Step2-CK: Major Sections

[manning18]

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Hello,
I'm studying for my Step 2-CK exam, which is on 8/1/06. Studying has not gone as well as I had hoped. My USMLEworld scores have been terrible (around 45% average). I have done about 320-or-so questions so far.
I was hoping to get some insight as to what the major topics are, with regards to the number of questions devoted to them on the USMLE
Step 2-CK exam. I realize that Internal Medicine is number one, by far. That said, what are the top 10 disciplines, if one separates each section of Internal Medicine into Sub-Specialties (i.e. Cards, GI, Pulm, Renal etc) and combines OB/GYNE into 1 section? Based on the USMLEworld questions I have done thusfar, the top 5 sections are:
1. Pediatrics, 2. OB/GYNE, 3. Surgery, 4. Cardiology, 5. Psychiatry, 6. Heme/Onc, 7. Infectious Disease, 8. Pulmonary, 9. 10., Endocrine and Neurology.
Does this sound about right? Please try to rank, IN ORDER, as best you can! Any additional advice as I prep for this test? I'm mainly reading from First Aid, with some Secrets as well, with USMLEworld as my sole source of questions. Thank you!!

 

[AssMan]

Hello,
I'm studying for my Step 2-CK exam, which is on 8/1/06. Studying has not gone as well as I had hoped. My USMLEworld scores have been terrible (around 45% average). I have done about 320-or-so questions so far.
I was hoping to get some insight as to what the major topics are, with regards to the number of questions devoted to them on the USMLE
Step 2-CK exam. I realize that Internal Medicine is number one, by far. That said, what are the top 10 disciplines, if one separates each section of Internal Medicine into Sub-Specialties (i.e. Cards, GI, Pulm, Renal etc) and combines OB/GYNE into 1 section? Based on the USMLEworld questions I have done thusfar, the top 5 sections are:
1. Pediatrics, 2. OB/GYNE, 3. Surgery, 4. Cardiology, 5. Psychiatry, 6. Heme/Onc, 7. Infectious Disease, 8. Pulmonary, 9. 10., Endocrine and Neurology.
Does this sound about right? Please try to rank, IN ORDER, as best you can! Any additional advice as I prep for this test? I'm mainly reading from First Aid, with some Secrets as well, with USMLEworld as my sole source of questions. Thank you!!

I'll thrown in on this post. Endocrine was HUGE on my exam as far as Medicine subspecialties. I'd go really big on that if I were you. The surgery I had was all trauma (not too many and nothing too bad). Some cardiology, some pulm, a good amount of peds and quite a bit of OB/GYN. Some ID and hardly ANY neuro. They did sneak in some old school biochem on me (sneaky sneaky).

Definetly try to finish UW. I studied the hell out of those q's for hours and seemed to have worked for me. I didn't use FA but wish I did. I'd sometimes just turn to any page and see an answer from a UW question. Didn't end up using it because of lack of time. I'd all but throw out secrets/crush if I was to do it again. I remeber thinking that book was better off as toilet paper while I was taking the exam. B&W is a great book, you should try it out.


So, I'd go with FA, B&W and UW (all ques).......I believe that is a winning combination. Study the crap out of UW answers, you'll learn SO much doing that.

Good luck to you. Peyton Manning sucks.

 

[manning18]

Thanks for the advice! If you're a Steelers fan, though, things might not be looking so rosy, with the Ben R in the hospital. Sad on the one hand, but why put yourself at risk like that anyway?
I agree with your comments about Crush and Secrets. I was going to use Secrets as numer uno, but then I got to the chapters on OB/GYNE, Psych, Peds and Neuro, which were worthless! I think the author may have tailored his books to his version of the test. Secrets was not enough. One question, though: how far do you think one can get using USMLEworld and NOTHING else? How about USMLEworld with references to First Aid on a PRN basis (including a brief read of the relevant conditions/topics)?

 

[AssMan]

Thanks for the advice! If you're a Steelers fan, though, things might not be looking so rosy, with the Ben R in the hospital. Sad on the one hand, but why put yourself at risk like that anyway?
I agree with your comments about Crush and Secrets. I was going to use Secrets as numer uno, but then I got to the chapters on OB/GYNE, Psych, Peds and Neuro, which were worthless! I think the author may have tailored his books to his version of the test. Secrets was not enough. One question, though: how far do you think one can get using USMLEworld and NOTHING else? How about USMLEworld with references to First Aid on a PRN basis (including a brief read of the relevant conditions/topics)?

I think I may have mentioned this in a previous post but here it is again. I know of 3 classmates (all above average students) that did nothing but UW with the rare reference to a review book. They made it sound like 95% of their studying was from UW only. They all ended up with 230's and up. So I guess you can do UW if you were a badass in med school and kept up with your studies. I don't see why you wouldn't want to go through FA or B&W a time or two though. Try to do both questions and a review book. You don't want to be thinking "if I only read......"

Ben Roethlisberger will be just fine. Peyton Manning just plain sucks. Good luck to both you and your scrub ass QB. 😀

 

[manning18]

Oh yeah, I asked the "UW only?" question on a previous thread. I didn't recall the person who answered, though I think it was you, though you also indicated that your classmates who did this were outstanding students, in general. I didn't recall as much hatred towards the Colts, though!

 

[manning18]

Oh yeah, I asked the "UW only?" question on a previous thread. I didn't recall the person who answered, though apparently it was you. You also indicated that your classmates who did this were outstanding students, to start with. I didn't recall as much hatred towards the Colts, though!

 

[AssMan]

Oh yeah, I asked the "UW only?" question on a previous thread. I didn't recall the person who answered, though apparently it was you. You also indicated that your classmates who did this were outstanding students, to start with. I didn't recall as much hatred towards the Colts, though!

Just kidding man, all in good fun. Good luck to you.

 

[Shah_Patel_PT]

Thanks for the advice! If you're a Steelers fan, though, things might not be looking so rosy, with the Ben R in the hospital. Sad on the one hand, but why put yourself at risk like that anyway?
I agree with your comments about Crush and Secrets. I was going to use Secrets as numer uno, but then I got to the chapters on OB/GYNE, Psych, Peds and Neuro, which were worthless! I think the author may have tailored his books to his version of the test. Secrets was not enough. One question, though: how far do you think one can get using USMLEworld and NOTHING else? How about USMLEworld with references to First Aid on a PRN basis (including a brief read of the relevant conditions/topics)?

Just USMLE WOrld= Just Pass or a score <80

I know one guy who did it....

 

[drmkbaig]

Hello friends !!!

Iam from Louisiana,US and passed USMLE step 1 and preparing for USMLE step 2 CS and CK.I would like to have a study partner.Would be planning for matching by 2007.

Thanxs and Regards

Dr Baig

 

[manning18]

What do you recommend with regards to the amount of prep time that should be devoted to USMLEworld questions versus reading of text? Just doing the UW questions and reading the answers carefully can be a full time job in and of itself! I'm still not as motivated to sit down and read and read and read like I have in the past, so I am more motivated to do questions. That said, I want to cover all the relevant ground. Thanks!

 

[kpax18]

any difference b/w the first aid step 2 and first aid step 2 ck? thx

 

[manning18]

I'd go with the revised version called Step 2 CK. Nothing absolutely HUGE, but it's hard to go wrong with the newer edition of First Aid, as it's revised based on examiner feedback. First Aid is such an important source, the new edition is worth the $40-45. It's actually a bit shorter than the older one, with some new handly little mnemonics etc. I say go for it!!