USMLE Step 2ck score 242

[oasisgirl.]

HI guys

I just got my score and first thing I thought I'd do is let you guys know is what to expect

I scored 236 in u world self assessment

Apart from form 7 nbme I scored somewhere around 233

Form 7 is by far the toughest. I scored 221 and was reeling with shock when I saw it. It really disheartened me . But then I read other people's experiences and realized I'm not the only one who felt that way.

The actual exam was really not bad
I had 2 drug abstracts and they were pretty straightforward

I had 2 ecgs and 2 heartsounds

I studied from mtb2 and 3. Kaplan, but the handiest was uworld qbank. I did that twice and took notes of all the questions I felt were missing in my notes

Overall the exam was long. I had 9 blocks and the number of questions vary from block to block

If you've done your uworld qbank you'll be fine.

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[doc0610]

HI guys

I just got my score and first thing I thought I'd do is let you guys know is what to expect

I scored 236 in u world self assessment

Apart from form 7 nbme I scored somewhere around 233

Form 7 is by far the toughest. I scored 221 and was reeling with shock when I saw it. It really disheartened me . But then I read other people's experiences and realized I'm not the only one who felt that way.

The actual exam was really not bad
I had 2 drug abstracts and they were pretty straightforward

I had 2 ecgs and 2 heartsounds

I studied from mtb2 and 3. Kaplan, but the handiest was uworld qbank. I did that twice and took notes of all the questions I felt were missing in my notes

Overall the exam was long. I had 9 blocks and the number of questions vary from block to block

If you've done your uworld qbank you'll be fine.

Hey, congrats on the score. Just had a few questions.
I don't really enjoy reading mtb2, i feel mtg 3 is much better, do you think I should still go over mtb 2? Also, how vague were the questions on the real exam? I don't know, I feel like the more I study the less I know, might not make sense.
Also, how detail oriented is the exam? Also, compared to nbme 7.

Thank you

 

[oasisgirl.]

Mtb2 is good for internal medicine. That's the only subject i mainly used it for. Mtb3 is better for the rest

believe me I felt the same way. The more I studied the less I felt I know. Esp when I did nbme7 and my score plummeted from 233 to 221.

But once you sit for the exam it'll all come back to you. It really wasn't that vague
They were long, yes, but not vague

Of course you'll come across vague questions. I'd say smtimes 5 questions per block. So don't let that shatter your confidence

Time management is trickier in step 2 cos of how long the questions are. Don't sit there wasting your time over a question. Go through the entire block and come back to the ones you feel need more time

As far as nbme 7 is concerned the actual exam was much clearer than that.

 

[ButterfingerBBs]

HI guys

I just got my score and first thing I thought I'd do is let you guys know is what to expect

I scored 236 in u world self assessment

Apart from form 7 nbme I scored somewhere around 233

Form 7 is by far the toughest. I scored 221 and was reeling with shock when I saw it. It really disheartened me . But then I read other people's experiences and realized I'm not the only one who felt that way.

The actual exam was really not bad
I had 2 drug abstracts and they were pretty straightforward

I had 2 ecgs and 2 heartsounds

I studied from mtb2 and 3. Kaplan, but the handiest was uworld qbank. I did that twice and took notes of all the questions I felt were missing in my notes

Overall the exam was long. I had 9 blocks and the number of questions vary from block to block

If you've done your uworld qbank you'll be fine.

Did you get the score back the 3rd or 4th wednesday after the exam?

 

[oasisgirl.]

Did you get the score back the 3rd or 4th wednesday after the exam?

Took the test on 28th may (thurs) and received it 17th June which makes it the 3rd wed

 

[ButterfingerBBs]

thanks very helpful ill be getting my score next week then.

 

[oasisgirl.]

thanks very helpful ill be getting my score next week then.

Best of luck. Hope you ace it!

 

[doc0610]

Mtb2 is good for internal medicine. That's the only subject i mainly used it for. Mtb3 is better for the rest

believe me I felt the same way. The more I studied the less I felt I know. Esp when I did nbme7 and my score plummeted from 233 to 221.

But once you sit for the exam it'll all come back to you. It really wasn't that vague
They were long, yes, but not vague

Of course you'll come across vague questions. I'd say smtimes 5 questions per block. So don't let that shatter your confidence

Time management is trickier in step 2 cos of how long the questions are. Don't sit there wasting your time over a question. Go through the entire block and come back to the ones you feel need more time

As far as nbme 7 is concerned the actual exam was much clearer than that.

