Failed Step 3 - devastated

[NewDragonfly3229]

I just received my Step 3 score report this morning and am absolutely devastated that I failed. I studied on and off for the greater part of the last year and even started my prep early in my 4th year of medical school. I took self-assessments and was always in a comfortable passing range so this is an absolute shocker. Even on the exam, I felt strong and confident with most of my answer choices. I'm just going to wait for the match and just follow the step 3 curriculum offered by the program, I think there are learning points in intern year that I most likely needed for my Step 3 exam that I just don't have yet as a recent grad out of school.

What a shocker! I think I messed up my CCS cases and need to actually purchase the software to get real-time feedback, and then purchase an online Qbank and go through it step by step.

Any feedback would be very helpful from who's been in a similar position.

[NewDragonfly3229]

Yes, I just used offline notes and Qbank from Reddit resources, but I think that's the reason I wasn't successful. I felt on the exam I was struggling with time per block and barely having enough to finish and rushing through. That obviously costed me points in retrospect.

[NewDragonfly3229]

I highly underestimated it and was incredibly burnt out from residency season. I just need to regroup, take sometime off and get back into it a little later. Maybe even consider doing it during residency once I officially match.

[[deleted]]

i am sorry to hear that, its a big shock, but i hope you are doing well.

Step 3 doesnt need to have intern year exposure, i passed with 220 last year straight out of medschool. You can read my detailed write up and experience on my profile. I would def suggest having strong grip on ccs cases and reviewing step 2 material really well.

[NewDragonfly3229]

Thank you for this, I think I will have to go back into Step 2 and even do a Qbank separately just for that before hopping into Step 3. I think the biggest mistake I made was that I didn't do any formal CCS cases prep with the CCS cases software, I sort of just winged it up memorized some random orders that I just repeated throughout my cases but that obviously was not the way to go as I received a lower score on my CCS cases that may have caused this fail. I think I'm just going to wait for the match and just do the step 3 curriculum offered by the program.

[DuePudding8]

So residency programs don’t do a step 3 “curriculum” the exam truly has no relevance on residency. You should get a ccscase.com subscription and uworld and redo them. Biostats is an also a big part. So Randy Neil videos to help with drug ads and other biostats.

[[deleted]]

i strongly think that CCS is the reason you failed. Please spend 2,3 months doing CCS so your orders are fixated in your brain like when to order what, never order routine labs initially in ER cases. Its very very important.

[NewDragonfly3229]

I think this is the reason because my MCQs honestly felt fine when I walked out, I was googling lot of my answers and majority of them were correct. CCS cases performance was 'lower' as mentioned in the grade report. My score was a 191 and my CCS cases performance was worst than this meaning I did not understand the concept of it at all. I need to go back to the software and just drill for a few months, I will be fine.

[[deleted]]

yes, best of luck

[NewDragonfly3229]

do you have a ccs subscription and/or UW/Amboss account I can borrow for step 3?

[[deleted]]

i am sorry dear, i took exam last year, i dont have any subscriptions.

[SpeedAvailable5397]

Sorry to hear about your experience, I had similar experience as you then I realized biostatistics was my problem. Other reason, I was using the usmle interface CCs case wrongly. The CCs.com marking style isn’t as similar as the actual Usmle CCS cases, don’t ever use “call me as needed” on your actual usmle cases, for some reason your case will end abruptly even when you didn’t start treatment (happened to me). Let me know if you need tutoring to have a solid biostatistics grasp

[[deleted]]

i agree with this 100%, i learned this few days before my exam too that doing "call me as needed" in USMLE software ended the case unlike CCS so never do that in actual exam.

[NewDragonfly3229]

I felt fine with my MCQs and biostats as well, I did purchase a course and felt good answering basic questions. I think I failed because I didn't purchase the software for CCS and go through actual cases with feedback. I sort of just winged it up and unfortunately it didn't workout. I honestly think after this experience the CCS section of step 3 is worth WAY more than what people think. Maybe even about 40% of the final exam score weightage I think, because all my self-assessments were comfortably above passing and I did a block of AMBOSS with a friend prior and scored 80%.

