StepIICK

Advicefromthe
Classof2009
EmoryUniversity
SchoolofMedicine

1. WhichbooksdidyoufindhelpfulfortheStepIIClinicalKNOWLEDGE?
FirstAidforStepIICK IIIIIIIIIIIII
Crush II
USMLEWorld IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
PocketMedicine I
USMLEStepIISecrets II
Detailedresponses:
FirstAid&USMLEstep2secretssecretsfillsinalotofsurgeryinfothatfirstaiddoesnt
have
KaplanQbookforStep2CK(asasupplementtoUSMLEworld)...itis850moreMCquestions.
IboughtFirstAid,butdidn'tuseitmuch.Mostlyjustdidquestions...lotsandlotsof
questions
IhadafewbooksbutIreallyonlyusedUSMLEworld
allIdidwasonlinequestionsfromUSMLEWorldandIdidfine
USMLEWorldandthenwroteinFirstAid

USMLEworldthequestionsareverycomprehensive.doallofthemandstudytheanswers
2. HowlongdidyoustudyforStepIICK?
Time Percentrespondents Numberofrespondents
1Week 10% 2
2Weeks 25% 5
3Weeks 30% 6
4Weeks 25% 5
5+Weeks 10% 2
Total 20
Otherresponse:3.5weeks
3. Completethissentence."WhenstudyingfortheCK,DONOT____"
FREAKOUT.
buryyourselfinreviewbooks.Questionsarethebestprep,inmyopinion.
driveyourselfcrazy.Youjusthavetopass.
wastetimeormoneyonreviewbooks.USMLEworldandasupplementalquestionbook(if
youwant)isallyouneed.
studyforlessthan4weeks
relyonFirstAid.ItisgreatforStep1,terribleforCK.TheinformationinFirstAidisuseful,
butisparticularlylowyield.(UseUSMLEworldinstead.)
overstudy.Lookingback,IwishIwouldhavejuststudiedduringmyinterviewsandER
rotationsoIcouldhavetakenthemonthofApriloff.
wastetimetryingtolearnsomethingtotallystrangetoyou.Focusyourtimeonquickly
rememberingthebasics
3

wastetoomuchtimereading.youshouldspendalotofthedaydoingquestions.doatleast
100200questionsdaily.
wasteyourtimeonreading.Justdoquestions
readabunchofbooks!!!Bigwasteoftime!Justdoquestions.
studytoomuch,itmucheasierthanstep1
getboggeddowninbooks
wastetimestudyingforthefewStepIquestionsscatteredintheexam
skimpondoingpracticequestions.
freakout.ItsaloteasierthanStepIandlesspainfultostudyfor
forgettodoatonofquestions!forgettodoatonofquestions!
READ.Onlydoquestions.DothemontutormodeandwriteintheFirstAidbook.
Usemorethan2bookstostudy.
DOnottrytodoitinaweek

4. Completethissentence."SomethingIwishIhadknownbeforetakingtheCKis_____"
Itisaloteasierthanthetestbanks
technicaldifficultiesarenotunheardof.Giveyourselfacushionofdaysafteryourscheduled
dateincasetheyhappen.
itisanentiresectionlongerthanstepone!!!
ThequestionsontheexamarevirtuallyidenticaltoonesyouwillseeinUSMLEworld.
It'sactuallylongerthanstepone.Iwasn'treallypayingattentionandthenInoticedthere's
anextrablockofquestions.
Don'tgetdistractedwiththeinteractivemultimediaquestion,Iknowitisreallycoollto
moveyourmouselikeastethoscopeoveravirtualdummy,buttimeisrunning!!
yes,itislongerthanstepI
thatdoingquestionsisthekey.
itisveryanticlimactic.
justdousmleworldquestions
itsmorepracticalthanstep1
itisactuallyprettyfuntostudyforbecauseithelpsyourememberalltheclinical
informationfromthepastyear.
youactuallyhavetostudy,andmorethanaweek,ifyouwanttoactuallygoUP.Mostofmy
friendswhostudiedforafewdayswentdown
it'snotthatbad
Allthosepedsproblemswiththeimmunesystemdisordersandtheneurodevelopmental
problems
thatIwoulddefinitelymatchintoacompetitivespecialty,andnothavetostudyashardasI
did.
makesuretodoall2400questionsonUSMLEworldstep2qbank.
knowobgyn

5. AnyotheradviceforStepIICK?

Youdon'tneedawholemonthtostudyforit.
questions,questions,questions!!!ididover3,000questionsandimprovedmyscorebyover
30points.don'twasteyourtimewithreviewbooks!questionsisthewaytogo!!!
JustgothroughallthequestionsonUSMLEworld,readingtheexplanations,then23days
beforethetest,gobackandlookatthequestionsyougotwrong.ThatisallIdidnoFirst
Aid,nonothingandIgota270+.Otherwise,usethatmonthtogoplay.Hangoutwithyour
friends.Trainforamarathon.Learnhowtoplaythebanjo.Dosomethingotherthanstudy
forthistest.Step2isn'tasbigofadealasStep1.
TakeDr.Felner'sadviceonwhentotakeit.Ihadagoodscoreonsteponeandtherefore
tookitlatebasedonhisadviceandI'mreallygladIdid.Ittookthepressureoff...allIhadto
dowaspasssinceschoolswouldn'tseemyscores.
Threeimportantthings:
1)QBank
2)QBank
3)QBank
Justdoquestions.Lotsandlotsofquestions
DoallorasmuchofUSMLEworldasyoucan.Thequestionsareveryrepresentativeofthe
actualexam.Don'treadbooks,juststudythequestionanswersandjotnotesifneedbe.Do
thepracticeq'sofferedbyNBMEtogetacquaintedwiththetestsoftware.
ihardlystudiedatallandmyscorewasaboutthesameasstep1
Dotonsofquestionsandthenstudy/writedown/reviewthequestionsyougetwrong.I
thinkUSMLEworldisbetterthanKaplan.
Becomefamiliarwiththenewformat,thereareheartsoundsandvideosthatmaytakeup
moretimesomakesureyoutimeyourselfwell
BringasweaterforGeorgiaState
USMLEWorldisfantastic...useit
ProbablynotworthittotakeoffinJuly/AugustandtakeStepIIearly.Ithinkit'smore
importanttodoanawayelectiveataprogramyoulike,andimpresstheprogramdirectors,
ratherthanhavinganother#onyourERASapplication.
takeatleast2fullweeksofstudying,
dolotsofpracticequestions