USMLE World Scores and Step II Scores

[lmh14]

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Probably been discussed before, but can't find a recent thread....

I'm just curious about what scores people were getting on USMLE World, and then how you ended up doing on Step 2.

All you have to do is post two numbers...... 🙂

Thanks folks, and good luck with everything!!

 

[jiy76]

I suggest you not use a quote that starts with "jihad on US"....You never know who's googling you and finds a cut off line saying that.

Yeah the cia and fbi will spend all their resources tracking down a guy who wants to wage war on a prometric center computer.This is what our country has been reduced to.... political correctness to the point of absurdity.

All the posts on this thread have been great and helpful.Asking for people with different ranges of scores to post is in no way an attack on those who did well.Anyway let's get back to score reporting and off the nonsense.

 

[jliya]

It's a lot of hard work
Good luck to all...........👍

Lj

 

[jliya]

I have followed this thread for a while and used it as a correlation tool to sooth my nerves. You all have been great help! I am contributing my numbers.......

 

[jliya]

Step 2: 262/99
Kaplan q Bank (new version) 69%
UW 75%
NBME 4: 258/710
NBME 2: 252/670

Step 1: 254/99
Kaplan Q Bank (old version) 80%
NBME 1: 253/680

All Q banks done as random timed 46/50 question blocks

Lj

"There are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies and statistics"
- Benjamin Disraeli

 

[rCubed]

Step 2: 255/99
UW: 63% overall (although I will say that my average over the last 300 questions didn't really differ from when I started)
I also used FA and Secrets, skimming through one of them for each major topic. I actually thought that FA was a good resource, especially since it had been almost >3yrs since I did OB/GYN.

 

[Saladin MD]

Step 2: 255/99
UW: 63% overall (although I will say that my average over the last 300 questions didn't really differ from when I started)
I also used FA and Secrets, skimming through one of them for each major topic. I actually thought that FA was a good resource, especially since it had been almost >3yrs since I did OB/GYN.

Do you think Secrets (and Uworld) would have been enough? Or do you think FA was necessary? Thanks.

 

[rCubed]

Do you think Secrets (and Uworld) would have been enough? Or do you think FA was necessary? Thanks.

I actually think Secrets would have been enough. By the time I got my copy of Secrets, I'd already read many chapters in FA. I will say that my OB/Gyn rotation had been >3 yrs ago so I read the chapters in both books....don't really think it helped though.

Just have something to annotate from USMLE World (or mark alot of questions to go over later)

 

[kcumbDO]

good luck to all

 

[lolodsim]

Just took CK yesterday, actually thought it was harder then what I expected. There were definitely questions in there that I had a hard time with and found myself running out of time on one section and leaving a few unanswered. Of course there were a few gimme's, but maybe I am just ruminating on the hard ones. Hopefully it went better then my initial reaction. But just didn't have a good feeling after leaving the test. I actually thought World though was a good way of preparing.

Step I 230's
UW 62%

 

[StrawberryMD]

lolodsim, did you use Secrets or any other book? Or do you think UW might have been enough?

 

[lolodsim]

Strawberry MD, I just used UW. I had 3 weeks to study for it and it was all I had time for. Plus everyone at my school advised me that two weeks and UW was all that was really needed for the test. I think that was part of the problem, they made it sound easier then what it was , in my opinion.

 

[Sapira]

the recipe:
one month step 2 secrets
+ one month UW (62% overall)

= 270/99

It's not as easy as people tell you, but it's much easier than step I


Step I 246/99

 

[jiy76]

UW Avg 63%

NBME 1-440
NBME 2-450
NBME 3- 530
NBME 4- 560

Step 2-233/96

Didn't shatter any world records but good enough for me.Thanks to everyone on this forum for their input.

 

[StrawberryMD]

That is a great score, Jiy76! 👍

 

[KYTNOH]

I just got mine back today. I really, really slacked off on studying for step II compared to step I. I ended up doing only 20% of World with an average of 63-64% (it bounced back and forth for the last few sections).

