Taking step 2 before step 1

[MilesDavisTheDoctor]

Now that step 1 is pass fail I'm wondering if taking step 2 before step 1 would make sense for me. I go to a school that takes step 1 and step 2 after clinical year. I'm wondering if the smartest thing for me to do would be to just do a step 2 dedicated right after my clinical year ends because that material is freshest in my mind and then do my step 1 dedicated after that when I'm a little more worn out. Has anyone else considered this?

 

[aldol16]

There are 2 ways to think about this. Yes, taking Step 2 after clinical year while the material is still fresh is a plus. But keep in mind as well that now that Step 1 is P/F, taking it first would allow you to get into the mindset of taking a long, standardized exam with few breaks. It's really hard to simulate those exams outside of taking them, although you could try. It may be better to get that experience taking an exam like that for P/F before taking Step 2 for a score. Also, Step 1 material prepares you for Step 2. They're not all that different. Step 1 focuses on the basic science but all the bugs and treating those bugs will be relevant for Step 2, for example.