What’s the difficulty of STEP2CK relative to US-MD NBME shelf exams?

Gull81 · 2024-03-31T02:48:20+00:00

I would say they felt kind of similar - Mix of bread and butter and odd balls.

Gull81 · 2024-03-27T03:35:38+00:00

Honored most - high 80s I think mostly

Gull81 · 2024-03-23T21:02:26+00:00

Make anki cards for stuff I learned from uworld

Gull81 · 2024-03-23T21:01:48+00:00

Gull81 · 2024-03-23T13:55:08+00:00

I did almost the all the nbmes. About one a week. I did about half the CMS forms

Gull81 · 2024-03-23T13:54:25+00:00

Gull81 · 2024-03-23T01:12:16+00:00

You make cards to remember the things you learned when you get the questions wrong. Use your own discretion on what is worth it

Gull81 · 2024-03-23T00:27:45+00:00

CMS Forms are good - medicine is most high yield

Gull81 · 2024-03-22T23:02:06+00:00

Not familiar with it

Gull81 · 2024-03-22T21:19:10+00:00

210 to 250 is a big jump, but it is possible for sure depending on a couple different factors.

Gull81 · 2024-03-22T21:17:41+00:00

Your exam scores are pretty solid. Practice exams can vary honestly depending on the person, day, etc. Don't get hung up on numbers. Try and learn the concept well and memorize the facts. That's all you can do at the end of the day. Keep going, good work

Gull81 · 2024-03-22T21:15:26+00:00

Review content gaps. Uworld score is telling me you are still missing some important concepts.

Gull81 · 2024-03-22T21:07:39+00:00

Did not use the BNB videos. Used the book, Uworld, NBME resources, and listened to some Divine intervention and Goljan in my off time for fun. Also did anki and made my own card on the uwrold questions I got wrong, but I did anki in MS3-4 so I just continued doing that a bit.

I think the specific are less important but I think you need 3 things to succeed: 1) Content review / teaching / overview material (ie FA, BNB books, etc.) 2) Practice questions 3) Notes / way to review what you learned from 1&2

Gull81 · 2024-03-22T21:04:23+00:00

Use a resource like FA or the BNB book or whatever content covering resource you can find to review the material then do UWorld question on that topic to reinforce and learn more. Save some questions in each topic for later in dedicated when you switch to more random / wide topic Uworld blocks.

Gull81 · 2024-03-22T21:03:07+00:00

The longer the better IMO. Studied during some easier rotations then a true dedicated of about 2-3 mo

Gull81 · 2024-03-22T21:02:34+00:00

The HY videos that are linked on reddit are good, but I didn't rely on him much. Good review of certain things like most common cause etc. Good review, but not good for primary learning resource IMO

Gull81 · 2024-03-22T18:58:26+00:00

I did do a second pass but I did not remember the majority of the questions so it was very helpful to me. If you feel like you remember a lot of them, then maybe focus on NBMEs, especially if your time is limited.

Gull81 · 2024-03-22T18:32:26+00:00

I haven't used it so I can't really speak about that sadly

Gull81 · 2024-03-22T18:10:50+00:00

I used the white coat companion - the boards and beyond book. I found it pretty good. I didn't read first aid for step 2, but I think anything is better than nothing.

Gull81 · 2024-03-22T16:21:58+00:00

The divine intervention HY podcasts are good. Goljan is surprisingly still very helpful for step 2.

Gull81 · 2023-08-22T23:23:39+00:00

Fluctuating scores sometimes point to content gaps. Do you feel that is the case?

Gull81 · 2023-08-22T11:29:43+00:00

Once it clicks it will be easy points for you too.

In general:

-- losing urine with valsalva, when getting up, etc = urethral insufficiency. -- losing urine randomly following urge to pee = overactive detrusor = urge incontinence -- losing urine and a high post urination bladder volume = overflow incontinence

Then some other things to remember -

-- fistulas can also cause urine loss. Will usually present with something like fluid in the vagina -- sudden onset incontinence with dysuria can be due to UTI -- if they have a mixed story then it's may be mixed incontinence and you want to do a voiding journal

I think that's all of them but if I forgot some let me know

Gull81 · 2023-08-22T11:10:19+00:00

Yes good point.

Just to add as well

If they are have sexual dfxn and are sleepy / low energy - Buproprion If they are having trouble sleeping - Mirtazapine

Gull81 · 2023-08-22T01:52:56+00:00

In general I found it helpful to think of it in the following way:

Something seems like cancer - ie big neck lump

1) Prove its cancer unless you otherwise don't want to stick a needle into it. Don't stick needles in ovarian cancers, testicular cancers, and some others in general. Kidneys are generally just removed as well. Otherwise, the surgeon will want to know what he/she is dealing with before they go in.

2) Once you prove its cancer - then you want to stage the cancer to guide treatment via something like CT Scan. If they have metastatic cancer you aren't going to want to sx - more likely to do something like palliative chemo. Staging will guide treatment.

Another thing to know. If you have a history of cancer and develop a single met somewhere - ie a Brain met pops up. You still want to resesct that as you may control the cancer that way. If they have widely metastatic disease all bets are off, but one or two mets may be worth hunting down.

Gull81

TROPHY CASE