I ended up getting a 243/99.

I suspect if I had done all of World I would have been over 250 pretty easily, but at this point it doesn't matter if I got a 190 or 230 or 270. It would have probably taken another 100 hours to get through the rest of World, so spending that 100 hours another way is pretty nice.

 

[koolaidkid]

I wasn't sure where to post this. I think this might be useful for those taking the practice NBME tests. I did for step 2. I think this is how the stuff correlates. Good luck to all those taking the various steps. I think this may be from a step 1 or 2 thing but I think it applies for all.

75---- 182
------- 183
------- 184
------- 185
------- 186
------- 187
------- 188
------- 189
------- 190
------- 191
------- 192
------- 193-- 1sd--- -------400
------- 194
------- 195
------- 196
80---- 197
------- 198
------- 199
------- 200
------- 201
82---- 202
83---- 203
83---- 204
83---- 205-- 1/2 sd------- 450
84---- 206
84---- 207
------- 208
85---- 209
------- 210
86---- 211
86---- 212
------- 213
------- 214
------- 215
88---- 216
88---- 217-- mean--------500
88---- 218
89---- 219
89---- 220
89---- 221
90---- 222
90---- 223
------- 224
91---- 225
------- 226
92---- 227
92---- 228
93---- 229-- 1/2 sd------- 550
93---- 230
94---- 231
94---- 232
94---- 233
95---- 234
95---- 235
95---- 236
96---- 237
96---- 238
------- 239
97---- 240
97---- 241-- 1sd--- -------600
98---- 242
98---- 243
98---- 244
99---- 245
99---- 246
99---- 247
99---- 248
99---- 249
99---- 250
99---- 251
99---- 252
99---- 253-- 1.5sd--------650
99---- 254
99---- 255
99---- 256
99---- 257
99---- 258
99---- 259
99---- 260
99---- 261
99---- 262
99---- 263
99---- 264
99---- 265-- 2sd----------700
99---- 266
99-----267

 

[asmallchild]

Thanks to all for their Step 2 CK advice. Time for me to give back.

Book: Crush Step II, Boards&Wards
Boards&Wards was absolutely useless. Waste of $. Useful for 3rd year students but don't waste time studying from it. Crush Step II was ok. If you're looking to save some cash, you can certainly skip that as well. I breezed through the book 2-3 times over the course of 4 weeks. I was reading quite quickly (skimming more like) with no notes and found it to be sufficient preparation.

Test Questions: USMLEWorld, Kaplan Q-bank, USMLE Step 2 CK CD-ROM
I was going to purchase Kaplan Q-bank but was so glad I didn't. Like everyone says, USMLEWorld is all that is necessary. Completed >50%. Scores ranged from 50%-80%. Cumulative average was probably close to 70%. (No real pattern of improvement over time. Pretty much I scored lower whenever I was tired). I usually did 23 questions a day with a massive increase in questions/day during the last week (I took 4 weeks off to study) In my last week, I also completed the Step 2 CK questions provided by the NBME. I believe they are now online instead of in CD-ROM format. I checked my practice score against an online calculator (MedFriends I think). It was WAY off. I'd put no stock in any score calculators and just focus on getting through the questions and reading the explanatory answers.

Summary: 4 complete weeks-off to study, took plenty of days off for interviews and personal relaxation. Definitely no need to push yourself as hard as Step 1. If you're talking about dedicated Step 1 type studying, I think it can definitely be done in 2 weeks. I'd be wary of just leaving 1 week of hardcore studying for Step 2 CK.

Score: >250 (Bested my Step 1 score by one point. My Step 1 was solid which is why I took Step 2 CK so late. Needless to say, I'm more than happy with my Step 2 CK score. I forgot who posted it but I found the quote quite accurate: Short of having an aneurysm (bad), or going all out for 4 weeks (good), your Step 2 CK shouldn't deviate much from your Step 1)

 

[Hammer05]

How long has it been taking to get scores back?

