Step III study materials/time

[ajimd]

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I'm a recent grad, soon to be intern starting in July.
I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on study materials for the exam and when is the best time to take it?

How much time is enough time to study for it....considering you did well on step II? Are they pretty similar?

 

[ekydrd]

I'm a recent grad, soon to be intern starting in July.
I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on study materials for the exam and when is the best time to take it?

How much time is enough time to study for it....considering you did well on step II? Are they pretty similar?

The questions are similar but you are expected to know more about management than pathology, but a couple weeks should be enough. The CCS cases are kinda screwy too. I recommend studying from the CD you get once you apply for Step 3. I had several questions on my test that were word-for-word from the CD. And definately study the CCS cases on the CD. This will help you learn to navigate through the cases and how to do the orders and look up labs etc.

 

[Hercules]

I took it last week and would not recommend putting much time into it. The old 2 weeks, 2 days, #2 pencil adage is pretty accurate (other than the fact that the tests are on computers so you don't need a pencil anymore...). I read most of Crush and worked a few hundred USMLEworld questions. I felt that I was overprepared for a test that I was just trying to pass. If I had it to do over I would have just read the ob and peds sections of Crush (since I've had little exposure to those since being an MS-3) and done about 200 questions. Like ekydrd said. definitely do the CCS on the Step 3 CD to familarize yourself with the interface.

 

[ajimd]

Did you take the exam at the end of your intern year or the end of MS IV? If you took it during your intern year, was there sufficient time to prepare? And do you think it is beneficial to at least have gone through 4-5 months of internship to get used to management....etc.

 

[Blade28]

I plan to take mine at the end of intern year. I have First Aid and Crush - will probably devote a long weekend to studying. I knew I wanted to take the test as soon as possible, before I forgot all my peds/psych/OB/GYN. Luckily I had to review some peds for peds surg, and some OB/GYN for gyn onc.

 

[ekydrd]

Did you take the exam at the end of your intern year or the end of MS IV? If you took it during your intern year, was there sufficient time to prepare? And do you think it is beneficial to at least have gone through 4-5 months of internship to get used to management....etc.

I took it during the middle of my intern year. Had plenty of time to prepare. Having already done a few months of internship did help me with management, but everyone's different and you may not need that time.

 

[ajimd]

I looked at Crush and S Medicine....they are both pretty comprehensive books, but there are some things that SM has that Crush does not really emphasize.
Can't really decide which is better. Guess it's all the same really....

I suppose I'll wait for the middle of my intern year. Taking it at the beginning would be far too overwhelming, especially as a surgical newbie.

 

[Anath]

I looked at Crush and S Medicine....they are both pretty comprehensive books, but there are some things that SM has that Crush does not really emphasize.
Can't really decide which is better. Guess it's all the same really....

I suppose I'll wait for the middle of my intern year. Taking it at the beginning would be far too overwhelming, especially as a surgical newbie.

What's S Medicine? that's one I havent heard of yet

 

[CANES2006]

What's S Medicine? that's one I havent heard of yet

Strong Medicine

 

[ajimd]

Yep.

 

[Apollyon]

Hehehehe...I'm PGY-4 and finishing residency in 2 1/2 months - and am taking Step III on Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th. Nothing like waiting until the very......last.......minute.

EM and FM have NO problem. IM can fake it, and anesthesia just behind them. After that, the further you get in your specialty, the more review you need to do (like the peds resident relearning CHF).

 

[Blade28]

I signed up online (and paid online) a couple weeks ago, sent in the notarized form a week ago. Any idea what month I'll be able to take the exam? (The sooner, the better, before I forget all my peds/OB/psych!)

 

[Bender]

I signed up online (and paid online) a couple weeks ago, sent in the notarized form a week ago. Any idea what month I'll be able to take the exam? (The sooner, the better, before I forget all my peds/OB/psych!)

It took me 6 weeks and 2 days to get my permit. My window to take the test actually started on the day they mailed the permit so I've lost 5 days of eligibility. There was a minor problem with my application which required a few phone calls on my part so my app was delayed about a week. On average I've heard it takes 4 to 5 weeks if all your ducks are in a row.

 

[Apollyon]

I just did it yesterday and today, and I'll tell you - it was a joke. The case scenarios were ESPECIALLY easy - even the one where I made the diagnosis, but had NO IDEA what the right treatment was.

I had a problem with my notarized ID thing (they said it wasn't date right, which is wrong, but I had to send it in anyhow). Even so, it was less than a month from sending it in, to having the test done.

 

[Blade28]

Good, hopefully I can take the test sometime in May, when I have an easier schedule and will have a weekend to study for it.

 

[signomi]

I advise taking it during the second year of residency, when you have a year of experience under your belt (assessing, making a plan, taking an H&P, etc). I took it in december of my second year after I had a one month elective and one month OP clinic rotation. I took it right before xmas and got those two days off in addition to my one week vacation!

I am probably atypical in that I studied for it 2-3 hours a day for 4 weeks. I scored a 99 though! As for books I recommend at least eyeballing Blueprints CCS the night before - several of the cases came straight out of that book! Plus you should use the disc several times to play with the orders and time...like did you know you can order transcendental meditation for the patient?! They also give you the heads up on little things you absolutely cannot overlook if you want to rock the test - like don't forget RhoGAM after an abortion if necessary, etc. I also used Crush Step 3 and Boards & Wards.

 

[eyestar]

I advise taking it during the second year of residency, when you have a year of experience under your belt (assessing, making a plan, taking an H&P, etc).

I disagree. I took it after my transitional, but i could very well have taken it in my 4th yr. Unless you need to ace it, doing questions q-bank will prepare you more than doing a yr of residency. The questions are picky and vague which just needs some practice. Most importantly, having a full month to study in 4th yr beats taking step3 during a 2wk elective during residency.

Only exception is that if someone is finishing their IM residency, they might feel confident about the ques. on chf, COPD although doing the residency doesn't give you the edge-if you have 4 wks, then take it.

 

[eyeballz]

I advise taking it during the second year of residency, when you have a year of experience under your belt (assessing, making a plan, taking an H&P, etc). I took it in december of my second year after I had a one month elective and one month OP clinic rotation. I took it right before xmas and got those two days off in addition to my one week vacation!

I am probably atypical in that I studied for it 2-3 hours a day for 4 weeks. I scored a 99 though! As for books I recommend at least eyeballing Blueprints CCS the night before - several of the cases came straight out of that book! Plus you should use the disc several times to play with the orders and time...like did you know you can order transcendental meditation for the patient?! They also give you the heads up on little things you absolutely cannot overlook if you want to rock the test - like don't forget RhoGAM after an abortion if necessary, etc. I also used Crush Step 3 and Boards & Wards.

Are the practice materials you can download from the usmle website the same as the stuff on the CD? If not, how do you get the CD?

 

[Narkose]

Are the practice materials you can download from the usmle website the same as the stuff on the CD? If not, how do you get the CD?

You get the official USMLE CD once you register for the step 3.

 

[Tater]

Unless you need to ace it...

That's my question...who "needs" to ace this test? I've heard nothing about the significance of this test (at least no where near as much as you hear for Steps I and II). Does it have (surgical) fellowship significance at all?

I want to get this thing done with as soon as possible, but I won't kid myself that I'll be able to take this thing any earlier than the end of my intern year.

 

[ramonaquimby]

can't believe it's time to take this stupid thing. anyone else want to chime in?