This forum was so helpful to my success so I want to return the favor
Hi All,
Quick background:
US medical student
Step 1 Score- 206
Step 2 CK Score- 255
(study time: 2 full months)
I went through medical school thinking forums such as this one and studentdoctor were terrible places. However, after my terrible step 1 score, I decided to give both forums a shot, figured it could not hurt. While the advice can be dodgy, and the experiences can make you anxious, overall the advice I received was very helpful. Therefore I feel I should share my experience
After doing terribly on step 1 I knew I needed to do well on step 2. My program consisted of the following
1.) Doctors in Training
2.) UWorld
3.) Step up to step 2
4.) MTB
5.) Step 2 secrets
6.) USMLE weapon
DIT- Ok so I roughed it for a full month and dragged my a$$ through DIT. Don't do it. Unless you have a terrible knowledge base (mine was really poor) and lots of time, then it will be a frustrating waste of time. It would be a great course to do before you start 3rd year. Drags you through all the material, and give you a wide breadth of knowledge. But Step 2 CK isn't about that. It is about specifics. The next best test, the best treatment, drug interactions, etc. DIT and Step up 2 step 2 put NO emphasis on the NEXT BEST STEP, and ultimately can actually confuse you if you aren't extremely diligent about ferreting through the waste and picking out the important info.
UWorld- I was able to get through it 2 full times. I would do a full 2 blocks each day of UWorld. Annotate in a source (I used both SUTS2 and MTB) but ALSO write tough questions down in a notebook or on flashcards. Trust me, this is very helpful if you are tired of studying but want to make use of some time. And VERY helpful to read over quickly the days leading up to the exam.
UWeapon- Terrible source. But helpful to use while you are studying a topic that day: Keeps you from wasting UWorld questions. Do blocks of 10 or 20 just to reinforce information. Never do full blocks and don't worry about what your score % is. They have some whacky questions that actually prep you for some whacky questions on the real exam but don't over concern yourself with it. Simply use it to do throw-away questions on the topic you are studying that day (i.e blocks of 10 cardio questions dispersed throughout your cardio days)
STUTS2- Very encompassing and great for background knowledge. But terrible for algorithmic thinking which is essential for the exam
MTB- Best source ever. Review it twice, 3 times, 4 times, as many as you can. I didn't use it until after I had gone through SUTS2 but you can start as early as you like
NBME- Good for evaluation. The earlier ones have bogus questions, so don't get hung up on reviewing the content, total waste of time. Use it to check your scores. For example:
My scores
NBME 2- 197 (before I started studying)
Then after studying
NBME 4- 218
NBME 1- 230
NBME 3- 247
That was all in the 2 weeks leading up to the exam
Don't take the exam if you are not within about 10 points to your target score. I know people will disagree with me here but it is not worth the risk. Make sure you are in the correct ballpark
Step 2 secrets- Great throwaway resource to review in final few weeks
Ok that is all I got. Hopefully it helps. I know past UWorld forum users experience helped me. Feel free to contact me at swbtgiants@gmail with any questions.
STAY THE COURSE- Anyone can get a good score with hard work and an understanding of the correct way to study
206--> 255 It can be done
edited by swbtgiants on 9/28/2012