FAT_GOITER
Forum Senior
Topics: 18
Posts: 110
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Yesterday was the day when I responded very adequately to the challenge I was faced by USMLE step 2 CK in order to become a licensesd Physician in the United States of America.
It was an overwhelming experience. No comparision to anything available in market to this date. Kaplan are still the closest of all available. Time pressure was strenous. Longer stem of questions were trying their best to bogg me down. Distractors were luring me towards a path which lead to no where. Labs were inviting to follow them down to a confusing Labs table. In short words battle ground was very unfriendly and confusing.
Fortunately for me and unexpectedly for them, I knew pretty well how to sail my boat through this scale 5 Hurricane.
They asked common things but asked it the hard way. Know very well how to pick the key points from the stem in 40 secs. Spend the rest 20 secs for thinking and you will be winning this battle. Cover the ground an inch at a time, look arround and keep walking towards the finish line carefully.
I completed all the blocks approximately 5-7 minutes ahead of time except block 7 which drove me nuts. Step 1 knowledge was still a fair game. About 10-15 % questions demanded my neurons to spit out some step 1 knowledge and rattafications (memorizations).
USMLE was firing their MCQ cutter missiles on me and my job was to shoot them down before they even get closer to my territory within their own land. Battle ground was covered with the dead bodies of MCQ's I successfully shooted down before they hurt and drive me nuts. I think I did it well and enjoyed it very much. I was well equipped and well prepared. Slept very well last night and had my favourite breakfast (Andda Paratha - Tranlslation = Fried Eggs with buttered, smoked and cooked to perfection flat bread) with lots of tea which settled down over the piles of Andaa paratha in my stomach.
Well now lets talk about some tested topics. Since I cannot reproduce MCQ's I will list some topics which were heavily tested. I will not waste your time with every small thing but will list topics which frequently reappear.
DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, OBESITY, HYPERLIPIDEMIA, PNEUMONIA, RENAL FAILURE, ANEMIAS, LEUKEMIAS & LYMPHOMAS, ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS, THIRD TRIMESTER BLEEDING, SMOKING (ALL CANCERS IT CAUSE FROM BLADDER TO LUNG), LEIOMYOMA, LOSS OF VISION, LOSS OF HEARING, RELATIVE RISK AND ODDS RATIO, VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA (ECGS will be shown and asked to diagnose), PHEOCHROMOCYTOMA, MUSCLE WEAKNESS (Polymyalgia Rheumatica, Polymyositis), ARTHRITIS (they asked Gout - 4 different ways), RSV, OTITIS MEDIA, TIBIA AND HIP FRACTURES, KNOW THE CONSEQUENCS OF MENOPAUSE VERY WELL, ETHICS, PANCREATITIS ETC ETC.
Emphais was on the pathology/ understanding/ mechanism of the disease to see how well acutally we have understood the disease (not just straight forward mechanisms). Key words were out there, many times misleading but quite often pointing towards the right answer.
For those who want to know the books I used:
Blue Prints (Medicine, OBGYN, Psychiatry, Neurology, Peds)
Kaplan (Surgery)
Crush Boards for the last 2 weeks.
MCQ's (Mock Exam, Kaplan Q Book)
I looked at Exam Master MCQ's (downloaded 20 for free from this website) and I laughed on them and did not waste my time after them.
Kaplan is a great resource for everything. They understand what the exam is about and prepare you well. I am not a representative of them by any means but I think they are available best.
I scored NBME - 80%, MOCK Exam - 90%, Kaplan 75%.
My Final Advice: Focus on mastering the important points first, know how to apply this knowledge (plenty of Kaplan MCQ's) and then atlast go for the details.
I always start working for just passing first (which I call skeleton of my preperation) and then work up more to dress this skeleton with some nice strong muscles and organs (for cool scores). Wasting your time to learn something very complicated which might be tested only 10-20 % on the exam is not time well spent. Worry about the rest of the 70% material first.
I hope my post may be helpful and interesting for many. I am a medical graduate from Karachi, Pakistan and hoping to get into some decent Anesthesiology Residency program in the year 2005.
Today is the first day of my vacation. I am heading with my wife to spend all day on a wonderful beach and tomorrow we are heading to Wild West Virginia for some spectacular class 5 white water rafting and aggressive horse riding + Rock Climbing on this Labour day long weekend. I am very excited and very happy to finish my exam in a style. I am hoping my self reward program will earn me more then enough energy I need towards my Step 2 CS preperation.
I will be happy to answer any questions (some might have).
Wish you all Good luck.
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| tasneembanu
Forum Guru
Topics: 96
Posts: 545
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thats was a really good description,ab't teh topics and the battle field,nice imagination,i just wanted to know whether CMDT is a must,which one is better on teh whole Kaplan or Blueprints,and is 4 months enough for the preparation?
all the best for ur score.
thanks
Tasneem.
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| Jsmart
Forum Elite
Topics: 16
Posts: 230
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You are a really good and fantastic story teller :lol: :lol: :lol: One can not stop reading your post till the end of it! You deserve congrats for that :wink: But more importantly for finishing the test and killed most of the MCQs hope u will ace it!