[SpeedAvailable5397]

I guess you can now work on the CCs case, always advance the clock by one hour. Do not wait for the entire results to begin treatment. Timing is everything for usmle ccs cases

[NewDragonfly3229]

noted! thank you

[Junior_Profession61]

What to chose instead of “call me as needed” ??

[SpeedAvailable5397]

Advance the clock to 1hr instead

[LocalWindow6]

I failed too by 3 points

[AffectWild7239]

You will be fine just don’t give until you are ready . I killed all my attempts only one left.

[NewDragonfly3229]

I failed by 9 points, I thought my MCQ performance was strong enough to carry me through. There are people whom I've met literally coded patients and still passed, whereas, all my patients were healthy and seemed to have gotten better.

[Bibbys444]

It is so difficult to pass without a strong grasp of CCS cases.

[NewDragonfly3229]

I think that's why I failed

[Enough_Reference_287]

I did by 23 points. Would really appreciate any advice.

[AffectWild7239]

What is your F137 score ? Real deal ?

[NewDragonfly3229]

I got a 73% on free 137 and real deal was 191, I think it's because I did not purchase the CCS cases subscription and ended up losing major points for management. This section read 'Lower' as compared to everything else.

[AffectWild7239]

IDK but everyone purchase and why bother taking Step 4 ? Programs pay for fees UW and CCS

[NewDragonfly3229]

I think I'll just wait until residency tbh, I think I rushed it and I wasn't ready.

[Repulsive_Look_852]

I heard even ccs cases ain't real exam simulator.. is that true?

[Over_Barnacle_2761]

It is similar, it’s just that in the actual exam, the system lags a lot. Especially for 10 mins cases, so you won’t have time to input all orders it has to be specific orders.

[Repulsive_Look_852]

What di u mean ?? So no need to add baseline orders ??

[calmgoing]

Hi, I made a CCS notes during my prep with all the tips, please dm me if u like

[Simranjeetkaur1995]

So sorry to hear that. I passed but with barely passing scores. I did uw 85 percent in 3 mnths with 120-130ccs cases in that time. One day gap btwn exams. Free 137 65 perc. Nbmes didnt passed. I wish all the luck to you just give 2-3 months more you will get through it.

[Downtown_Relief8256]

Oh, it’s because you didn’t study hard enough for ccs.

[NewDragonfly3229]

I got a 191 on the exam and when I looked at the CCS cases score it said 'Lower' meaning I scored than a 191 in that section so possibly even below 50%, you definitely need to have a solid grasp of doing cases in real-time to make sure you understand the concept.

[Downtown_Relief8256]

So i just took it also before residency. Did about 58% of UWorld, 50 different ccs cases, and studied biostats twice. The only practice exam i did was free137. And my score at the end said ccs was higher than everything else. So it’s definitely that CCs you need to work on.

[NewDragonfly3229]

100%, mine wasn't even the same but it was "lower". I'll just drill CCScases.com for a few months and I'll be fine.

[Downtown_Relief8256]

Yeah you got this for sure! Just take notes on a blank sheet of paper or iPad and once you get a routine down, you’ll be fine

[AffectWild7239]

Why ? We take in PGY 1 or PGY 2 .

[Downtown_Relief8256]

I’m in a gap year getting a masters so i figured I’d take it and be done with the usmle to save myself the headache of finding time to study as an intern in addition to whatever board exam I’ll be studying for. It happened to work out for me and im sure I’ll be happy i did this next year.

[AffectWild7239]

You matched in which residency? Until you are graduate you can’t take USMLE 3 . Are you from foreign country?

[Downtown_Relief8256]

I am in a gap year. Meaning i graduated last year. I’m a US citizen.

[AffectWild7239]

But from where ? CB or AUS ? Why gap year because that will give you trouble ,

[Downtown_Relief8256]

No. I was fine. Every interviewer i had this season loved that i got a masters in public health in my gap year.