Taking Step 2... before Step 1

[Knight_MD]

How good/bad an idea is it? I mean for many medical graduates, we just came out of our clinical rotations and exams, we are fresh out of studying Surgery, Medicine, Ped, Obs/Gyn, ...etc. Isn't it a good idea to study for the Step II exam while the information is still fresh in our minds? Then after, we could start opening our Basic Science sources and start studying for Step 1... so what do you think?

And if anyone out there has actually done that, I'd like to know how it worked out for him/her.

Thanks.

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[manning18]

It depends on how comfortable you feel with the Basic vs the Clinical Sciences. Both Steps (1 and 2) do have considerable overlap. That said, I would not say that it is impossible (or even that much harder) to pass either Step without having passed the other 1st. You could even study for them concurrently, though this depends on your time frame. I would not label it as a good or bad idea per se. If you feel more comfortable with Clinical Science and think you have a better shot with Step 2 1st, then go for it!

 

[Knight_MD]

It's just that I don't see why I should waste the past 3 years of clinical science studying and clinical essay/MCQ exams, to open Basic Science books all over again, study, take the Step 1 exam, then open Clinical Science books after forgetting what was fresh in my mind before, and studying for Step 2 all over again...

If this isn't a good idea to score really high on Step 2, I need someone to convince me why... (mind you I'll be studying for Step 1 just the same amount, and the same amount for Step 2, but it'll be much easier if I studied and took Step 2 1st...)

I've heard that this way, I'm going "opposite the system" and lots of information for Step 1 could be asked in Step 2... (is that even true?), even though, is it a good idea?