USMLE Step 3

[dwil75]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Pardon me if this has been discussed before and please feel free to redirect me if I missed a recent thread about it.

I'm looking for advice from other pathology residents on what they studied to brush up their clinical backgrounds for USMLE Step 3. Please recommend books you found most useful, and I am also wondering, for those who used question banks, if they liked UW or Kaplan's better?

Thanks

 

[docbiohazard]

Well, I haven't started residency quite yet, but I finished a tad early and was able to take the Step 3 about 1 year after my Step 2 CK. I was still about 6 months out of my clinical med training...

I used Usmleworld's qbank and a little bit of First Aid for Step 3 - mostly used FA for the clinical case simulator synopses in the back. I didn't study too much (about 50% of qbank over 2 weeks before exam), and did fine (beat the mean). I had done very well on Step's 1 and 2, so figure in your own test taking skills.

Good luck,
DBH

 

[Ziehl-Neelsen]

I took step 3 in April of my first year. I half-heartedly read Crush Step 3 and did the cases on the CD that is sent to all testtakers. I scored exactly on the national mean. I had previously done well above the mean on step 2 and 3.

Path residents do need to brush up some, but I think that any type of Q-bank is a waste of time and money. It's a battle of attrition, but you'll pass.

 

[Gut Shot]

PGY-3 here who took it almost a year ago. First Aid is good, and I also used Strong Medicine, Crush, and the NMS Review. I did UW's question bank online; well worth the price, IMHO. In fact, that was the thing that probably saved my a$$. My score sucked, which I think justifies my paranoia, but I passed. That's what I get for waiting two years into residency.

For the love of God, take it early! That garbage doesn't get any fresher with time!

 

[exPCM]

Pardon me if this has been discussed before and please feel free to redirect me if I missed a recent thread about it.

I'm looking for advice from other pathology residents on what they studied to brush up their clinical backgrounds for USMLE Step 3. Please recommend books you found most useful, and I am also wondering, for those who used question banks, if they liked UW or Kaplan's better?

Thanks

I went through AP/CP followed by a dermpath fellowship. The majority of the programs I interviewed at wanted copies of all USMLE scores (I, II, and III) and as I recall the scores were mentioned during intervews for at least four of the DP programs where I went to interview. During my time as a fellow I saw that the scores were used to weed out candidates that would not be offered an interview since the scores were one of the more objective criteria that can be used to compare candidates. Program directors want individuals who will pass the boards and help the program look good and a track record of doing well on standardized tests is a big plus.