Thank you so much. Honestly, i don't feel too confident about this exam. I took step 1 a while back and have forgotten and lot of basic. But, thank you for your input. Is there anything that you did and you think that it helped?

 

[oasisgirl.]

Thank you so much. Honestly, i don't feel too confident about this exam. I took step 1 a while back and have forgotten and lot of basic. But, thank you for your input. Is there anything that you did and you think that it helped?

I didn't feel too great about this exam either esp since a couple of things happened around my exam which had my mind really muddled up .

I did do one more thing but I wouldn't recommend it if your exam is nearby

There were a couple of topics I felt I kept lagging in like cvs from internal med and a couple of other topics here and there. I read it from CMDT. This was about 2 months before my exam. See the thing is, reading it from a textbook just sort of clarified the review book a bit more

But if you were to ask me what it was that really made a difference I would say it was uworld qbank. I either made notes or would write down the question id in my books and read it again and again. And this is not just the explanation of the right answer. Make sure you read explanations of all the answers (even the wrong ones) You'd be surprised what you can learn just by reading all the explanations provided in uworld

If you're feeling worried take an nbme (not form 7 for now though)
This will give you a very good idea of what your weaknesses are and you can go back and polish up on them
And then take a new nbme once youre done to see if you've improved

Believe me you'll find step 2 easier than step 1. It's longer, there are a lot of details provided, but once you have the basic concept you'll be fine

 

[NeuroOsler]

HI guys

I just got my score and first thing I thought I'd do is let you guys know is what to expect

I scored 236 in u world self assessment

Apart from form 7 nbme I scored somewhere around 233

Form 7 is by far the toughest. I scored 221 and was reeling with shock when I saw it. It really disheartened me . But then I read other people's experiences and realized I'm not the only one who felt that way.

The actual exam was really not bad
I had 2 drug abstracts and they were pretty straightforward

I had 2 ecgs and 2 heartsounds

I studied from mtb2 and 3. Kaplan, but the handiest was uworld qbank. I did that twice and took notes of all the questions I felt were missing in my notes

Overall the exam was long. I had 9 blocks and the number of questions vary from block to block

If you've done your uworld qbank you'll be fine.

Hi Oasisgirl, thank you for this. Would you mind sharing your Uworld scores at the end? Also how many weeks/months before step 2 did you take the different NBME and UWSA.

Thanks.

 

[oasisgirl.]

Hi Oasisgirl, thank you for this. Would you mind sharing your Uworld scores at the end? Also how many weeks/months before step 2 did you take the different NBME and UWSA.

Thanks.

Hi NeuroOsler. I took my first nbme in Feb. This was form 4 and I scored 210. This was right at the start of my preparation cos I wanted to see where I lack strength

Then I took form 6 end April and got 230. There were certain topics that I saw I kept struggling with like cvs from internal med.

I went over those again and took nbme 7 which dropped my score to a scary 221. Nbme 7 is the exam most difficult and different from the actual exam

Uwsa I scores 236. That was around a week before my exam.

By this time I was saturated and quite frankly had enough. I felt I was forgetting stuff so decided to suck it up and just go for it

Uworld is a lifesaver and make sure to take uwsa

 

[Darkskies]

Hi,
Thanks for sharing your study strategy. I am planning on taking usmle step 2 at the end of August but have not started studying anything yet including uworld qbank. Do you think if I use the uworld qbank, and mtb2 + 3 I can score a 240+ in that time? Or even a 230? Should I postpone my step 2 to September? Please let me know! Thanks.

 

[oasisgirl.]

It depends on if you're an img or American graduate.

If you're an img then I think Aug is pushing it a bit too close. I wouldn't be able to pull it off,personally.

It took me a solid 4 months. Why don't you do some u world questions and see where you stand. There are folks who have been able to do it within 3 months. Start with qbank and if you feel you're able to score within avg then you may be able to do it.

 

[Darkskies]

It depends on if you're an img or American graduate.

If you're an img then I think Aug is pushing it a bit too close. I wouldn't be able to pull it off,personally.

It took me a solid 4 months. Why don't you do some u world questions and see where you stand. There are folks who have been able to do it within 3 months. Start with qbank and if you feel you're able to score within avg then you may be able to do it.

Thanks for the quick reply! I am an American DO student. I don't think I can wait 4 months since the ERAS application is supposed to be complete by September, right? It may be November but I'm not sure. Do you think I could still score decently well(230) by the end of August if I start studying now? Is it even possible for me to wait until September and still have my score in to matter for the coming application cycle? Thanks!

