What is your Step II CK Strategy?

[kissmyasthma99]

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Self-explanatory. What is your strategy? What is your goal?

I was thinkin FA/Step up 2 Medicine/Secrets/UW.

Goal: >250.

 

[greg1184]

Secrets and UWorld.

The biggest lesson I learned from step 1 was not to spread myself thin with sources. As my friends who scored well on it told me, don't be cute. Just keep it simple. Secrets is the highest of high yield that is concise and easy to finish. UWorld, although a major pain in the ass, is by far the best teaching tool for this exam. I hope to get through UWorld twice before I take the exam.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Make it through the next 20 days without stabbing myself in the face.

 

[kissmyasthma99]

Secrets and UWorld.

The biggest lesson I learned from step 1 was not to spread myself thin with sources. As my friends who scored well on it told me, don't be cute. Just keep it simple. Secrets is the highest of high yield that is concise and easy to finish. UWorld, although a major pain in the ass, is by far the best teaching tool for this exam. I hope to get through UWorld twice before I take the exam.

How high is "well?"

 

[greg1184]

How high is "well?"

Two graduates this year I know used those materials. One guy broke 270, but he is in general ridiculous. My friend got a solid ~240. Not great by SDN standards, but by everyone else's pretty solid.

It also depends alot on how much time you have. I personally want to focus on UWorld and supplement nightly Secrets reading. This would be my second pass of Secrets. Note that I also just had my Medicine and Family Medicine rotations and just did the AAFP questions for my FM shelf as well. So it depends on how much knowledge is fresh as well.

Use whatever you feel comfortable with. I just mentioned my plan, since you were wondering what people are doing. As with everything else on this board, take with a grain of salt.

 

[OveractiveBrain]

Self-explanatory. What is your strategy? What is your goal?

I was thinkin FA/Step up 2 Medicine/Secrets/UW.

Goal: >250.

Kaplan Videos (DVD at Center) + UWorld + FA. I have trouble with Multiple Choice Exams, and I hated OB/GYN, so... 252 (with OB marks at average; had I done well in OB, I probably would be in the 260-270 range).

A buddy I study with got a 212 on Step 1. Did First Aid twice and UWorld once. Got a 232 on Step 2 after studying for a bout one month dedicated.

For people looking for average or just a pass:

First Aid or Step Up

AND

UWorld​

You can add in a small pocket book like Secrets to carry around with you to bump your score slightly. Books like Crush are too superficial. Good for the weekend before the test just to refresh yourself as to the diseases that exist, but there isnt enough detail. Finally, unless you've been paying real good attention on shelves, the way you step it up from there is a review course (I strongly recommend Kaplan, though Falcon and DIT exist) but that requires dollars, time, and a whole lot of motivation.

 

[kissmyasthma99]

Two graduates this year I know used those materials. One guy broke 270, but he is in general ridiculous. My friend got a solid ~240. Not great by SDN standards, but by everyone else's pretty solid.

It also depends alot on how much time you have. I personally want to focus on UWorld and supplement nightly Secrets reading. This would be my second pass of Secrets. Note that I also just had my Medicine and Family Medicine rotations and just did the AAFP questions for my FM shelf as well. So it depends on how much knowledge is fresh as well.

Use whatever you feel comfortable with. I just mentioned my plan, since you were wondering what people are doing. As with everything else on this board, take with a grain of salt.

By "those materials" were you referring the materials that I posted or the ones the other guy posted (UW + secrets)?

 

[greg1184]

By "those materials" were you referring the materials that I posted or the ones the other guy posted (UW + secrets)?

UWorld and Secrets. I posted it. 🙂

 

[theRainmaker78]

Secrets and UWorld.

The biggest lesson I learned from step 1 was not to spread myself thin with sources. As my friends who scored well on it told me, don't be cute. Just keep it simple. Secrets is the highest of high yield that is concise and easy to finish. UWorld, although a major pain in the ass, is by far the best teaching tool for this exam. I hope to get through UWorld twice before I take the exam.

This is the best advice anyone can give for step 2.

 

[kissmyasthma99]

Cool. Thanks guys. Anybody else doing anything different?

 

[jsh1986]

UW twice, Secrets, and either STUM or SUTS2. You must finished UW at least once. Going through a second time of questions you missed/marked is key to high scores. Read secrets or Step Up if you have time. dont waste time with FA

 

[DrVanNostran]

From the people I talk to, how well you do on this test reflects how much you studied for shelf exams in general.

If you put in some effort during your third year, Secrets + World has netted people 240+ consistently at my school.