 

[jliya]

Roughly 3 weeks - any where from 18d to 5 wks (in some v.rare cases)

 

[Friendly]

Study materials:
Didn't really use anything for Step 2. I tried reading a few pages of Crush Step 2, and found that it was marginally helpful only. I did read through the Kaplan pediatrics and surgery review book again when I was studying for Step 2. I read through most of the Kaplan series during MSIII, though, and I did use Kaplan Q bank only for rotations. I think the new Kaplan Qbank and WORLD are actually pretty comparable. The biggest difference is that Kaplan does not have any annoying typos or errors, and they are professional. WORLD takes your money and runs.

The Exam:
I thought CK was harder than Step 1 because there appeared to be two correct answers for every question. One is more correct. Trust your instincts that you will need as a clinician. I did not have access to the calculator function for a couple of stats questions and the lab values would not show for the better part of a test block. I have heard of this happening to others recently. Don't waste your breath complaining to the NBME. Their professionalism is questionable at best.

MSIII Shelf exams:
Low of 71 (Ob/Gyn...ironically the area I did best on for Step 2 with a star).
High of 78 (psychiatry).
Personal average for MSIII shelf exams: 74 (keep in mind the mean is around 70).

Test Questions:
WORLD - 65%; mostly untimed or in tutor mode. 100% complete.

Predictions:
Based on medfriends, my 65 average on WORLD should gave earned me a 232 (70% Prediction Interval = +/- 11)....a much better prediction than for Step 1 where medfriends told me I should have scored 25 points higher than I did.

Test History:
MCAT: 23R - only attempt.
Step 1: 220 (91) - only attempt.
Step 2 CS: Pass - only attempt.

Step 2 CK Score:
228 (94)

Summary:
I attend a generic U.S. allopathic school that is strong in clinical medicine. I'm nothing special - just an average Caucasian. Frankly, attending any U.S. school and USMLEWORLD is all you need if you want to score around 230 after 2-3 weeks of study on Step 2. You will note that my CK score is around the same as my average shelf score and those exams are also written by the USMLE. Bottom line: unless you are an amazing test-taker, medical school should be no surprise to anyone, and people generally score consistently if they apply themselves. I always knew I could do this. Medical school was not that bad. Do not be discouraged if you have a low MCAT score. Once you're in medical school, none of that matters. It's all about efficiency, team work, and caring about those around you. Good luck to all!

 

[jiy76]

Study materials:
Didn't really use anything for Step 2. I tried reading a few pages of Crush Step 2, and found that it was marginally helpful only. I did read through the Kaplan pediatrics and surgery review book again when I was studying for Step 2. I read through most of the Kaplan series during MSIII, though, and I did use Kaplan Q bank only for rotations. I think the new Kaplan Qbank and WORLD are actually pretty comparable. The biggest difference is that Kaplan does not have any annoying typos or errors, and they are professional. WORLD takes your money and runs.

The Exam:
I thought CK was harder than Step 1 because there appeared to be two correct answers for every question. One is more correct. Trust your instincts that you will need as a clinician. I did not have access to the calculator function for a couple of stats questions and the lab values would not show for the better part of a test block. I have heard of this happening to others recently. Don't waste your breath complaining to the NBME. Their professionalism is questionable at best. Like WORLD, they just want your money and enjoy the temporary power they have over you.

MSIII Shelf exams:
Low of 71 (Ob/Gyn...ironically the area I did best on for Step 2 with a star).
High of 78 (psychiatry).
Personal average for MSIII shelf exams: 74 (keep in mind the mean is around 70).

Test Questions:
WORLD - 65%; mostly untimed or in tutor mode. 100% complete.

Predictions:
Based on medfriends, my 65 average on WORLD should gave earned me a 232 (70% Prediction Interval = +/- 11)....a much better prediction than for Step 1 where medfriends told me I should have scored 25 points higher than I did.