 

[oasisgirl.]

Thanks for the quick reply! I am an American DO student. I don't think I can wait 4 months since the ERAS application is supposed to be complete by September, right? It may be November but I'm not sure. Do you think I could still score decently well(230) by the end of August if I start studying now? Is it even possible for me to wait until September and still have my score in to matter for the coming application cycle? Thanks!

If you're aiming for next year's match then yeah go for it. If you're not satisfied with your score then you can always extend it. And yes you still can get a decent score if you hit the books now and do the qbank.

Have you given your step 2cs?

I heard mid September is when one should be ready with the full profile. So if you give your exam by end august your score will be in by 3rd week of Sept . You can very much apply for eras then.

It's usually applicants by 1st October who end up missing slots.

 

[Jlaw]

Hi,
Thanks for sharing your study strategy. I am planning on taking usmle step 2 at the end of August but have not started studying anything yet including uworld qbank. Do you think if I use the uworld qbank, and mtb2 + 3 I can score a 240+ in that time? Or even a 230? Should I postpone my step 2 to September? Please let me know! Thanks.

How have you been doing on shelf exams? If you're learning a lot 3rd year and have studied hard and done well on the shelf exams you really don't need more than a few weeks of dedicated prep for step 2. Unlike Step 1 where you learn brand new material up until May and then have to take the boards, this year you've just been learning how to apply stuff you already know to different situations and this is really the bulk of your step 2 prep. Now If you barely studied and had a hard time passing shelves then its a different story and you're going to have your work cut out for you.

I would say start studying now and take an NBME or UWSA in late July and see how you do. If you start Uworld now you can easily get through it over the course of a month. and then reset and hit it again. Take notes along the way. You can get through a second round of Uworld comfortably in 2-3 weeks.

 

[Darkskies]

If you're aiming for next year's match then yeah go for it. If you're not satisfied with your score then you can always extend it. And yes you still can get a decent score if you hit the books now and do the qbank.

Have you given your step 2cs?

I heard mid September is when one should be ready with the full profile. So if you give your exam by end august your score will be in by 3rd week of Sept . You can very much apply for eras then.

It's usually applicants by 1st October who end up missing slots.

I really appreciate the advice. So if I use Master the Boards Step 2 CK, Master the boards Step 3(Using the chapters outside of Internal Medicine) and UWorld, I should be able to obtain a decent score on the CK? Are these 3 resources enough or is Kaplan a requirement as well? Please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you very much!

 

[oasisgirl.]

I really appreciate the advice. So if I use Master the Boards Step 2 CK, Master the boards Step 3(Using the chapters outside of Internal Medicine) and UWorld, I should be able to obtain a decent score on the CK? Are these 3 resources enough or is Kaplan a requirement as well? Please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you very much!

You should do Kaplan
There's a lot of stuff in Kaplan which is missing in master the board. I used mtb2 and 3 as supplementary books to fill in the gaps Kaplan.

 

[Darkskies]

You should do Kaplan
There's a lot of stuff in Kaplan which is missing in master the board. I used mtb2 and 3 as supplementary books to fill in the gaps Kaplan.

Hi again,

Do you mean I should buy the comprehensive Kaplan course or that is there just a book I can buy? Please let me know as soon as possible. Our school made it mandatory to have a Boards Boot camp course so can I use that and the associated books instead of Kaplan along with UWorld, and MTB 2 + 3? If what you mean by Kaplan is just another simple book or course I could buy, I would be fine doing that too. I really appreciate it, thanks.

 

[oasisgirl.]

Hi again,

Do you mean I should buy the comprehensive Kaplan course or that is there just a book I can buy? Please let me know as soon as possible. Our school made it mandatory to have a Boards Boot camp course so can I use that and the associated books instead of Kaplan along with UWorld, and MTB 2 + 3? If what you mean by Kaplan is just another simple book or course I could buy, I would be fine doing that too. I really appreciate it, thanks.

Hi Darkskies

I did the whole course of Kaplan and to be honest I felt it was a must do for me (the course consists of 5 books : med, surgery, paeds, ob/gyn, behaviorial + psychiatry )

Alot of topics in Kaplan are not in mtb series

I'm an IMG and we're not taught the way American grads are. AMGS are able to score in 260s just by reviewing Uworld.

Everyone's different. Why don't you try some practice tests, either in uworld or nbme?

That will definitely help you gauge your strengths and weaknesses

 

[Jlaw]

Dark skies when are you taking comlex and what are you using? Also see my question above re shelf performance.

