what's more useful for step 2? EM or FM?

[bulldog]

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curious if emergency medicine or family medicine was more useful for step 2. still trying to decide if i should take it early or late.

 

[DrRobert]

80% of the questions on my Step 2 exam began with "Patient presents to the ER..."

 

[wook]

curious if emergency medicine or family medicine was more useful for step 2. still trying to decide if i should take it early or late.

Same experience as previous poster, though I wopuld say mine was about 60-70 %.


Wook

 

[Koko]

EM. More breadth/variety during my rotation that proved useful for more q's on step II.

 

[fang]

curious if emergency medicine or family medicine was more useful for step 2. still trying to decide if i should take it early or late.

I don't think FM is a good learning experience-- it's general by definition, and no one cares about the subtleties that tend to wind up on board exams. Unlike internal medicine or pediatrics, the culture is less rigourous (some would say less anal retentive, but it's the same thing). The question is "to refer or not to refer", and if it's the latter, then it's "antibiotics or no antibiotics". Beyond that, I didn't learn much.

 

[deleted87716]

I didn't learn much.

Apparently not. 🙄

Perhaps you should do your ER rotation last, so you can learn things like this:

ER Decision-Making Guide *

As Triumph the Insult Comic Dog would say, "I keed, I keed!" 🙂

* Source: Q Fever

 

[sophiejane]

I don't think FM is a good learning experience-- it's general by definition, and no one cares about the subtleties that tend to wind up on board exams. Unlike internal medicine or pediatrics, the culture is less rigourous (some would say less anal retentive, but it's the same thing). The question is "to refer or not to refer", and if it's the latter, then it's "antibiotics or no antibiotics". Beyond that, I didn't learn much.

Yikes. You didn't learn much??

Either you:
a) didn't study on FM
b) didn't pay attention on FM
c) didn't see any patients on FM
d) all of the above

If you read a little about everything you see on FM, you will learn a great deal.

Sounds like your school has a pretty weak FM department. Apparently they refer ALL hypertension, type 2 diabetes, depression, back pain, fibromyalgia, skin lesions, GERD, ADHD, ingrown toenails, well woman exams, well child exams, rectal bleeding, headaches, CHF, and COPD to specialists since all of these require other medications or treatments in place of or in addition to "antibiotics."

 

[Koko]

Apparently not. 🙄

Perhaps you should do your ER rotation last, so you can learn things like this:

ER Decision-Making Guide *

As Triumph the Insult Comic Dog would say, "I keed, I keed!" 🙂

* Source: Q Fever

Triumph rocks!

 

[bigfrank]

Yikes. You didn't learn much??

Either you:
a) didn't study on FM
b) didn't pay attention on FM
c) didn't see any patients on FM
d) all of the above

If you read a little about everything you see on FM, you will learn a great deal.

Sounds like your school has a pretty weak FM department. Apparently they refer ALL hypertension, type 2 diabetes, depression, back pain, fibromyalgia, skin lesions, GERD, ADHD, ingrown toenails, well woman exams, well child exams, rectal bleeding, headaches, CHF, and COPD to specialists since all of these require other medications or treatments in place of or in addition to "antibiotics."

I agree. I think both will prepare you adequately, as 75+++% of EM is FM.