time between step 2 ck and cs

[swoopyswoop]

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I'm planning on taking Step 2 CK and then taking CS two days later, in another city. Is this a bad idea? Is there CK specific stuff I'll need a few days to study?

 

[Kaustikos]

Uh...
CK is most important. But CS isn't the exact same. Just review things about interviewing patients. Also look up what they want you to know and how they grade you.
Just don't brush this off as something you have to just show up for.
It's not difficult, but it does require some effort.

 

[swoopyswoop]

How many days between CK + CS would be ideal?

 

[Kaustikos]

Honestly? A week tops. I just glanced at first aid CS. That showed me what I need to know and what's being graded on.
Basically skim through the different topics they talk about and you should be fine.
Also, acting like you care helps.
Lastly: always close your encounter. If the last warning comes, you need to get to the closure asap.

 

[swoopyswoop]

That's the max time. I'm asking the minimum amt of time I can use for CS only 😛 I could also just pre-prep for it during CK time. I have ED which is 3 days a week the month before + then 2.5 weeks of study time before CK.

 

[ksmi117]

You could take CS the next day, IMO, if you don't think you'll be too burnt out from two straight days of testing. If you're used to seeing patients from clinical rotations, you don't need much prep for that for CS. And you'll have the medical knowledge very fresh from all the CK prep. CS prep for me was like 1 hour tops.

 

[swoopyswoop]

okay, thank you. question answered. i havent taken any time off so ill be coming off of m3 year, a sub i, and EM. should be decent preparation.

 

[operaman]

Depending on the time of year and where you're headed, don't forget to account for potential travel delays. Probably not an issue, but thought it worth mentioning.

 

[swoopyswoop]

august, so should be fine! but good thought.

 

[Kaustikos]

I'd say schedule it more than 2 days later from ck. **** happens and the space between the two gives you some time to prepare.
I'm not saying the exam is difficult, but that delays can happen. I drove to mine because my flights were cancelled and had to drive 400 miles. Then my car broke down. Ended up arriving the morning before at 2 am and having to wake up early for the test. Thankfully I had already studied, but it serves to show how easily you can be screwed. Not to mention you have to pay to reschedule.

 

[swoopyswoop]

so i have august off. i'm travelling the first 2 weeks which im not cancelling. i have ck scheduled 16 days after i come back, on a weds. CS is scheduled 2 days later, on a friday. i start a rotation on monday. so the only way i can get more time between CK and CS is to move CK up a day or two and have less time to study for it, when everyone says it is the more important of the two. so the only thing i can do is move CK earlier by a few days, but then i'd have less time to study for it. and on top of that, no matter WHEN i take CS, i will not be flying in any earlier than the prior morning, so it's not like i would schedule my flight out two days in advance and pay for a hotel for 2 nights. so having more time between CK and CS is only for studying purposes; regardless of the timing of CK/CS i would be flying out ~24 hours before my exam at the absolute earliest and any scheduling/flight cancellation issues would be identical.

 

[chalupabatman13]

I'm planning on taking Step 2 CK and then taking CS two days later, in another city. Is this a bad idea? Is there CK specific stuff I'll need a few days to study?

Did you end up taking CS 2 days after CK? I'm in a similar situation, what with institutional restrictions on when to I have to take each component by.
If I schedule CS 2 days after CK, I add 4 days to my CK dedicated study time (total 20 days). If not, I'm left with only 16 days for CK and rescheduling CS before my school's deadline is pretty much impossible.

 

[coolschool1239]

I took Step 2 recently and took CS the week after (in the same city). Didn't seem too bad if you're strong clinically and have done some amount of prep.