by Brochert, and it's pretty much the exact same info as in Step 2 Secrets just in a different format with a few extra pictures. I would not do both Step 2 Secrets and this.
6. USMLE Step 2 Mock Exam by Brochert: Again, the same author as Step 2 Secrets and Crush the Boards... he pretty much takes the info in Secrets/Crush and organizes it into formal test questions. Very redundant if you do Secrets or Crush... and the questions are not as good as those in NMS or Q-bank.
7. First Aid: lots of high yield stuff... if you don't like questions I would do this along with Step 2 Secrets or if you wanted another supplement to Secrets and Q bank but don't like Boards and Wards.
8. Rx for the Boards: another good book, but redundant if you do Secrets and a good question book. I'd pick this if I wanted another supplement to Step 2 Secrets and Q bank but didn't like Boards and Wards or First Aid.
9. Various Pre-tests: do maybe one or two of these only if after some initial studying you find that you are really weak in a certain area. If I were going to pick one, I'd probably do the Medicine one as the exam is so heavy in medicine, or maybe do the one in the subject you started 3rd year with as it will likely have been at least a year since you'd studied anything in that field.
There are a vast amount of resources out there, but these are the most popular. Don't over do it, 2 good weeks or 4 weeks of just an hour or two or three should be more than enough for most people to pass. If you need to study a lot do to well on exams or failed Step 1, do more than just Step 2 Secrets and Q bank. If you need to study less, do Step 2 Secrets and just some of Q bank. If you fail Step 2, rather than re-doing review books, I'd do the question set you didn't do (either NMS or Q bank) and I'd do some Pre-Tests in the areas you were weakest.
I hope this helps. Best of luck on the exam!
Here are my personal recommendations for Step 2. While this is what worked for me (or what I wish I had done), it will not work for everyone. So, take the following for what it's worth and remember to always do what works best for you....
This exam is generally less difficult than Step 1, not because the questions are easier (they're not, and the exam is one hour longer) but because you are so much more familiar with the material. Rather than just learning some biochem equation for a test, for step 2 you are tested on stuff you've likely seen in your patients and thus have a better, more real-world grasp on. Generally, most people do better on Step 2. A few of my classmates made the mistake of taking the exam too lightly by barely studying and didn't pass.
Failing step 2 is a bad thing (but certainly not the end of the world). In general, residency program directors value Step 2 MUCH more than Step 1 because, let's face it, how you do on Step 2 correlates with how strong your clinical knowledge base is while how well you on Step 1 simply correlates with how well you know the Krebs cycle (and in residency no one cares about that). The reason that Step 1 is such a big deal though is that very few people have a Step 2 score available by the time they apply to residency, and therefore Step 1 is the only standardized measuring stick these programs have to compare applicants.
When to take Step 2 is wholly a matter of personal opinion. You can virtually take it any day after you pass Step 1. Almost everyone waits till 4th year though. For taking Step 2 during the 4th year, here are a few brief general strategies...
A) Taking it before you apply to residency: generally only done by people who are afraid that their Step 1 score is not good enough to get them an interview. If you have a good Step 1 score, you may decide to wait rather than risk getting a low score (remember that Step 2 is weighed more than Step 1!). Definitely a good option though if you want to do something competitive and got a less-than-desirable Step 1 score. Another advantage to this option is to just get it out of the way with and not have it looming over your head the entire year. A final advantage to taking it early is that a lot of the material tested is still fresh in your head from 3rd year. The main risk is doing worse.
B) Taking it before the rank lists are turned it: the most common route. Some programs (more common in primary care) like to see that you at least passed Step 2 before they will rank you... you'll have to ask the program if unsure or they may just tell you. If you're a competitive enough applicant to get an interview (almost all of you), then doing well on Step 2 can only enhance your application. Often people will take the exam shortly after their medicine or neurology AI as most of Step 2 is medicine and medicine subspecialities and they "kill 2 birds with one stone" by studying for the shelf. Also, by not waiting until the end of 4th year, you'll get this obstacle behind you. As with option A, the main risk is doing worse or failing as this can hurt your application quite a bit.
C) Taking it after rank lists are due: generally, this option is done by people who do really well on Step 1 and apply to highly competitive programs (Optho, Derm, Rad Onc, Rad, etc...) and don't want to run the risk of doing worse on Step 2 and thus hurting their application. Disadvantage is that it looms over you the entire year and most people are not motivated to study 2 months before graduation.
Overall, there really is no wrong way to schedule Step 2.
Studying for Step 2... these books and study tools are only a matter of personal opinion (mine and several of my classmates). Do what works best for you. I can't speak to the clinical skill exam as my class was the last not to have to take it. Regarding the computerized exam however, the tools I liked the best are:
1. Step 2 Secrets by Brochert: this book is the bible for Step 2. I would definitely read this at least once.
2. Kaplan Q bank: by far the best question bank out there... uses same computer program as USMLE and very similar questions... as accurate a representation as you can get without taking the exam itself.
-- I think that these 2 tools alone are enough to do reasonably well on Step 2 as long as you worked relatively hard during 3rd year and did well OK on your shelf exams --
3. NMS Question Book: if you don't do or can't afford Q-bank, this is the next best question source out there.
4. Boards and Wards: a great book to use throughout your clinical rotations. Lots of good high yield info if you want another text besides Step 2 Secrets and Q-bank/NMS Question book.
5. Crush the Boards: also by Brochert, and it's pretty much the exact same info as in Step 2 Secrets just in a different format with a few extra pictures. I would not do both Step 2 Secrets and this.
6. USMLE Step 2 Mock Exam by Brochert: Again, the same author as Step 2 Secrets and Crush the Boards... he pretty much takes the info in Secrets/Crush and organizes it into formal test questions. Very redundant if you do Secrets or Crush... and the questions are not as good as those in NMS or Q-bank.
7. First Aid: lots of high yield stuff... if you don't like questions I would do this along with Step 2 Secrets or if you wanted another supplement to Secrets and Q bank but don't like Boards and Wards.
8. Rx for the Boards: another good book, but redundant if you do Secrets and a good question book. I'd pick this if I wanted another supplement to Step 2 Secrets and Q bank but didn't like Boards and Wards or First Aid.
9. Various Pre-tests: do maybe one or two of these only if after some initial studying you find that you are really weak in a certain area. If I were going to pick one, I'd probably do the Medicine one as the exam is so heavy in medicine, or maybe do the one in the subject you started 3rd year with as it will likely have been at least a year since you'd studied anything in that field.
There are a vast amount of resources out there, but these are the most popular. Don't over do it, 2 good weeks or 4 weeks of just an hour or two or three should be more than enough for most people to pass. If you need to study a lot do to well on exams or failed Step 1, do more than just Step 2 Secrets and Q bank. If you need to study less, do Step 2 Secrets and just some of Q bank. If you fail Step 2, rather than re-doing review books, I'd do the question set you didn't do (either NMS or Q bank) and I'd do some Pre-Tests in the areas you were weakest.
I hope this helps. Best of luck on the exam!
