Step 2 Study Strategy

[RWillan]

Hi everyone. I have read through all the posts on Step II study strategies and have pretty much decided on...

Main book: Step up to step 2
Q bank: UWorld
Secrets: light review

I have about 40 days free to study.

My main question is (for those that have taken Step II), did you feel that these sources are detailed enough?? I was just comparing Step up to medicine (which I used on my medicine shelf, and read through 3 times) with step up to step 2 and there are so many details lacking from step up to step 2. Likewise, Kaplan surgery for USMLE 2 has much more info than step up to step 2 (and it's in a much nicer format than the other review books).

From what I have read here, the sources I decided on seem to be more than enough for step 2. After my first skimming of step up to step 2 it seems pretty cursory...I read some people use step up to medicine for the medicine sections, but is this too much? My only worry is that I will have less time for everything else and end up learning the other sections less well.

My second question is, aside from the cost and length of the Kaplan step 2 ck lecture notes...would this be a better source to use if I could handle the material in enough time?

And if it matters at all, my goal is >245.

Thanks.

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[OveractiveBrain]

Hi everyone. I have read through all the posts on Step II study strategies and have pretty much decided on...

Main book: Step up to step 2
Q bank: UWorld
Secrets: light review

I have about 40 days free to study.

My main question is (for those that have taken Step II), did you feel that these sources are detailed enough?? I was just comparing Step up to medicine (which I used on my medicine shelf, and read through 3 times) with step up to step 2 and there are so many details lacking from step up to step 2. Likewise, Kaplan surgery for USMLE 2 has much more info than step up to step 2 (and it's in a much nicer format than the other review books).

From what I have read here, the sources I decided on seem to be more than enough for step 2. After my first skimming of step up to step 2 it seems pretty cursory...I read some people use step up to medicine for the medicine sections, but is this too much? My only worry is that I will have less time for everything else and end up learning the other sections less well.

My second question is, aside from the cost and length of the Kaplan step 2 ck lecture notes...would this be a better source to use if I could handle the material in enough time?

And if it matters at all, my goal is >245.

Thanks.

Your Step 1 score would be useful to gauge your maximum performance potential.

Detailed Enough? 3 sources, 40 days, 2200 questions? You're almost guarenteed a 230. 240? Not guarenteed, but probably somewhere close. Those resources are absolutely detailed enough. LazyMD (who I keep giving shout outs to because he's usually got a lot of good stuff to say) has already said it elsewhere. Step 2 is more about logic, using multiple cues to get the right answer. The real deal is not so detailed, but more about identifying the diagnosis from a list of clues, then knowing what the next step is. MUCH easier, and far more intuitive than Step 1.

Doing Kaplan. 40 days is not enough time for Kaplan. There's something like 200 hours for Step 2. Its too much to cover in such a little time. While highly effective, and quite thorough, you'll be lost in the details worrying about finishing your Qbank (let alone sleeping and eating) if you try to hammer through the Kaplan program. I HIGHLY recommend it for motivated people who have the time to do it. Even at 2x, its a lot of hours (and at 2x you miss about 25% of the material). Not worth it to say you did Kaplan if you could have gotten more points out of a second pass of Step Up or Secrets.

Multiple Choice Exams. For people who don't know, Ill say it explicitly. Step 1 and Step 2 are alike in that there are no distractors. Everything they give you in a question is relevant. They don't throw in extraneous information to throw you off the scent. Thats Step 3 and the Boards. Thats not what they emphasize in Step 2. They have 4 lines to tell you everything you need to know to get the diagnosis. They give you multiple clues. What they're testing you on is diagnosis, workup, and a little treatment. They WANT you to get the diagnosis. That should be easy. The hard part is knowing where in the workup they are, so you decide if more diagnostics or a treatment is needed. Every once and a while (and only infrequently), do they ask you some path or some detail minutia.

 

[RWillan]

Your Step 1 score would be useful to gauge your maximum performance potential.

Detailed Enough? 3 sources, 40 days, 2200 questions? You're almost guarenteed a 230. 240? Not guarenteed, but probably somewhere close. Those resources are absolutely detailed enough. LazyMD (who I keep giving shout outs to because he's usually got a lot of good stuff to say) has already said it elsewhere. Step 2 is more about logic, using multiple cues to get the right answer. The real deal is not so detailed, but more about identifying the diagnosis from a list of clues, then knowing what the next step is. MUCH easier, and far more intuitive than Step 1.

Doing Kaplan. 40 days is not enough time for Kaplan. There's something like 200 hours for Step 2. Its too much to cover in such a little time. While highly effective, and quite thorough, you'll be lost in the details worrying about finishing your Qbank (let alone sleeping and eating) if you try to hammer through the Kaplan program. I HIGHLY recommend it for motivated people who have the time to do it. Even at 2x, its a lot of hours (and at 2x you miss about 25% of the material). Not worth it to say you did Kaplan if you could have gotten more points out of a second pass of Step Up or Secrets.

Multiple Choice Exams. For people who don't know, Ill say it explicitly. Step 1 and Step 2 are alike in that there are no distractors. Everything they give you in a question is relevant. They don't throw in extraneous information to throw you off the scent. Thats Step 3 and the Boards. Thats not what they emphasize in Step 2. They have 4 lines to tell you everything you need to know to get the diagnosis. They give you multiple clues. What they're testing you on is diagnosis, workup, and a little treatment. They WANT you to get the diagnosis. That should be easy. The hard part is knowing where in the workup they are, so you decide if more diagnostics or a treatment is needed. Every once and a while (and only infrequently), do they ask you some path or some detail minutia.

Thanks for the post OB. Step I was in the 240 range. I tend to agree with you about the logic part (somewhat true for Step I too) and therefore it would be better to learn SUTS2, UW really well vs trying to get through kaplan and struggling. Then I can just sit back and reason my way through. Also I did some searching around other forums where people were studying 6 months for step 2 (wow!! and going through kaplan notes 3 times).

Got my study plan all set, getting to work tomorrow! It's going to be a long 40 days.

 

[OveractiveBrain]

Thanks for the post OB. Step I was in the 240 range. I tend to agree with you about the logic part (somewhat true for Step I too) and therefore it would be better to learn SUTS2, UW really well vs trying to get through kaplan and struggling. Then I can just sit back and reason my way through. Also I did some searching around other forums where people were studying 6 months for step 2 (wow!! and going through kaplan notes 3 times).

Got my study plan all set, getting to work tomorrow! It's going to be a long 40 days.

Good luck! With a 240 Step I base, I bet you're gonna hit the 250s. Study hard, dont **** it up, and RAPE the boards!