Taking Step 2 before finishing cores

[PiBond]

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Is this very common? I'm potentially considering taking step 2 before having finished both peds and family medicine.

I'm at a school where we finish our pre-clinical curriculum in 18 months and then head to clinics (in January of 2nd year). We then do a year of clinics and generally take step 1 the following January/February (of 3rd year).

I've done well on all my NBME shelf exams (all 98-99th percentile) and will have finished the UWorld Step 2 Qbank by the end of this year (except for the pediatrics questions). I was planning to take Step 1 in middle of February 2014 and was entertaining the possibility of taking Step 2 a couple weeks after (yes, both Step 1 & 2 back-to-back). For Step 2 prep, I was going to power through UWorld a second time and re-read Step 2 Secrets. I've been doing UWorld and Secrets along with each rotation and generally score 80% or above on each section so I feel like I might be able to study a couple weeks a get a decent score.

Why am I considering this? Part of it is that I'll already be in "test-taking mode" and would like to get this test out of the way. I'm also wanting to free up the rest of my 3rd and 4th year to spend some time with my parents (both are very sick).

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[Houmd]

Is this very common? I'm potentially considering taking step 2 before having finished both peds and family medicine.

I'm at a school where we finish our pre-clinical curriculum in 18 months and then head to clinics (in January of 2nd year). We then do a year of clinics and generally take step 1 the following January/February (of 3rd year).

I've done well on all my NBME shelf exams (all 98-99th percentile) and will have finished the UWorld Step 2 Qbank by the end of this year (except for the pediatrics questions). I was planning to take Step 1 in middle of February 2014 and was entertaining the possibility of taking Step 2 a couple weeks after (yes, both Step 1 & 2 back-to-back). For Step 2 prep, I was going to power through UWorld a second time and re-read Step 2 Secrets. I've been doing UWorld and Secrets along with each rotation and generally score 80% or above on each section so I feel like I might be able to study a couple weeks a get a decent score.

Why am I considering this? Part of it is that I'll already be in "test-taking mode" and would like to get this test out of the way. I'm also wanting to free up the rest of my 3rd and 4th year to spend some time with my parents (both are very sick).

Thanks in advance for your input.

If you can do well on your NBME's then I don't see why not. Many non-trads and IMGs do step 2ck before finishing cores

 

[evilbooyaa]

Interesting idea to study for Step 1 and Step 2 concurrently. There is significant overloap between the tests, but still a lot of extra details that I wouldn't want to bother remembering for Step 2. Can't say I've done it or known anyone who has, but as stated above, IMGs routinely take Step 2 CK without all fo their core rotations. Obviously focus a little more on peds as you haven't had the rotation. Family med is the same as ambulatory IM.

 

[futuredoctor10]

I think you can definitely do this, especially considering you have scored 98th-99th percentile on NBME shelf exams. Since Family Med is covered in Internal Med in UWorld, you would really only need to study Peds separately. And given your track record & these scores, you will be able to score well on both exams!