Test History:
MCAT: 23R - only attempt.
Step 1: 220 (91) - only attempt.
Step 2 CS: Pass - only attempt.

Step 2 CK Score:
228 (94)

Summary:
I attend a generic U.S. allopathic school that is strong in clinical medicine. I'm nothing special - just an average Caucasian. Frankly, attending any U.S. school and USMLEWORLD is all you need if you want to score around 230 after 2-3 weeks of study on Step 2. You will note that my Ck score is around the same as my average shelf score and those exams are also written by the USMLE. Bottom line: unless you are an amazing test-taker, medical school should be no surprise to anyone, and people generally score consistently if they apply themselves. I always knew I could do this. Medical school was not that bad. Do not be discouraged if you have a low MCAT score. Once you're in medical school, none of that matters. It's all about efficiency, team work, and caring about those around you. Good luck to all!

Congrats on your score.How did you get into a u.s school with a 23R MCAT? Kinda throws the predictability of future performance of that stupid test out the window.

 

[Friendly]

Congrats on your score.How did you get into a u.s school with a 23R MCAT? Kinda throws the predictability of future performance of that stupid test out the window.

I'm an outlier for sure. There are a few of us each year. The MCAT is not everything and it's predictive power is only as good as additional important information about the applicant. In my case, I took it having never studied physics in my life and I was not prepared. Based in the score, many people may not think I was deserving of admission....but they only see the score, and not the other stuff. Sure, I should have accepted defeat and retaken the MCAT after a prep. course like many others to get a better score, but why? I'd be the same person with the same abilities, and a few hundred dollars poorer. However, I am obviously (and I felt this before admission too) capable, and I fit nicely into an unusual profile that some schools were looking for. I applied only once to U.S. medical schools. I was invited to 3/9 allopathic schools for interview, I attended 2 interviews, and I was admitted to both without waitlist. I was around the 50th percentile in MSI and MSII and in the top 15% in the last two years. I did my best, but I'm nothing special. I hope my post encourages some people. I care very much about service and giving back, and I have a long memory for the people that gave me my shot.

 

[housemd]

Did USMLE World for three weeks (scored around 60% average). Only used USMLE World, did not use FA or any books.

Step 1 = 232
Step 2 = 250

Very surprised, perhaps I should have taken it earlier. I was busy and this was the first chance to study and take the beast.

 

[AlbertConstable]

Did USMLEWorld for 1 week, completed about 1/3 of it... was hitting around 55-60% for the most part. No other books/materials.

Took the exam March 13, got results back April 1.

Step1: 256
Step2: 231

Best of luck to everyone.

 

[lankysudanese]

Step I: 265
Step II: 251

prep time: 11 days. took the actual test 2 days post-match (was still worked up over match result 🙁)
USMLEWorld: average 69% (78% completed). mostly random, but some tutor mode).
150 free NBME practice questions before starting prep: 78%
shelf scores (raw): medicine (81), peds (82), surgery (86), obgyn (70), neurology (81), psych (95).

I have to say that fatigue (due to lack of stamina) during the exam was a huge factor, and I remember missing a bunch of easy questions because of that (for e.g. thinking that glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency resulted in a glycogen storage disease, and not remembering that G6PD deficiency caused a hemolytic anemia). so if you can, work on your stamina before the exam.

 

[doctorFred]

"There are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies and statistics"
- Benjamin Disraeli

you incorrectly attribute that mark twain quote, btw.

 

[kcumb10]

good luck to all

congrats on all the great interviews, I'm interested in going into Neuro and was wondering if you had any advice as far as when to take Step 2? What the best programs are?

 

[TonyDaTigrUprct]

For those usmle rockstars, did you get completely raped by UW when you first started out?

