Step II Prep: Uworld + [your favorite reference here]

[DarthNevus]

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So I'm prepping for Step II. I did sort of 'meh' on Step 1 and I'm aiming to redeem myself for Step 2. It's tough to find strong recommendations because nearly everyone to whom I speak doesn't sweat this test too much. I'm talking like, 2.5 to 0 weeks of study and walking away smelling like a 250+. Sadly, I know such a strategy wouldn't work for me --> therefore I need to do some strong preparation to blow this test away.

I've been reading and hearing that Uworld is the messiah for Step 2. I've got it and I'm plowing through questions and I've seen improvement since my last Shelf exam.

What about another resource in addition to the Qbank? So far I've seen in order of top recommends these texts:

1st. MTB
2nd. Step Up to Step 2
3rd. First Aid: Step 2
4th. Step 2 Secrets
5th. MKSAP 4 (as a supplement if you REALLY want something extra)
6th. Crush the boards (haven't heard anyone's feedback on this one yet!)

Which books (if any) do you guys recommend?

 

[txhorn]

I thought Secrets was a very readable book that filled a bunch of gaps in my knowledge base. I tried to read SUTS2 but gave up pretty quickly..it was dense and very time consuming, and I retained very little. I was only able to do UW questions once (averaging ~60%) and then quickly re-read through all the questions & key concepts.

If I had to study for CK again, I would allocate time to do a full 2nd pass through UW, with a 3rd pass quickly rereading all the question stems & answers. Reading UW's explanations is better than spending time on a review book IMO. If I had time to reset UW and redo it, I'm fairly confident that would have pushed me into the upper 240s if not >250. This exam is less about memorizing lists & tables of minutiae and more about clinical reasoning.

 

[DarthNevus]

Good advice txhorn. I've been reading reviews about SECRETS and it seems to be a solid source.