Taking step 3 tomorrow

[SLUser11]

Three months ago when I signed up, taking step 3 early seemed like a great idea.....not I'm not so sure.

I flipped through first aid once, did about 150 Q-Book questions, and looked at the provided USMLE CD. Based on the "2 months for step 1, 2 weeks for step 2, and 2 days for step 3" I'm right on par.

I also have heard from countless upper level residents that this test is SO EASY and I shouldn't worry.....they all studied three hours or less and rocked the test. My brother stated that he spent five minutes reading about hypertension on UpToDate and got a 240.

I also read in First Aid that the first-time pass rate for US medical school graduates is 95%.

Still................I can't help but think "oh s#@t, I should've studied!"


If I pass (or especially if I do well), I will continue to propagate this "Step 3 is such a joke, if you spend more than a day on it then you overstudied" attitude.........but if I fail (or if I just scrape by), I'm going to punch some people that I took advice from.......and I'm going to start man-whoring to get another $700.......

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[Sigma Cronos]

Good luck man, just relax and you'll probably do fine.

 

[SLUser11]

Good luck man, just relax and you'll probably do fine.

Well, I don't think I failed, but it definitely wasn't easy or straightforward. I received comfort from the fact that many of the questions that had me thinking "WTF?!?" were things that I wouldn't have studied even if I HAD studied.

The second day was definitely easier......shorter question blocks, and after all the hype around the CCS cases, there were only 9 and they were pretty straightforward.

I don't know about anyone else, but in the CCS practice cases, I kept trying to kill the patient in a new and unique way (e.g. crack his chest in the office), but the stupid simulator would just end before I could.

 

[pathman2006]

well good luck, I got my results about three weeks after I took step III, first day thought I failed

 

[Photon Catchers]

Well, I don't think I failed, but it definitely wasn't easy or straightforward. I received comfort from the fact that many of the questions that had me thinking "WTF?!?" were things that I wouldn't have studied even if I HAD studied.

The second day was definitely easier......shorter question blocks, and after all the hype around the CCS cases, there were only 9 and they were pretty straightforward.

I don't know about anyone else, but in the CCS practice cases, I kept trying to kill the patient in a new and unique way (e.g. crack his chest in the office), but the stupid simulator would just end before I could.

Ha ha I did the same thing on the practice CD... Child with a nose bleed? Cardiac cath! Unfortunately, the family would discuss the procedure with me and politely decline. I figured, well, that must be the softwares way of saying "you are WAY off target".

Sadly, on the real exam, I tried to do a procedure, and the patient politely declined. Ugh. Needless to say, I am waiting by the door step to see if I passed....

 

[SLUser11]

Three months ago when I signed up, taking step 3 early seemed like a great idea.....not I'm not so sure.

I flipped through first aid once, did about 150 Q-Book questions, and looked at the provided USMLE CD. Based on the "2 months for step 1, 2 weeks for step 2, and 2 days for step 3" I'm right on par.

I also have heard from countless upper level residents that this test is SO EASY and I shouldn't worry.....they all studied three hours or less and rocked the test. My brother stated that he spent five minutes reading about hypertension on UpToDate and got a 240.

I also read in First Aid that the first-time pass rate for US medical school graduates is 95%.

Still................I can't help but think "oh s#@t, I should've studied!"


If I pass (or especially if I do well), I will continue to propagate this "Step 3 is such a joke, if you spend more than a day on it then you overstudied" attitude.........but if I fail (or if I just scrape by), I'm going to punch some people that I took advice from.......and I'm going to start man-whoring to get another $700.......

Got my scores today through my med school. I passed, doing pretty well considering my lack of studying, and still above "average," but not near as good as my first two steps.

I guess the moral is that if you just want to pass, and you did good on the first two, you don't need to study......but if you want to do really well, you probably need to put in a little time.

It's pretty nice to have it behind me, though.......

 

[njbmd]

Well, I don't think I failed, but it definitely wasn't easy or straightforward. I received comfort from the fact that many of the questions that had me thinking "WTF?!?" were things that I wouldn't have studied even if I HAD studied.

The second day was definitely easier......shorter question blocks, and after all the hype around the CCS cases, there were only 9 and they were pretty straightforward.

I don't know about anyone else, but in the CCS practice cases, I kept trying to kill the patient in a new and unique way (e.g. crack his chest in the office), but the stupid simulator would just end before I could.

Got my scores today through my med school. I passed, doing pretty well considering my lack of studying, and still above "average," but not near as good as my first two steps.

I guess the moral is that if you just want to pass, and you did good on the first two, you don't need to study......but if you want to do really well, you probably need to put in a little time.

It's pretty nice to have it behind me, though.......

Congrats on the pass. It IS a great feeling to have this on "in the can". All you need is that "P" and you got it. Doing well on Step III don't get you anything more than a minimum "P" in the long run. Now you can just concentrate on your in-service exams and toss those Step III books. Better yet, make a nice little bonfire and do a celebration dance around it. Great to hear that you passed because I know you were worried.

 

[Jalopycat]

Just finished it today. I'm glad I didn't buy the whole "just show up with a pencil" advice. It was more difficult than I expected. Nice to have it finished early in the year, though.

And I'm sure I screwed up at least 2 of the CCS cases. The first case somehow ended before I could enter my diagnosis. I hope that doesn't cost me too much.

My last case was crazy. I was just going in circles. I'm not sure if my diagnosis was what they were looking for.

Oh well.