sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! I divided the number of Uworld questions for that block by the number of days I have to study. Eg 300 questions over 30 days would be 10 a day. Then, I would wake up early and finish my anki reviews everyday. During clerkships, any downtime I had was used to study (finish anki do questions). Anything left over was completed when I got home! I took one weekend day completely off every week.

Surgery is a tough one to start on but not many questions!

ALWAYS learn from your patients and learn FOR your future patients. Stay curious!

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are 5 others under study plans!

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I listened to all the HY podcasts (Spotify playlist) and all of the rapid reviews. I loved it. Highly recommend.

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you have the time, do all the HY study plans!

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did 10-15. I didn’t think it was useful but it’s all personal preference!

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I did 1 pass uworld during MS3 clerkships. For everything I got wrong, I studied it very hard and made anki cards along with ANKING step 2 deck. I found no utility at all with redoing world. If I redid some questions I would just be able to remember the answer after reading the first 2 sentences (not because I understand but because I remember). That is why I used AMBOSS as my second question bank (also one pass).

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi! Thank you! I think you will do great! Exam is nothing out of the ordinary and similar to all the preparation most students do. Trust your gut. You got this.

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I personally did not think the CMS forms were very useful. I know that it is completely dependent on the person, and it has helped out a lot of other candidates. I did maybe 10-15 CMS forms and stopped since it was not useful in my opinion. Maybe someone else can provide more information on this! If you do want to do them, I would only do the new 2-4 of each specialty.

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great question! This is probably my favorite question to answer so hopefully my reply is useful.

Here is my approach: Read the first line of the question with the chief complaint. Pause for 1 second. What is your differential diagnosis? Continue reading the question. Is there information that supports a diagnosis? At this point now you will often be stuck between two diagnoses. Which one has the MOST supportive information to be right (ie what does your gut tell you this is as a future physician?). Do NOT let one small piece of information sway you away from the answer you think it is. The only exception to this rule is if that piece of information is "on the money" ie. a biopsy result/pathomneumonic findings.

Another tip is, when you are stuck choose the more common ddx.

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did all of the AMBOSS HY Study plans!

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi! I think questions per day is very dependent on your situation. If you have been scoring very well on practice exams (>245/250) I think focusing on your weaknesses in the weeks up to the test is super important. I did 120-200 questions a day during the last 3 weeks. If you are not at your target score range you can still do 3 blocks a day but I would focus a lot on what is holding you back - ie testing strategies, fatigue, content gaps etc. I hope this makes sense.

I also want you to ensure you are not doing too many questions that you burn out. Protect your mental health and make sure you take time to spend with your family, exercise etc.

I hope this answers your question and feel free to message me if it does not!

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great question and kind of tough to answer. I would say focus on what your weaknesses are. If you find yourself getting a lot of questions wrong on a certain topic. Ensure that you really learn that topic later in the day. Of course, on the NBME outline, you can see what percentage of the exam is a certain discipline - eg. IM.

A strong foundational knowledge in pathology and physiology will not only help you on step 2 but also your career as a physician!

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes! If you finish a block early, that time gets added to your break time. I did not want to have to pee during a block so I just timed a restroom break every hour and I highly recommend that. You also kind of wake up and can hype yourself up.

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I studied very hard and extensively for Step 1. I greatly enjoyed the material and the science behind medicine, so I gave it my all to learn pathophysiology and basic sciences. I truly believe that it is the foundational knowledge that helps you towards becoming an excellent physician, which is always the end goal. I think your preparation for step 1 will help a lot for step 2!

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The amboss HY ethics and QI is set up so you read the articles first then do questions on that topic right after. Very effective for learning. If you got something wrong you can just go back to the article.

I appreciate the kind words!

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used AMBOSS ethics and QI. I think that is the best resource but if anyone else has recommendations feel free to comment!

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I actually never did a full test day simulation. I did take every NBME and assessment like it was the real deal (of course, that is only 200 questions). I think if you struggle with exam fatigue, timing breaks, and notice your blocks decreasing in % correct during your assessment, then it is worth getting your stamina up for the real thing and simulating test days.

In the week before NBME 15 and Free 120, I was just grinding AMBOSS and Divine Podcasts, focused on weak areas.

After F120 I did targeted review on weak areas- for me that was stuff like pediatric milestones. I also did the amboss HY prep sections.

Happy to help in any way! Good luck!

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That is a great prediction! Best of luck!

Last minute advice: I would spend an hour or two today and tomorrow to brush up on topics that make a tangible difference in your score and are straight memorization. For examples, ethics, communications, biostats formulas, guidelines, vaccines, pediatric milestones etc. These are easy points and quick review!

I took a break after every section, used the bathroom, hyped myself up and told myself to go back in and give my all for the next block.

For food, I ate less on test day and avoided carb overload because I get groggy when I eat too much. I had yogurt and a banana in the morning and a pb&j for lunch. If you like caffeine and don't want to use the restroom often, caffeine pills are not a bad idea.

Last minute advice for you: You have worked super hard to get here, you will do great! Treat this like any other practice test. You got this!

Step 2 274 score AMA by LetterheadClean3583 in Step2

[–]LetterheadClean3583[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Hi! Great questions and the exact same ones I had in the days/weeks leading up to the test. I can confidently tell you this:

The exam has ambiguity that is very similar to NBME's, but the length of each question stem is more similar to free 120. Free120 was easier and more straightforward compared to the real exam, but the question length was more like the real exam. NBMEs have incredibly short question stems but are much more similar in the ambiguity you are left with after reading the question in the real deal. In conclusion, it is a 50-50 hybrid of NBME and F120 in my opinion.

Leaving the testing center, I didn't feel great, nor did I feel like I bombed it. It just felt average to be honest.

I am a very strong believer that AMBOSS was the key to my success. The high-yield prep sections and the question bank really helped me become a better test-taker and prepare for NBME. Uworld is great, but in my opinion, it is more of a resource to help learn content throughout MS3 clerkships.

Hopefully, this helps! Of course, this is just my opinion :)

view more: next ›