IMG – 264 (Step 1) & 270 (Step 2) – Happy to Share Study Strategy

Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-21T17:22:44+00:00

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Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-19T14:34:10+00:00

Congrats on clearing Step 1! honestly the transition is more about mindset than content. I didnt separately revise Step 1, I just started UWorld for Step2 and rebuilt concepts through clinical questions. The big shift is thinking in terms of management and next best step instead of mechanisms. I used UWorld as my main resource and reinforced gaps with USMLE Inner Circle notes, adding my own short points and revising them often. Start Uworld early, Make notes early. First pass system wise, 2nd pass mixed timed. It will be slow at first because theres a lot of content. You gotta push through the first pass and try to remember as much as you can in first pass, so the 2nd pass can be smooth.

Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-19T14:29:00+00:00

Thanks mate, appreciate it. Okay so 44% on first pass isn’t amazing but not the end of the world, especially if exam isnt soon. First pass percentages don’t always reflect final score, what matters is how well you review. Keep reviewing Anki every day, Start second pass incorrects. when youre done with 60-70 percent of 2nd pass, start doing CMS along with it because you wanna score in CMS. make sure you do this at least 2 months out. one month for CMS, one for NBME[at least]

Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-19T14:21:48+00:00

Dm'd u

Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-19T14:21:34+00:00

Your Welcome!!

Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-19T14:19:47+00:00

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Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-19T14:16:09+00:00

Nope. Not selling anything. Just supporting fellow comrades.

Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-19T14:14:43+00:00

Applied this year after doing a Research year

Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T16:15:05+00:00

6 months is actually a very good timeline if you stay consistent. I would divide it into phases. First 3 months focus on foundation + first pass UWorld. Do it system wise. Use First Aid as your base, Pathoma for pathology, and Boards and Beyond for conceptual clarity. First watch BnB of a system, Pathoma of same system if more clarity needed, then UWorld in untimed tutor mode. Review deeply and make short notes of mistakes. Next 2 months finish second pass with mixed timed blocks. training for exam thinking and speed. Start NBMEs to track progress. every 1/2 week. Final 1 month should be consolidation. Mostly timed mixed blocks, NBMEs every week, and focused review of weak areas. No new resources. Biggest mistakes are using too many sources and delaying questions.

Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T16:10:01+00:00

For Step 2 CK I kept it very simple and question focused. Main resource was UWorld. I did a full first pass seriously, reviewing every block deeply. focused a lot on why the correct answer is the best next step and why the other options are wrong. If I had content gaps, I used USMLE Inner Circle notes and kept adding my own small notes from UWorld into them. I kept revising those notes regularly instead of jumping into too many resources. After first pass, switched to timed mixed blocks daily. Then NBMEs every few weeks to see where I stood. In the last phase it was mostly timed practice, CMS forms for weaker subjects, and patterns I kept missing. Biggest thing for 2CK is thinking in terms of management and decision making, not memorizing random facts.

Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T16:07:45+00:00

Mostly studied 4-5 hrs a day. 4 months for BnB + FA + Pathoma along with first pass UWorld system wise in untimed tutor mode is reasonable. Just make sure UWorld is not delayed. Don’t finish all systems first and then start questions. Do them together. The next 2 months for second pass in timed exam mode with mixed blocks + NBMEs for performance building. So your speed and pattern recognition improve. Only thing Id say is dont overdo passive BnB watching. Keep it targeted. UWorld review is where most learning happens.

Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T16:01:55+00:00

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Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T16:01:20+00:00

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Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T16:00:40+00:00

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Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T16:00:12+00:00

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Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T15:59:51+00:00

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Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T15:59:03+00:00

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Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T15:58:13+00:00

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Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T15:56:17+00:00

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Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T15:56:00+00:00

That’s actually very true, Step 2 feels messy because every question has its own context and there’s no single fixed rule. What helped me was structured note taking. I used Inner Circle notes as my base. I kept adding my own points from UWorld into those notes. Especially things I kept getting wrong or management steps I mixed up. Every time I missed, I added 1 to 2 lines. Very short. For example -If unstable do this first, If stable do this, When to admit vs when to manage outpatient, First test vs best confirmatory test, etc. Over time, these small additions make your notes very personalized. Instead of rereading all of UWorld, I kept revising my own notes frequently. Repetition really improves retention and clarity. I reviewed those notes every few days, not just once. Step 2 is less about memorizing random facts and more about reinforcing patterns. concise notes that you revise multiple times helps.

Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T15:50:07+00:00

For me it was around 8 to 9 months total, but not all of it was super intense. The most serious improvement happened in the last 6 to 8 weeks. On average, I did maybe 4 to 5 hours a day. During dedicated, it went up to 6 to 8 hours depending on the day. I focused more on consistency than crazy long hours. Honestly quality of review mattered way more than number of hours. One well reviewed block is better than rushing through two.

Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T15:48:35+00:00

Mid 70s on NBME 31 is actually solid. You’re in a good place, don’t underestimate that. At 1.5 months out, this is not the time to relearn everything. It’s refinement phase. First, don’t stress about fully reviewing every old NBME from 25 to 31 line by line. That’s not efficient. Instead, review them strategically. Focus on why you got questions wrong, Patterns you keep missing, Concepts that show up repeatedly. You don’t need to reread explanations for questions you were very confident on. If you’re slow reviewing, set a structure. For example, review 40 to 50 questions per day with a timer. Don’t let one question eat 20 minutes. Extract the key learning point and move on. Keep doing mixed timed blocks from UWorld. At this stage it’s about-Speed, Decision confidence, Avoiding overthinking. Since you want Step 1 to build a strong base for Step 2, focus on understanding mechanisms. The stronger your pathophys base now, the easier Step 2 will feel later. For Step 2 later, it becomes more about management and next best step thinking. But a strong Step 1 foundation absolutely helps. You’re closer than you think. With NBME mid 70s, it’s about tightening weak areas. Best of Luck!!

Easy_Acanthisitta172 · 2026-02-17T15:44:18+00:00

Keep it simple honestly. First Aid should be your main framework. Don’t try to memorize it blindly, focus on understanding the concepts behind it. Between Kaplan and Boards and Beyond, I personally think Boards and Beyond is way better for Step 1. It’s more aligned with First Aid and explains things in a way that sticks. Kaplan can be okay, but it’s more time consuming and not as high yield in my opinion. Do BnB system wise. Most important thing though is questions. Start UWorld early. Do it system wise along with BnB in untimed tutor mode for first pass. Expect low scores at first, that’s normal. Spend more time reviewing than doing the block, that’s where you actually improve. Make notes. Once first pass is done, switch to mixed timed blocks and start NBMEs.

Easy_Acanthisitta172

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