 

[TheEgyDoc]

i think the correct question would be, did u feel u got raped after finishing your exam? i personally feel like i failed!!! expecting my results in days! anyone had the same feeling and got a good score?

 

[funshine]

.

 

[synapse lapse]

Step II: 252
I'm absolutely thrilled with my score. I had a mediocre Step I score, shelf scores ranged from 65-80%, really a very average student with poor memory retention and a slow test-taker. I had a month to study, and my main resource was USMLEWorld. I looked at First Aid, Step Up Medicine, Secrets a bit, but didn't really study out of them. Honestly, I think they were a waste of time for me personally, b/c I learn best from questions.

For the first half of World, I was scoring between 45%-65%, towards the end, I was scoring more consistently in the 60-70%ile. Don't feel bad if you are getting bad scores initially, even through the first half of the questions. My worst score came when I had completed about 30% of the questions, and it was a 39%.

I think what was key for me was repeating the questions to make sure I really understood them and could answer the same type of question correctly. When I retook tests, I was scoring in the 80s and 90s. I probably did every single incorrect question again. I also pinpointed my weak areas (cardio and pulmonary) and made sure I really understood the key concepts tested.

So hopefully, this will be encouragement to some of you out there!! Don't be afraid to just do questions and read only to understand answers. I sometimes spent a whole day reading from Step Up Medicine because I saw my classmates doing that, only to find that I really retained NOTHING and just went back to doing questions. It's really all about how you retain info the best. Maybe I was also just really lucky. I won't question anything, just happy with my score 🙂

Congrats on your great score! Did you do timed or tutor mode?

 

[funshine]

.

 

[darkmansaad]

Got a 254/99, Step 1 248/99.
Used UW, Step Up to Medicine, Crush, NBME 1+2+3
68% on UWorld
Nbme 1 , 6 weeks out - 230
Nbme 2 , 12 days out - 252
Nbme 3, 3 days out - 254

Nbme - very predictive.....help gauge your progress and weak points. Hope that helps...

 

[2cr8tive]

hey guys ... so ive done almost half of the internal medicine questions and i suck. i really do. i got a 98 in step 1. i am almost always below avg (timed, random) .. i was at least close to avg before but now ive dropped to 39 or so. it's devestating. im just doing about two blocks of questions while doing my clinicals. i cant take any time off for this exam. im planning to write it either in aug or sep. my avg right now is low 50s. what do u guys think.

 

[skm95]

Score: 258

Resources:
Kaplan Books
FA
Kaplan Qbook (60% complete) – Avg. = 72%
Kaplan Qbank (75% complete) – Avg. = 60%
UW (100% complete) – Avg. = 70%

Assessments:
NBME-2 – 5 weeks – 570
NBME-4 – 5 days – 670
USMLE-CD – 2 days – 89%


Good luck everyone!

 

[docbill]

score: 258

resources:
Kaplan books
fa
kaplan qbook (60% complete) – avg. = 72%
kaplan qbank (75% complete) – avg. = 60%
uw (100% complete) – avg. = 70%

assessments:
Nbme-2 – 5 weeks – 570
nbme-4 – 5 days – 670
usmle-cd – 2 days – 89%



good luck everyone!

nice!!!

 

[WhatUpDoc!]

Still have friends to call/text, too excited to do anything else but spread the news!!!

MCAT - 23
STEP 1 - 218/90
STEP 2 - 243/99 (Are you freakin kidding me!!!!!)
Exam date: 5/26/09
Report date: 6/17/09

Still thinking this is a dream that I will wake up from and realize that my score is not back yet!

Guess I finally figured out standardized tests... that and God is soooo good! 😀

 

[RussianJoo]

Still have friends to call/text, too excited to do anything else but spread the news!!!

MCAT - 23
STEP 1 - 218/90
STEP 2 - 243/99 (Are you freakin kidding me!!!!!)
Exam date: 5/26/09
Report date: 6/17/09

Still thinking this is a dream that I will wake up from and realize that my score is not back yet!

