Step 3 before intern year

[Patelkai]

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USMD MS4
Thinking of taking step 3 before intern year starts. Average student (220s/230s steps), however I prefer having a longer period of time to study rather than trying to juggle step 3 studying with intern year.
Also my specialty requires step 3 finished by the end of intern year
I have match day until Start of intern year available. No scheduled rotations at all. Yes, I’ll enjoy my time off, however I don’t have enough money to party and travel for 3 and half months, so might as well try and get something out the way.
I took CK pretty late this year, so it’s still pretty fresh.
My rotations for January, Feb, March include my sub I, ICU, EM etc. so I feel like transitioning to step 3 studying will be a little smoother coming off of those rotations.
Thoughts? Is step 3 super hard before starting intern year? Even if you have months to study?
Also? What are some good books? I liked mastering the boards and OME. Is OME intern guide good for step 3 material?

 

[GoSpursGo]

If you insist on getting step 3 done, I would just do U World. I didn't use anything else to study.

 

[Oso]

From what I understand, you can't register for the exam until after you've graduated.

I used UWorld only and thought it was enough. Step 3 has nothing to do with actual clinical medicine ... so it's not harder before/early in intern year.

 

[atomi]

Why? After intern year you can walk in and pass it without studying. I did.

 

[Patelkai]

Why? After intern year you can walk in and pass it without studying. I did.

I’m sorry, but I think this is one of the most annoying advices that sdn-ers love to give.
Just like how “anyone with a pulse can pass CS”. You have to study for all of these exams. And studying, requires time, it may not be THAT much time, but it is still a 2 day exam that should be taken seriously.
For the average med student, you have to study. I’d rather use the 2 months that’s I’m doing absolutely nothing to study rather than my 2 week vacation after working 80 hrs weeks during intern year.

 

[UnoMas]

Some residency programs pay for your Step 3/Level 3, so take that into consideration. It's quite a bit of money.

 

[MSTP18]

USMD MS4
Thinking of taking step 3 before intern year starts. Average student (220s/230s steps), however I prefer having a longer period of time to study rather than trying to juggle step 3 studying with intern year.
Also my specialty requires step 3 finished by the end of intern year
I have match day until Start of intern year available. No scheduled rotations at all. Yes, I’ll enjoy my time off, however I don’t have enough money to party and travel for 3 and half months, so might as well try and get something out the way.
I took CK pretty late this year, so it’s still pretty fresh.
My rotations for January, Feb, March include my sub I, ICU, EM etc. so I feel like transitioning to step 3 studying will be a little smoother coming off of those rotations.
Thoughts? Is step 3 super hard before starting intern year? Even if you have months to study?
Also? What are some good books? I liked mastering the boards and OME. Is OME intern guide good for step 3 material?

Unfortunately you cannot even begin the registration until after you graduate and by then you will be booking your test date months out in advance (because it fills up) so it won't be before intern year anyway

 

[mimelim]

I’m sorry, but I think this is one of the most annoying advices that sdn-ers love to give.
Just like how “anyone with a pulse can pass CS”. You have to study for all of these exams. And studying, requires time, it may not be THAT much time, but it is still a 2 day exam that should be taken seriously.
For the average med student, you have to study. I’d rather use the 2 months that’s I’m doing absolutely nothing to study rather than my 2 week vacation after working 80 hrs weeks during intern year.

I think it is fair to say that most people should study for all the step exams. But, certainly not everyone does need to. For starters, CS doesn't really test medical knowledge. I don't consider reading the instructions about CS to be studying, but with a reasonable grasp or the English language and a strong clinical education in medical school, the vast majority of people can simply show up for CS and pass. And bluntly, many of us did just that.

Step 3, a little bit more involved, but there are certainly people that didn't study at all, showed up, took it, walked out and moved on with their lives. I certainly don't know the impact of Step 3 on anyone except those in vascular surgery, but for us, it means zero. As in, it is a pass, fail exam. As long as you get the minimum score, it is the same as a 270+. I spent a day studying and I took the exam a good 4 years after I had graduated from medical school. I don't think it would have made much of any difference when I took it.

 

[Entadus]

I think it is fair to say that most people should study for all the step exams. But, certainly not everyone does need to. For starters, CS doesn't really test medical knowledge. I don't consider reading the instructions about CS to be studying, but with a reasonable grasp or the English language and a strong clinical education in medical school, the vast majority of people can simply show up for CS and pass. And bluntly, many of us did just that.

Step 3, a little bit more involved, but there are certainly people that didn't study at all, showed up, took it, walked out and moved on with their lives. I certainly don't know the impact of Step 3 on anyone except those in vascular surgery, but for us, it means zero. As in, it is a pass, fail exam. As long as you get the minimum score, it is the same as a 270+. I spent a day studying and I took the exam a good 4 years after I had graduated from medical school. I don't think it would have made much of any difference when I took it.

a very helpful post for me as i near my scheduled step 3 date having had very little time outside work to study

 

[MSTP18]

I think it is fair to say that most people should study for all the step exams. But, certainly not everyone does need to. For starters, CS doesn't really test medical knowledge. I don't consider reading the instructions about CS to be studying, but with a reasonable grasp or the English language and a strong clinical education in medical school, the vast majority of people can simply show up for CS and pass. And bluntly, many of us did just that.

Step 3, a little bit more involved, but there are certainly people that didn't study at all, showed up, took it, walked out and moved on with their lives. I certainly don't know the impact of Step 3 on anyone except those in vascular surgery, but for us, it means zero. As in, it is a pass, fail exam. As long as you get the minimum score, it is the same as a 270+. I spent a day studying and I took the exam a good 4 years after I had graduated from medical school. I don't think it would have made much of any difference when I took it.

Yeah, I'm only nervous about it because I'm in path so residency is just taking me further and further away from the knowledge being tested. That's why I had looked into trying to take it right after I graduated and before residency.