I am finally done with all my steps, feel so relieved. UW MCQs and CCS cases played a big role in my prep, this is what I did:
1 month of kapplan video watching
1 month of UW mcqs with review for second time of all the wrong questions I got
10 days of CCS cases
I scored 63% on UW and got a 94% on my step, so thankful with UW and this wonderful forums.
I didn't read any books as master the boards, just half of the step 3 first aid, and did online reviewing thru skype which worked out fine at the end of the day when studying alone was boring and more of a torture.
I feel the CCS cases were the best, dominating the software on my testing day was a huge help in my prep for this test!!
I hope this helps a bit to anyone...good luck to everyone!

Hi there, this is a reply for the ur post, what I read for my CK were only the kapplan lecture notes 2007, which are a red cover books of each specialty. They were excellent for reviewing of every topic. That was all I read nothing else!!

Congrats!!! that is just awesome. I am wondering about two things.
1. you said you did UW X2. Is your %63+ after in the first time around or the second time or cumulative?
2. What supplemental books did you use to augment your study?

Thanks and congrats again.

Thnks for the complements. My 63% average is after my first time thru UW mcqs, later I did go over the wrong mcqs and my average went up sky high but it would not be fair to take that as a reference for me. Bottom line is I did UW got 63% and scored a 94/222 on step 3.
I only read half of usmle first aid, watched the videos and did summaries of every section. Did not read anything else besides what I wrote on my study plan!!

Congratulations and thank you for sharing it with us. Would you please share how did you study for CCS? Did you read the explanations first and practiced later? Thanks!

congratulations......ur post is really encouraging.....i have my exam in 6 wks and really confused about ccs.....pls can i have at least a one day tutorial over the phone...will really appreciate it.....let me know and we can xchange phone numbers pls......

hi, first of all congratulations for passing all steps ,
would u please help and guide me to do step3 ,iam living in united arab emirtaes and just recently finish part1,2 and cs ..and i have no idea about part 3 ,what are the materials ?on line sites ?and i have no partner to help me .wolud u please send me the on line sites, coz i have no idea about uw mcqs ?ccs cases ?skype ?
thank u .

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!pls what textbook did you study with for your step3 and do you UW is really beneficial?your help is really appreciated.

Hi OsMa

Congrats for ur score, and for getting done with USMLE finally! it must be a great relief...

I am starting to study for step 3 today.... i gave step 2 CK on december 30th, so its been 4 months.

I want to know if i should study kaplan CK books again before starting UW or can i start UW right away? or should i do MTB? i have not done MTB before.... so will i be able to adjust to it? I want to get done with step 3 in 2 months sharp. please advise...

My CK score was 227/99

Hi there, congrats for accomplishing that high score of ur CK, and also for reaching the preparation for the last step. My study plan was exactly as you read on my 2/17/2010 post, nothing else. regarding wether to read textbooks before or after the mcqs it's something that is up to you, but I have always read in guidelines for studying and tips that mcqs are better left for the end, you may not have to go too deeply into the kapplan notes cuz you are only 4 months past your ck,so everything is still fresh in your mind.
I never read MTB, not even the kapplan notes, only half of first aid. To me videos were always much better than reading text.

Hi,
Congrats on your great score and completing USMLE.Can you kindly enlighten about online resources for CCS that you used other than UWorld.
Thanks
Bindu

congratz osma

Hello to all.
I am finally done with all my USMLE's. To all of those who have passed, congratulations! To those who have failed, take a breath, dust yourself off and get back on task. To those who have yet to take Step 3, listen to wise counsel and study your butts off.

Thought I would through my 2 cents in.
UWorld MCQ's are a must. However, if you are speeding through them for the sake of saying you got through so many a day, then your headed on a collision course. What is needed is to actually do the question and read all the explanations and educational objectives and really get your head around the material. Do not lie to yourself by changing answers from wrong to right in tutor mode so you end up with a certain percentile at the end. You are only hurting yourself. Better yet don't even bother with looking at how many people got a answer right or wrong vs what you did. It is senseless to do this, especially because there are a lot of people reusing the MCQ's so they remember answers.

In addition, the 41 print out cases are very helpful to recall and reinforce topics you learned while on rotations in medical school and things you may have seen as an intern.
The 52 CCS are a complete must. With that do not memorize all the cases because you may receive totally different cases on the real exam. Instead, you should learn how to navigate through the system, mentally visualize the patient and understand what is needed for that particular patient by practicing the cases. You must be comfortable with CCS in order to pass this exam, can not express this enough.

Lastly, many will tell you what books to use etc. I think it is up to your preference and what you were comfortable with in the past. All books have errors. It says that you are on the right track if you happen to discover an error here or there while reading. It may indicate you know that particular topic well!

So to end my rant. In my opinion (take it for what it is worth)
UWorld MCQs
UWorld 41 print out cases and 52 simulated cases
Master The Boards or First Aid (would not waste my time with Crush)
Determination and at least 1 month of study is all that is needed to pass/do well on this exam.

Excuse any grammatical errors etc (then again I don't care :-)

God speed to you all

Students use a study plan that includes a combination of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and short questions for several reasons. MCQs are beneficial because they offer a structured way to assess knowledge and test-taking skills. They cover a wide range of topics and help students identify areas of weakness. Short questions, on the other hand, require concise explanations and a deeper understanding of the subject matter. This format encourages critical thinking and the ability to articulate information clearly. By incorporating both MCQs and short questions into their study plans, students can effectively balance content review and application, leading to a more comprehensive and well-rounded study preparation for exams.