Step 2 CK experience
Hi everyone,
I took my exam September 16, 2013..
My preparation.. I started in May to seriously prepare. I read USMLE Secrets by Adam Brochert once and did UWorld once and did the questions I failed in UWorld a 2nd time. I also signed up for Kaplan quick review with Master the Boards Step 2 about 5 weeks to the exam.. did about 1500 Kaplan questions. I also read some non medicine topics in MTB Step 3. Did most of Qbanks in tutor mode.. I did UWorld assessment and got 228 and NBME 4 and got 221. I would have studied more to raise my NBME score but I have 4 kids and my family was paying dearly for my exam prep(thanks to a helpful husband..made it easier)
The exam itself was long and excruciating for me..harder than UW and NBME and Kaplan Qbank, by the 6th hour, I was basically just marking answers randomly. Biostat questions were so horribly worded in my opinion and I have a masters in public health(so I have a good understanding of Biostatistics). I got questions from everywhere but not as many cardiology questions(cos I really read it..LOL) as I expected. The Drug Ads and Abstract questions.. I jumped them and finished the block and then came back to them cos I found they were eating up so much of my time..that said I ended up not answering any..
My score came yesterday.... I passed (203)!!Thank God for showing me mercy. Now many of you know that that is just a so so score but I am glad I don't have to put my family through another exam prep. it also made me realize NBME scores do not always match up to the exam. and therefore should be used to identify weaknesses to work on as it was intended to be used.
now the important part.. what would have I done differently
1. Registered for Kaplan Rapid Review earlier and actually used it for 3 months(meaning I would have gone over it twice).
2. read Secrets after MTB and not the other way round
3. do UWorld after Kaplan Qbank and not the other way round
4. Practised UW in timed tutor mode cos Kaplan Qbank timed tutor mode never worked for me(I could not scroll down completely)
5. Not take step 1 and 2 so far apart.. took step 1 Sept 10, 2012(a year ago)
Hope this helps.. Study study study and practice questions too.. and Do not take this exam for granted because a lot of people always say.. it is easier than Step 1.. not really.. equal amount of work is needed..
Above all.. Do not panic.. Relax, many of us passed through crazies to graduate as IMGs.. You can do it!
Wishing you all God's grace and all the best
Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your tips and reflections. I also passed step 1 this September... I want to ask though: why you think doing UWorld after Kaplan Qbank is good? I am planning to use only UW. Secondly, would you recommend Kaplan QBook highly in addition to UW?
Thanks,
Step2taker
chsh91672333 wrote:
Hi everyone,
I took my exam September 16, 2013..
My preparation.. I started in May to seriously prepare. I read USMLE Secrets by Adam Brochert once and did UWorld once and did the questions I failed in UWorld a 2nd time. I also signed up for Kaplan quick review with Master the Boards Step 2 about 5 weeks to the exam.. did about 1500 Kaplan questions. I also read some non medicine topics in MTB Step 3. Did most of Qbanks in tutor mode.. I did UWorld assessment and got 228 and NBME 4 and got 221. I would have studied more to raise my NBME score but I have 4 kids and my family was paying dearly for my exam prep(thanks to a helpful husband..made it easier)
The exam itself was long and excruciating for me..harder than UW and NBME and Kaplan Qbank, by the 6th hour, I was basically just marking answers randomly. Biostat questions were so horribly worded in my opinion and I have a masters in public health(so I have a good understanding of Biostatistics). I got questions from everywhere but not as many cardiology questions(cos I really read it..LOL) as I expected. The Drug Ads and Abstract questions.. I jumped them and finished the block and then came back to them cos I found they were eating up so much of my time..that said I ended up not answering any..
My score came yesterday.... I passed (203)!!Thank God for showing me mercy. Now many of you know that that is just a so so score but I am glad I don't have to put my family through another exam prep. it also made me realize NBME scores do not always match up to the exam. and therefore should be used to identify weaknesses to work on as it was intended to be used.
now the important part.. what would have I done differently
1. Registered for Kaplan Rapid Review earlier and actually used it for 3 months(meaning I would have gone over it twice).