Guess I finally figured out standardized tests... that and God is soooo good! 😀

congrats hopefully i'll be able to say the same thing in ~3 weeks...

what was your UW average? what about the free USMLE CD average?

 

[WhatUpDoc!]

congrats hopefully i'll be able to say the same thing in ~3 weeks...

what was your UW average? what about the free USMLE CD average?

Only got through 30% of UW and was averaging around 65-70% correct. I didn't use the USMLE CD. Only used UW and Step 2 Secrets.

I think busting my chops studying for those dreaded shelf exams really gave me the heads up on CK.

 

[ERmePlease]

Some hope for anyone like me who worried their life was over after a crappy step I.

Step I 190/77

2.5 weeks study. UW 64% random. Secrets once through.

Step II 235/97 🙂

Not the 275/99.9 everyone gets on here, but hey, theres hope for the rest of us too! Work hard third year, honor a few rotations if you can, and the rest will flow.

 

[RussianJoo]

Only got through 30% of UW and was averaging around 65-70% correct. I didn't use the USMLE CD. Only used UW and Step 2 Secrets.

I think busting my chops studying for those dreaded shelf exams really gave me the heads up on CK.

sweet thanks for the reply... and congrats again.. yeah i am taking my exam tomorrow got through only 60% of UW... averaged about 58% on the frist 6 or so tests but now on the last 12 tests i am getting anywhere from 65% to 76%..

did you find the q's to be much longer than UW? I am finishing UW q's with about 3 min left but when I did the USMLE CD I was very cramped for time...

 

[RussianJoo]

Some hope for anyone like me who worried their life was over after a crappy step I.

Step I 190/77

2.5 weeks study. UW 64% random. Secrets once through.

Step II 235/97 🙂

Not the 275/99.9 everyone gets on here, but hey, theres hope for the rest of us too! Work hard third year, honor a few rotations if you can, and the rest will flow.

very nice score indeed. congrats.

 

[RobbingReality]

Is USMLE world all I really need to achieve a decent Step 2 score or do I need something more?

 

[WhatUpDoc!]

sweet thanks for the reply... and congrats again.. yeah i am taking my exam tomorrow got through only 60% of UW... averaged about 58% on the frist 6 or so tests but now on the last 12 tests i am getting anywhere from 65% to 76%..

did you find the q's to be much longer than UW? I am finishing UW q's with about 3 min left but when I did the USMLE CD I was very cramped for time...

I was actually surprised that the question stems were not as long as I was expecting! I did UW on tutor mode/untimed so my timing on the actual exam was something I worried about. But in the end, I finished most blocks just after the 2 minute warning window popped up. Some of the question stems were long, but of course, there seems to be a linear relationship between the length of a question and the amount of extraneous b.s. in that question.

Good luck tomorrow, you'll be fine 👍

 

[RussianJoo]

I was actually surprised that the question stems were not as long as I was expecting! I did UW on tutor mode/untimed so my timing on the actual exam was something I worried about. But in the end, I finished most blocks just after the 2 minute warning window popped up. Some of the question stems were long, but of course, there seems to be a linear relationship between the length of a question and the amount of extraneous b.s. in that question.

Good luck tomorrow, you'll be fine 👍

thanks. yeah i know what you mean about the B S a lot of times i know what the answer is after the first couple of lines and want to skip to the end.. but i am afraid i'll miss something so i end up reading the whole q and waste time..

thanks again for the help.

 

[stookie]

thanks. yeah i know what you mean about the B S a lot of times i know what the answer is after the first couple of lines and want to skip to the end.. but i am afraid i'll miss something so i end up reading the whole q and waste time..

thanks again for the help.

Care to give some details about the exam as far as how does it compare to UW and step 1 and so forth? I am taking it really soon. Any tips or tricks?

