I don't post here often, but SDN posts have been very helpful during my tenure, and I wanted to pay it forward to help others in the future.
USMLE Step 2CK score: 281
Study schedule:
I had finished all of UWorld at least 1.5 months out and had reset the qbank. I still had 1-2 rotations left in which time I would do the second pass of UWorld somewhere around 80 to 200 questions a day. I'd also do some reading and review my M3 books from my previous rotations throughout this time if I didn't feel like doing any questions. My overall strategy was to prioritize the shelf exams for each rotation and use that as a litmus test for how well I was prepared for said subject. Luckily, I had done well on most/all shelf exams so I was rather confident going into my dedicated study period. I had a little less than 4 weeks for dedicated which, honestly, was too long and wish I'd have taken closer to 2 or 3 weeks. During my dedicated, I had soured on UWorld because I wasn't learning anything new from redoing the qbank. I think I had only finished about 20% of the entire qbank on my second pass before I decided not to do UWorld anymore. Instead I focused on my specific notes I had kept throughout third-year (e.g., work-up for thyroid nodule, next best step in diagnosing gastrinoma, etc.). I studied somewhere between 3-5 hours for about 6 days a week during my dedicated time because I quickly realized that 4 weeks was too long and if I had studied longer more frequently, I'd get burned out and start forgetting simple things (which was happening to me by the end anyway). I focused on getting as much sleep as possible, eating good food, and life-things. I did all the NBME subject practice exams throughout my third-year, and did all of the practice exams during my dedicated time at least once a week.
A note on AMBOSS: I had used this sparingly throughout my third-year, but these questions were better to learn from than to hone the skills to do well on the shelf exams and Step 2. Therefore, I had used AMBOSS only for questions when I was tired of UWorld or reading and for the learning cards for my weak points.
Resources: I definitely re-read (quickly) the following during the last 1.5 months
-Step-up to medicine
-First Aid for Psychiatry
-Pestana's
-First Aid for Step I (I read this like a novel in the last two weeks)
Here are the resources I used for each rotation. I had usually completed most of the corresponding UWorld questions and review books a week or so before the start of each rotation:
Medicine: SU2M
Surgery: DeVirgilio
OB/GYN: BluePrints
Pediatrics: BRS
Psychiatry: First Aid for Psychiatry
Neurology: BluePrints
UWorld (1st pass): 80%
UWorld (2nd pass only did 25% or so of the entire qbank): 95%
MKSAP qbook
Here are my shelf exam scores and Step I I took before I started my PhD:
Medicine: >99th percentile
Surgery: 97th percentile
OB/GYN: 98th percentile
Pediatrics: 98th percentile
Psychiatry: 91st percentile
Neurology: 94th percentile
Step I: low 260s
Practice exams:
7 weeks out: NBME 7 = 250
5 weeks out: UWSA 1 = 263
4 weeks out: NBME 6 = 273
1 week out: NBME 8 = 273
5 days out UWSA 2 = 261
several days out: Free 120 = around 90%
The actual exam: I had 6 blocks of 40 questions and 2 blocks of 38 questions. Total of 2-3 audio/video questions. The breakdown of subjects were almost exactly what USMLE has posted on their website. I felt the actual questions were similar to the NBME practice exams and slightly easier than UWorld and the UWSAs. I finished each block with around 10 minutes left which I used to check and review answers or just take a quick spacing-out break. I took a real break after blocks 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 where I'd go to the bathroom, have some snacks, etc. When I was finished, I had outlasted all of the other examiners at Prometric and half of the staff (it is a 9 hour exam after all...). I was rather tired and could think of about 7 or so questions I had definitely got wrong that I could remember. I marked about 5-10 questions per block.
I took Step 2CK in early November (before the proposed changes that USMLE said would take effect) and just received it on the second Wednesday a little after 11 am.
Pieces of advice:
-Do well on Step 1. Half of doing well on Step 2 is having a broad and deep foundation of knowledge from Step I
-Prioritize shelf exams. of my many years as a student, if there's one predictive measure of Step 2CK score, it's the shelf exams
-Do your own study method. I never used some resources like Anki others swear you'll need. You know how you study and learn best
-Be effective and have a system for everything. Whether it's studying, reviewing, reading, or answering a question.
-Learn everything as if it's the last time you'll see it. I remember a slew of topics on my exam that are known as "low-yield" that I saw once from Step I or from my medicine rotation a year ago.
-Be calm: this all happened during COVID... and if I can do it so can most of you
-Second passes of qbanks are overrated and (mostly) a waste of time
-Prioritize true NBME questions and do as many questions as possible. I probably did close to 6000-7000 questions throughout my third year in preparation for this exam
Good luck to everyone!
Hope that helps!
Reach out if anyone has any questions
FS
Edit: certain details may or may not have been slightly altered for purposes of anonymity.