 

[oasisgirl.]

Dark skies when are you taking comlex and what are you using? Also see my question above re shelf performance.

Agreed. Jlaw's post was on the dot.

 

[Darkskies]

Dark skies when are you taking comlex and what are you using? Also see my question above re shelf performance.

I have been doing fine on shelf exams but I don't really feel confident that I've retained much of the information that was on the shelf exams. In addition our school administers COMATs instead of the NBME shelf exams. I am registered to take the COMLEX Level 2 on August 8th and the NBME Step 2 exam towards the end of August. I'm seriously contemplating changing my Level 2 exam to the end of August as well. Do you think I could focus mostly on UWorld, MTB2, and MTB3 and still aim for a 230 or so on the NBME Step 2(I don't really care about my COMLEX Level 2 score as long as it's a pass)? Please let me know. Thanks. I really appreciate yours and oasisgirl's help immensely!

 

[Jlaw]

I have been doing fine on shelf exams but I don't really feel confident that I've retained much of the information that was on the shelf exams. In addition our school administers COMATs instead of the NBME shelf exams. I am registered to take the COMLEX Level 2 on August 8th and the NBME Step 2 exam towards the end of August. I'm seriously contemplating changing my Level 2 exam to the end of August as well. Do you think I could focus mostly on UWorld, MTB2, and MTB3 and still aim for a 230 or so on the NBME Step 2(I don't really care about my COMLEX Level 2 score as long as it's a pass)? Please let me know. Thanks. I really appreciate yours and oasisgirl's help immensely!

Yeah I'm not sure what COMAT's are like because my school had us take NBME's. But if you did ok on them you will probably be surprised by how much you retained. The knowledge base you need for COMLEX is the same as Step 2 so if you are ready to take level 2 you're going to be ready for Step 2. I really think that if you have a fairly solid background 4-6 weeks is all you need to prepare for these exams. Do you get a study month or is this going to be during rotations? I think your plan above sounds good and really the only way to find out if to get started and do it. I didn't use MTB or Kaplan so I can't comment on them as resources. Uworld is the best resource by far. I also thought that USMLE Secrets was a great quick hit resource and found that Step up 2 Med was excellent for IM, which is probably 70%+ of both exams. Either way choose your resources and stick with them. For Comlex review Savarese but don't waste too much time, the OMM is not bad. Use NBME's and UWSA to see how you are progressing. I would be careful about delaying the exam further, at some point any gain from a better score is going to be offset by the fact that your apps are late and programs have filled their interview spots.

 

[Darkskies]

Yeah I'm not sure what COMAT's are like because my school had us take NBME's. But if you did ok on them you will probably be surprised by how much you retained. The knowledge base you need for COMLEX is the same as Step 2 so if you are ready to take level 2 you're going to be ready for Step 2. I really think that if you have a fairly solid background 4-6 weeks is all you need to prepare for these exams. Do you get a study month or is this going to be during rotations? I think your plan above sounds good and really the only way to find out if to get started and do it. I didn't use MTB or Kaplan so I can't comment on them as resources. Uworld is the best resource by far. I also thought that USMLE Secrets was a great quick hit resource and found that Step up 2 Med was excellent for IM, which is probably 70%+ of both exams. Either way choose your resources and stick with them. For Comlex review Savarese but don't waste too much time, the OMM is not bad. Use NBME's and UWSA to see how you are progressing. I would be careful about delaying the exam further, at some point any gain from a better score is going to be offset by the fact that your apps are late and programs have filled their interview spots.

Thanks so much for this advice! I will keep you updated on my progress(if anyone cares to know lol).

 

[kikall]

HI guys

I just got my score and first thing I thought I'd do is let you guys know is what to expect

I scored 236 in u world self assessment

Apart from form 7 nbme I scored somewhere around 233

Form 7 is by far the toughest. I scored 221 and was reeling with shock when I saw it. It really disheartened me . But then I read other people's experiences and realized I'm not the only one who felt that way.

The actual exam was really not bad
I had 2 drug abstracts and they were pretty straightforward

I had 2 ecgs and 2 heartsounds

I studied from mtb2 and 3. Kaplan, but the handiest was uworld qbank. I did that twice and took notes of all the questions I felt were missing in my notes

Overall the exam was long. I had 9 blocks and the number of questions vary from block to block

If you've done your uworld qbank you'll be fine.

Did you take any clinical mastery nbmes ?

 

[oasisgirl.]

Did you take any clinical mastery nbmes ?

No I didn't