I just wanted to share this with anyone who's interested. First, I wanted to give a very sincere thank you to members of Gold USMLE Review in New York. I recently passed Step 2 CS after my second attempt. The first time around, I used First Aid, Kaplan cases, and youtube videos for some of the physical exam. My weakness included data gathering (asking relevant questions and being mindful of time)and conducting appropriate physical exam in a concise manner. When I got my results the first time around, I was crushed. I remember coming out of the examination realizing some major mistakes and I wasn't confident about my performance at all.

It was obvious I needed additional help. A friend had recommended me Gold USMLE Review for Step 2 CS. I didn't know what to expect but it later became clear to me that it was one of the best investments I've ever made. My instructors in the New York location were Dr. Azerrad and Dr. Farooqi, and I could not have done it without these instructors. Dr. Azerrad teaches most of data gathering portion while Dr. Farooqi teaches the physical exam portion. First Aid gives you a generic list of question for a given scenario to memorize. What Dr. Azerrad helped me was to quickly come up with a list of relevant questions for a given chief complaint and not sounding like an awkward robot at the same time. It takes a lot of work and practice on your own. Just as importantly, he's taught me how to gain CIS points by incorporating empathy and counseling while remaining sincere with the patient. Dr. Farooqi's lesson on conducting the physical exam is in my opinion brilliant, especially the logic behind what to do/what not to do. You have to always be on the lookout since time is such a crucial factor. We have to pick and choose the parts of physical exam given the clinical scenarios. He systematically goes through each body system and makes it as efficient as possible. Personal opinion can easily make you wanna pick and choose which physical exam to adopt or discard. DON'T DO THAT. Do exactly as he tells you because trust me, it works! Day 3 is the mock exam where students will go through a simulated practice exam with 12 patient cases. Just like the format of the real exam, students will have the opportunity to write patient notes. Students will also get feedback regarding improvement from the stardardized patients. For those of you who wish for further help, Dr. Farooqi offers 1 on 1 tutoring. I did that and for me, it was absolutely worth it.

Ultimately, how you prepare for this exam is up to you. I will never wish anyone to fail this exam and sincerly hope for everyone to pass 1st time around. I did not take other courses and therefore I can't really comment on them. I can tell you that I was very confident coming out at 3:30pm after my 12th patient note on exam day because I practiced and incorporated the teachings of Gold USMLE Review. They're the reason I passed. I wish for everyone to come out of their examination first time around feeling super confident about their performance. I'm confident Gold USMLE Review will help you gain the confidence and skills necessary to pass this exam.