2. read Secrets after MTB and not the other way round
3. do UWorld after Kaplan Qbank and not the other way round
4. Practised UW in timed tutor mode cos Kaplan Qbank timed tutor mode never worked for me(I could not scroll down completely)
5. Not take step 1 and 2 so far apart.. took step 1 Sept 10, 2012(a year ago)
Hope this helps.. Study study study and practice questions too.. and Do not take this exam for granted because a lot of people always say.. it is easier than Step 1.. not really.. equal amount of work is needed..
Above all.. Do not panic.. Relax, many of us passed through crazies to graduate as IMGs.. You can do it!
Wishing you all God's grace and all the best
edited by prep4usmle on 10/10/2013
prep4usmle wrote:
Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your tips and reflections. I also passed step 1 this September... I want to ask though: why you think doing UWorld after Kaplan Qbank is good? I am planning to use only UW. Secondly, would you recommend Kaplan QBook highly in addition to UW?
Thanks,
Step2taker
Hi Step2taker,
Congrats on passing step 1..
The reason why I said to do Kaplan Qbank b4 UW is because is closer to Step 2 in my opinion.. and really you do not have to do Kaplan Qbank if you have Qbook. Doing UW multiple times is just as good. I needed the High yield rapid review by Kaplan(Conrad Fischer-MTB) because it gave me structure.. nothing like someone talking in your eye while you are looking at the material..It paced my studying better esp when I did not have a lot study hours in the day or night..thanks to my 4 munchkins!
Lastly, I found myself at the end wishing I had UW subscription a month to the exam.. mine had already expired..
All the best.. You are almost there..
chsh91672333 wrote:
Hi everyone,
I took my exam September 16, 2013..
My preparation.. I started in May to seriously prepare. I read USMLE Secrets by Adam Brochert once and did UWorld once and did the questions I failed in UWorld a 2nd time. I also signed up for Kaplan quick review with Master the Boards Step 2 about 5 weeks to the exam.. did about 1500 Kaplan questions. I also read some non medicine topics in MTB Step 3. Did most of Qbanks in tutor mode.. I did UWorld assessment and got 228 and NBME 4 and got 221. I would have studied more to raise my NBME score but I have 4 kids and my family was paying dearly for my exam prep(thanks to a helpful husband..made it easier)
The exam itself was long and excruciating for me..harder than UW and NBME and Kaplan Qbank, by the 6th hour, I was basically just marking answers randomly. Biostat questions were so horribly worded in my opinion and I have a masters in public health(so I have a good understanding of Biostatistics). I got questions from everywhere but not as many cardiology questions(cos I really read it..LOL) as I expected. The Drug Ads and Abstract questions.. I jumped them and finished the block and then came back to them cos I found they were eating up so much of my time..that said I ended up not answering any..
My score came yesterday.... I passed (203)!!Thank God for showing me mercy. Now many of you know that that is just a so so score but I am glad I don't have to put my family through another exam prep. it also made me realize NBME scores do not always match up to the exam. and therefore should be used to identify weaknesses to work on as it was intended to be used.
now the important part.. what would have I done differently
1. Registered for Kaplan Rapid Review earlier and actually used it for 3 months(meaning I would have gone over it twice).
2. read Secrets after MTB and not the other way round
3. do UWorld after Kaplan Qbank and not the other way round
4. Practised UW in timed tutor mode cos Kaplan Qbank timed tutor mode never worked for me(I could not scroll down completely)
5. Not take step 1 and 2 so far apart.. took step 1 Sept 10, 2012(a year ago)
Hope this helps.. Study study study and practice questions too.. and Do not take this exam for granted because a lot of people always say.. it is easier than Step 1.. not really.. equal amount of work is needed..
Above all.. Do not panic.. Relax, many of us passed through crazies to graduate as IMGs.. You can do it!
Wishing you all God's grace and all the best
edited by prep4usmle on 10/10/2013
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