when to take step 3?

[Colba55o]

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When did most of you take step 3?
I thought I remember hearing that the earlier you take it the earlier you can start moonlighting.
It seems like a lot of int. medicine residents take it their PGY 3 year, but does it make sense to wake until CA2 or CA3 year to take it? I would think the stuff we are doing now (i'm a TY now at a different prog from where I'm starting CA1 next year) is more relevant.
Thx for advice

 

[Bertelman]

When did most of you take step 3?
I thought I remember hearing that the earlier you take it the earlier you can start moonlighting.
It seems like a lot of int. medicine residents take it their PGY 3 year, but does it make sense to wake until CA2 or CA3 year to take it? I would think the stuff we are doing now (i'm a TY now at a different prog from where I'm starting CA1 next year) is more relevant.
Thx for advice

Take it your intern year. Get it out of the way. You WILL NOT want to do that as a CA-anything. Find a month during your hopefully cush TY that you can spend a couple hours each night studying, then register for the test through a state which is OK with you taking it your intern year.

 

[psychbender]

I just registered the other day. I'm also a TY intern and will be taking it in December, right after I finish my main ward and clinic months (most of my spring is ICU).

 

[G-Man82]

When did most of you take step 3?
I thought I remember hearing that the earlier you take it the earlier you can start moonlighting.
It seems like a lot of int. medicine residents take it their PGY 3 year, but does it make sense to wake until CA2 or CA3 year to take it? I would think the stuff we are doing now (i'm a TY now at a different prog from where I'm starting CA1 next year) is more relevant.
Thx for advice

You can take it in the PGY-3 year? My school has a q&a under careers in medicine with both Gen Surg and Medicine and both said that if it isn't done by the time you become PGY-3, you're dropped from the program. So our med and surg residents all take it by pgy-2. For anesthesiology though, the PD at my school mentioned most have already completed it by the time they arrive as CA-1s.

 

[Bertelman]

You can take it in the PGY-3 year? My school has a q&a under careers in medicine with both Gen Surg and Medicine and both said that if it isn't done by the time you become PGY-3, you're dropped from the program. So our med and surg residents all take it by pgy-2. For anesthesiology though, the PD at my school mentioned most have already completed it by the time they arrive as CA-1s.

It's up to the program. We don't really have to take it until the CA-3 year, but it's highly frowned upon.

 

[Pilot Doc]

Take it the first minute you are eligible. It's basically a 2 day version of Step II that covers a veeeeeeery broad and shallow swath of medicine. Think peds rashes, vag bleeding, outpt abx regimens for community acquired pneumonia.

Keep in mind that
1) all you have to do is pass
2) every minute you spends studying for it is one you will never get back.

In seriousness, if you had a reasonable buffer between your Step II score and the pass/fail line, you shouldn't study. You spend every day "studying"

The only stories I have ever heard of people having trouble with step III are the ones who put it off.

 

[beavis]

Take it the first minute you are eligible. It's basically a 2 day version of Step II that covers a veeeeeeery broad and shallow swath of medicine. Think peds rashes, vag bleeding, outpt abx regimens for community acquired pneumonia.

Keep in mind that
1) all you have to do is pass
2) every minute you spends studying for it is one you will never get back.

In seriousness, if you had a reasonable buffer between your Step II score and the pass/fail line, you shouldn't study. You spend every day "studying"

The only stories I have ever heard of people having trouble with step III are the ones who put it off.

Is there anyone else out there that can reiterate this? I am taking it in about 3 weeks, and I need more incentive to be lazy during my elective month because right now that fear of failure keeps creeping into the back of my mind...

BEAV

 

[pgy13]

Take it the first minute you are eligible. It's basically a 2 day version of Step II that covers a veeeeeeery broad and shallow swath of medicine. Think peds rashes, vag bleeding, outpt abx regimens for community acquired pneumonia.

Keep in mind that
1) all you have to do is pass
2) every minute you spends studying for it is one you will never get back.

In seriousness, if you had a reasonable buffer between your Step II score and the pass/fail line, you shouldn't study. You spend every day "studying"

The only stories I have ever heard of people having trouble with step III are the ones who put it off.

Absolutely agree. Get it done as soon as possible intern year. DO NOT wait until you are an anesthesia resident studying anesthesia and start to lose some of your general medical knowledge. Then you really will have to study for Part 3.

 

[ProRealDoc]

when did most of you take step 3?
I thought i remember hearing that the earlier you take it the earlier you can start moonlighting.
It seems like a lot of int. Medicine residents take it their pgy 3 year, but does it make sense to wake until ca2 or ca3 year to take it? I would think the stuff we are doing now (i'm a ty now at a different prog from where i'm starting ca1 next year) is more relevant.
Thx for advice

now!

 

[hoyden]

When did most of you take step 3?
I thought I remember hearing that the earlier you take it the earlier you can start moonlighting.
It seems like a lot of int. medicine residents take it their PGY 3 year, but does it make sense to wake until CA2 or CA3 year to take it? I would think the stuff we are doing now (i'm a TY now at a different prog from where I'm starting CA1 next year) is more relevant.
Thx for advice

The sooner - the better. Get rid of it - it may bite you later on. One of my co-residents is doing 6 months more of his residency, because he failed it during his CA3 year. I know a guy who actually had to take a year off residency in order to finally pass it...obviously it is rare, but happens often enough to warn the others.