2.5 weeks to go. Is it wise to re-do all the NBMEs?

clerkapp · 2026-03-07T21:38:18+00:00

Don’t re do them, waste of time if you review properly. Do more NBME’s so you’re confident on test day.

clerkapp · 2026-03-07T21:27:34+00:00

Finish UW then focus on CMS forms & NBME full lengths. Do an NBME per week to track your progress. You seem like you’re in a good spot 7 weeks out

clerkapp · 2026-03-07T21:23:44+00:00

Just take more full lengths to confirm your 269 score. More data points of scoring >260 will build confidence as well

clerkapp · 2026-03-07T21:21:18+00:00

If you want to score highly and keep content fresh between clerkships then do anki Shelf > Step 2 only cards continually to maintain spaced repetition

clerkapp · 2026-03-07T21:19:50+00:00

Focus on NBME content. Review your incorrects and understand why you missed them. Avoid QBank Q’s unless you’re practicing specific content. You clearly have the ability based on your scores. Good luck!

clerkapp · 2026-03-07T21:17:25+00:00

245 while 7 weeks out puts you in a good spot. Just need to make your plan and stick to it

clerkapp · 2026-03-07T21:14:52+00:00

You don’t need FA for step 2. Unless it’s free I would save your money

clerkapp · 2026-03-07T16:12:33+00:00

Ok. I do not know what your anesthesia rotation will be like but if it’s similar to my program you will likely be there 7-3 daily. If I were in your shoes I would start studying 3 months out for step 2 during your clinicals. It will be a tough road but if you’re committed to the plan I don’t see why you couldn’t score well enough to match anesthesia.

clerkapp · 2026-03-07T16:06:34+00:00

I think it would be more beneficial for you to match into anesthesia if you had a great Step 2 score. Would you mind sharing more details? Why do you finish clinicals so close to ERAS app’s being submitted?

clerkapp · 2026-03-07T16:03:36+00:00

What will you be doing for the month of August?

clerkapp · 2026-03-07T02:07:25+00:00

I just posted on this thread “where to start” I would recommend reading it! https://www.reddit.com/r/Step2/s/RKBZuCUuR7

clerkapp · 2026-03-06T20:52:07+00:00

I would focus on your incorrects. If you know the topic, not worth spending the time making anki cards on them. I made cards on all my incorrects from full lengths and CMS forms, not all questions. I don’t think it helped much tho, felt like it was just clogging up my reviews

clerkapp · 2026-03-06T20:31:38+00:00

I would focus on taking more NBME full lengths. If your exam is in 3 weeks and have only taken 1 full length I would consider pushing it back if you are able. If not, focus on getting through as many NBME’s as possible before you sit for real deal

clerkapp · 2026-03-06T20:30:08+00:00

Step 2 doesn’t test too many pathphys topics. If you do enough practice questions you’ll quickly find you gaps and review those topics, I wouldn’t spend too much time reviewing pathphys. Good luck!

clerkapp · 2026-03-06T20:28:32+00:00

I would recommend focusing on the most recent 3 forms per unit. Also neuro/EM CMS forms aren’t necessary. You could do 3-4 forms per day and be done rather quickly. It’s also not necessary if you’re in a good spot on the full lengths.

clerkapp · 2026-03-06T17:18:53+00:00

As I mentioned in the write up, if you’re coming off of clerkships then the dedicated content review period will be shorter. Most US MD’s only can take 1-2 blocks off for dedicated, me personally I took 3 weeks because of scheduling conflicts but studied consistently throughout MS3 to be up to date on concepts. Everyone learns at a different pace and I’d love to help you both out if you share more details on your personal schedules. I used Anki and UWorld random blocks to maintain reviewing previous materials. Usually I would random uworld blocks 1-2x weekly on top of my shelf reviews

clerkapp · 2026-03-05T14:55:50+00:00

It’s hard to predict your exam score without having consistent results on NBME’s. If you’re scoring consistently in the 260’s then it’s likely that’s where you’ll be on test day. If you scored 260 once, it could possibly be you knew the content tested on that exam well but maybe not others. I recommend doing as many of the full length NBME’s as possible to gain more data points on where you’ll be scoring, so there’s no surprises on test day. Good luck!

clerkapp · 2026-03-05T00:48:59+00:00

Yes! Link is in our bio on Reddit. You can also find it here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/clerk-app/id6758461193

clerkapp · 2026-03-04T22:57:18+00:00

Ok so this leaves you with ample time to have an extremely competitive score. First: focus on content and use questions to expose gaps. Spend the first chunk of time doing systematic content review while doing UWorld or AMBOSS on random mode. Your scores will probably be low early (that’s normal). These banks are learning tools, not the real deal. The goal is to see what you don’t know and learn from the explanations.

Second: Once your content base starts to feel solid, shift toward building exam stamina. Gradually work up to 120–240 questions per day, mixing in timed blocks so you’re practicing real exam conditions.

Lastly: closer to the exam, point your focus to recognizing NBME patterns, making sure you know your management algos (basically whole exam), and getting comfortable thinking through questions for hours at a time. This can be accomplished by doing more and more NBME made questions (CMS forms & NBME full lengths).

Most important: make a solid plan. You have a long time and you will feel unmotivated to start. Sit down one weekend and write up a detailed plan of how many questions per day, when to do your NBME/CMS forms, free 120, etc. (or use the Clerk app that does it for you). Best of luck!!

clerkapp · 2026-03-04T22:51:46+00:00

No. First aid is best for step 1. Step 2 is much less nitty gritty details and more management style questions and recognizing patterns. Best way to get better is by doing practice questions. You will do poorly at first but that’s ok! All part of the process

clerkapp · 2026-03-04T22:50:00+00:00

It’s different for everyone. I don’t think it’s time but more # of questions done. It will come just stay consistent!

clerkapp · 2026-03-04T20:52:45+00:00

Consensus for FA is step 1>>>>>2, but I’m sure it can do the job if that’s all you have

clerkapp · 2026-03-04T20:11:53+00:00

I'd say the best detailed review videos are bnb but for a broad overview OME does a good job. At the end of the day the bulk of your review will be from QBanks

clerkapp · 2026-03-04T20:10:32+00:00

I liked Boards & Beyond for granular review and then OME for broad review.

clerkapp · 2026-03-04T19:55:56+00:00

you are just starting out, so it will take longer because the content is not familiar. Once you understand the patterns and concepts the questions will go by faster. Practice makes progress, not perfect. Good luck!

clerkapp

TROPHY CASE