 

[JonnyWise]

So I recently took Step2CK and wanted to share my experience. It is truly a long test. I know everyone says this, but it is hard to appreciate until you have to go through it. I am pretty sure I did terrible on the last section because I completely lost focus. I finished most sections with about 15-20 minutes left over, but the last section I had only 7 minutes left over to review marked questions! Either way I am really glad it is over. Too bad I dont have that intense feeling of excitement and joy that I had after Step 1.

Studying: I took a reading elective (4 weeks) to study for this and our shelf exams. Our school takes the "lets take all shelf exams in one short period" approach versus taking each one after a rotation. I am hoping that step 2 and shelfs are not that different. I used Secrets, USMLEWorld, and Kaplan QBook (note: not qbank). Like most others on here I strongly recommend this combo. I had FA Step2CK as well which I occasionally flipped through. OB/GYN and peds milestones are very useful from this book (i think someone said this before). Otherwise, just choose one (i liked secrets way better) and thoroughly go through usmleworld answers. USMLEWorld is golden as many concepts/ideas from that came up on the actual exam. Let me say that again: USMLEWORLD IS GOLDEN.

My studying basically involved me taking the entire first week off to remind myself I have somewhat of a social life while trying to get into the mindset of intense studying all day with no human contact. I then spent about 5 days doing all of qbook and reviewing answers. I spent 11 days doing USMLEworld and reviewing answers. I spent 3 days reading step 2 secrets. I spent 1 day very lightly skimming FA step 2 CK. I had some practice tests mixed in there as well.

Here are the scores I had leading up to the exam:

Kaplan QBook (avgs): IM 73%, OB/GYN 79%, PEDS 69%, Psych 82%, Surg 68%
USMLEWorld (all 46 question blocks unused/random/timed): 63% (started with mid-50s, ended with low 70s)
NBME 1 (4 weeks before): 220
NBME 4 (4 days before): 224
USMLEWorld Self-Assessment (2 days before): 241 (Block 1-76%, 2-69%, 3-84%, 4-63%)
NBME 2 (1 day before): 245

As you can see I got a little neurotic about self-assessments a few days before the exam b/c I was very happy with my Step 1 and did not want to ruin it for the sake of convenience (ie. only studying once for shelfs and step 2). Even though they are still not quite what my step 1 score was (especially NBME 4) they were enough to motivate me to JUST DO IT! I will let you know how it goes in 3-6 weeks.

Step 2CS coming up in 3 weeks. After that I just have to click 'submit' on ERAS and I can mentally check out of medical school. Whew!!

 

[RussianJoo]

Care to give some details about the exam as far as how does it compare to UW and step 1 and so forth? I am taking it really soon. Any tips or tricks?

the exam was exactly like USMLE World for step2. I even had maybe like 3 q's with the same exact scenario. the q's were the same length for the most part and were worded the same way, and even the same difficulty more or less. the exam is much longer than step1 and you're really exhausted by the end.

 

[chalupa]

I spent about 3 weeks studying, 6-8 hours a day. Its certainly nice to be able to set your own sleep/wake schedule.
I used mainly Kaplan Medicine Notes, First Aid for Step II CK, and Secrets.
I completed all of USMLE World, averaging 62% when I was finished, doing a mix of random, timed and some tutor mode on specific organ systems after I studied the corresponding block.

The actual test was super long. I was pretty exhuasted/defeated by the end of it. Many of the questions were identical to USMLE world. You get tired of every question starting with "... 65 yo male with CHF, DM, and hx of smoking." In retrospect, doing only questions + secrets, and less reading would have been the way to go - perhaps supplementing with qbank questions too.

End result:

Step II: 260/99

For reference, I studied 4 weeks for Step I and got a 245.

I was pleasantly shocked at my score, and didn't expect to go up too much.

Good luck to everyone, and don't get too worried about the percentiles on USMLE world - they are completely wrong.

 

[Medicine2010]

What's the 'usmle cd'? Is it the same as the PDF on the website with 3x46 question blocks?