Step 2CS Retake Thread: Let's do this thing!

[RosenthalFiber]

Making this as a support thread since a record number of people seem to be failing this POS test...AMG at a top 10 school too..

Retaking in 1 month. Failed ICE in LA recently.

What I did the first time:
-Took CS in the middle of busy rotation (15 hr days), did not study til the night before because all my friends you just need to speak English. Read FA for 3 hrs night before.
-Test felt absolutely fine, and I THOUGHT I did everything to meet the check boxes- however I did not do the cases since they were seemingly MS1 level...I had many friends told me they made huge horrible mistakes and they easily passed.

What I'm doing now:
USMLE World Step 2CS
FA 2x
Practicing with mentors at school 1 day, and practicing cases with friends

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[mercaptovizadeh]

Hey RosenthalFiber, sorry about the fail. I was pretty scared too. This test has such low reward (nobody will pick you for residency based on a passed CS) and in cases of failure is such a PITA with rescheduling, costs, etc.

Sounds like you have a good plan. The key are the simulations and going through the FA cases. Make sure you cover all the points and don't miss any essentials (wash hands, hello, eye contact, patient name, "empathize" (=that must be so hard for you, blablabla), "counseling", and being fast with getting all the components of the note in.

 

[Psychotic]

When you are allowed to turn over the chart on the door before entering, the most important minute of the patient encounter is at hand. Make sure you take your time to read it, jot notes, and come up with 3 probable diagnoses. If you are an acronym user, jot them down. Even if you are the last person in your hallway to enter the room, take the time you need (no more than a minute) to gather your thoughts for guiding the interview.

I never washed my hands - just put on gloves in the room in the presence of the patient. No complaints, and evidently no problem for me in passing (although who really knows?). Maybe I got dinged for this by every patient…I don't know.

I find it ridiculous that we are not given detailed grading sheets and feedback - what they send you is woefully inadequate to understand your weaknesses, even for people who pass the damn test. I am just grateful I passed and don't have to take it again, but I still have a lingering queasy feeling about the whole thing.

FA review and timed practice sessions with a partner are the key. Stay in character for the entire encounter, and go out and write the note in 10 minutes, too. Every time - don't cut corners. The only pitfall with this method is that we don't really know how the patients grade us, but this is the closest thing to formal OSCEs we have.

 

[RosenthalFiber]

When you are allowed to turn over the chart on the door before entering, the most important minute of the patient encounter is at hand. Make sure you take your time to read it, jot notes, and come up with 3 probable diagnoses. If you are an acronym user, jot them down. Even if you are the last person in your hallway to enter the room, take the time you need (no more than a minute) to gather your thoughts for guiding the interview.

I never washed my hands - just put on gloves in the room in the presence of the patient. No complaints, and evidently no problem for me in passing (although who really knows?). Maybe I got dinged for this by every patient…I don't know.

I find it ridiculous that we are not given detailed grading sheets and feedback - what they send you is woefully inadequate to understand your weaknesses, even for people who pass the damn test. I am just grateful I passed and don't have to take it again, but I still have a lingering queasy feeling about the whole thing.

FA review and timed practice sessions with a partner are the key. Stay in character for the entire encounter, and go out and write the note in 10 minutes, too. Every time - don't cut corners. The only pitfall with this method is that we don't really know how the patients grade us, but this is the closest thing to formal OSCEs we have.

Gonna set up a mini-station at home one day and have friends help. Then go in hall and type a note on my laptop with the same format. Can tape myself and analyze I guess.

LOL this is so silly but I need to pass this dumb thing!