Take Step 3 before prelim surgery?

[zzlaf]

Wondering if people here think that taking Step 3 before my intern year (Key detail: prelim surgery) is a good choice. I know that Step 3 becomes much easier after working in the wards as I will be emerged in medicine 24/7. But will there be enough time to study? I took CK a few months ago and I am done with rotations now. I absolutely HAVE to pass Step 3 before PGY2, its a program requirement.

TL: DR - Take step 3 before residency because I have time or take step 3 once I have experience?

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[rokshana]

Wondering if people here think that taking Step 3 before my intern year (Key detail: prelim surgery) is a good choice. I know that Step 3 becomes much easier after working in the wards as I will be emerged in medicine 24/7. But will there be enough time to study? I took CK a few months ago and I am done with rotations now. I absolutely HAVE to pass Step 3 before PGY2, its a program requirement.

TL: DR - Take step 3 before residency because I have time or take step 3 once I have experience?

i'd say its a coin flip...prelim surgery isn't going to give a huge advantage on the test.

 

[zzlaf]

i'd say its a coin flip...prelim surgery isn't going to give a huge advantage on the test.

Good point. I guess the whole reason of taking it later would be to have an advantage. If I didn't expect that boost there really wouldn't be a reason to wait.

 

[tiedyeddog]

I tried to take it before hand and couldn't get the schedule to work out. I would say go ahead and do it if you have the time.


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[mvenus929]

If you have not graduated, take note... You have to have graduated from Med school to take step 3. I took it during one of the easier rotations of intern year when there was another person available to cover the work and only had to do a little studying, and I'm in Peds.

 

[22031 Alum]

There have been a couple of posts recently (or maybe just one) where people have mentioned that Step 3's reputation of being laughably easy doesn't really apply to those trying to take it without any residency experience. It struck me because I hadn't given much thought to the "2 months, 2 weeks, #2 pencil" trope and how the much the "normal" experience might be influencing that. While you may not have as much time to sit down and study like you did for Steps 1 and 2, simply showing up for work as an intern and striving to learn as much on the job as possible may actually be a large contribution to your prep. I certainly don't think a few months of doing the "scut work" of a surg prelim (translation: being first in line to care for surgical patients and their medical issues) would hurt.

 

[TypeADissection]

Cannot stress how important it is to take this exam as early as possible before you start brain dumping everything that you'll never see again. Just buckle down and get it done. You'll thank yourself later. OBGYN, peds and family med stuff become very distant strangers by October. Cheers.

 

[gracie369]

Cannot stress how important it is to take this exam as early as possible before you start brain dumping everything that you'll never see again. Just buckle down and get it done. You'll thank yourself later. OBGYN, peds and family med stuff become very distant strangers by October. Cheers.

100% the correct answer. Get that exam out of the way asap. IMO it's really a med school test. Unless you do FM, revisiting OB and peds, even at the end of intern yr will be awful.