Good luck and enjoy your vacation
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| FAT_GOITER
Forum Senior
Topics: 18
Posts: 110
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Thank you to you both Jsmart and Tasneem for liking my post :-)
Tasneem, Blue Prints are easy to understand but they have more information we need for this exam. One exception is Surgery where Blue prints failed and this is where Kaplan Surgery kick in and knock BP completely off the ring. Kaplan Surgery is so nice and simple that by doing it just twice you will remember most of the things.
CMDT ... I didn't do it. In my personal opinion working towards becoming a good doc is different then preparing for USMLE.
4 months preperation is enough???? It all depends on you. I do not know how much time you may spend studying, how many times you want to review your material?
If you insist then what I think if you are willing to spend 7-10 hours a day (Sunday's off) and like to do 2 to 3 reviews then 4 months shall be good enough.
Blue prints are quick to read. Do not forget CRUSH...it's a life saver.
Hope it helps
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| anne
Forum Elite
Topics: 41
Posts: 348
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Hi Fat-Goiter,
I too am a graduate from Karachi(DMC), Pakistan. Which college are you from? Wish you get a great Step2 score, and all the best for CSE.
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| lucky
Forum Guru
Topics: 23
Posts: 505
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nice to meet people from my country . wish u all the best.
i have a q. i'm doing just kaplan , is it enough ?
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| CS
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 5
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good to hear you had a good time in step 2 ck. i bet the ECFMG won't like that!
oops i shouldn't have said that!!! :-#
thanks for sharing your experience! have fun this labor day weekend!
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| cookie22003
Forum Junior
Topics: 7
Posts: 44
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HI FAT_GOITRE..I JUST TOOK THE STEP 1 EXAM BUT HAVE TO START PREPARING FOR STEP 2 ANYWAY..WILL BE GOING TO INDIA SOON AND WAS JUST WONDERING IF U COULD SUGGEST HOW LONG A PREPARATION WOULD BE SUFFICIENT AND WHAT BOOKS DO U THINK I SHOULD BUY..I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT SO EVER..AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT MCQS..WHICH ONE TO FOLLOW..
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| anne
Forum Elite
Topics: 41
Posts: 348
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"lucky" wrote:
nice to meet people from my country . wish u all the best.
i have a q. i'm doing just kaplan , is it enough ?
Hi Lucky,
Its great to know that you are from Pakistan too. When r u giving the exam?I guess Kaplan is enough, as I am doing the same, along with CTB.
All the best---
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| lucky
Forum Guru
Topics: 23
Posts: 505
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hello anne,
i havnt decided on a date yet as i have a lot to cover. when r u taking it?
im not doing cmdt as it is too lengthy. will that hurt?
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| anne
Forum Elite
Topics: 41
Posts: 348
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Lucky,
I will be taking the exam on 21st of this month InshaAllah. I didnt do much CMDT either, just read it to clear some concepts.
All the best---
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| FAT_GOITER
Forum Senior
Topics: 18
Posts: 110
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Here are all the replies:
Anne: Always be proud to be a dowite
Lucky: Kaplan is cool if you have already are armed with some good foundation otherwise consider BPrints except Surgery. Make Crush Boards your closest friend.
Cookie: Please see my first posting for the Books recommendation. Kaplan MCQ's should be the first priority (Skeleton) and the rest could work as a nice topping on your ice cream (Nice muscles).
In short: Stay with the material which works best for you. All the popular books are usually good. The key difference is which one we can absorb best. Doesn't matter how cool and charming Kaplan is... but if it is not working for you then divorce this Dumb Blonde and marry someone else instead.
Hope it helps
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| lucky
Forum Guru
Topics: 23
Posts: 505
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hello guys.
thanks for the advice fat goiter.
kaplan is working fine for me and i dont want to divorce this blonde as it is quite brainy as well. but everyone else is recommending cmdt and blueprints( the sensible brunette?!!!) it has got me thinking.
perhaps i will do blueprint neuro and cvs and the rest from kaplan.
to ANNE; all the best anne. maybe we can compare notes .
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| deals
Forum Senior
Topics: 38
Posts: 83
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hi
i read ur exam experience and i found out that i m using the same books u re using
i just wondered what was ur score in step 2 i read all ur posts and ur step 1 posts was 86 as i rememeber
what was ur step 2 score ?
is the material u mentioned u studied was enough
do u recommend any other material
thanks
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| mnhakeem
Forum Senior
Topics: 19
Posts: 90
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who did u know that ur score in nbme is 80% they give scores in 3 digits
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| alfie58
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 32
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Step 1 knowledge was still a fair game. About 10-15 % questions demanded my neurons to spit out some step 1 knowledge and rattafications (memorizations).
Please expland on this statement....it is a scary one........thanks.
.
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| patricia2005
Forum Senior
Topics: 15
Posts: 74
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Hi
I read your post in prep4usmle
it was very interesting u had written u had enough time even 2 to 3 minutes left for each block i wanted to know did u have any special method to deal with the long questions that had a lot of informations
would u please tell me how u managed to finish each block on time and whaT WAS YOUR METHOD FOR APPROACHING TO LONG DETAILED QUESTIONS
WITH BEST WISHES
AND I HOPE U ENJOY OF YOUR HOLIDAYS
___________________
patricia
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| noelle
Forum Elite
Topics: 59
Posts: 226
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TO FAT GOITRE: LOOKS LIKE UR A MAN OF BLOOD AND IRON WHO WITH HIS IRON PUMPED MUSCLES , STEEL GUTS N TITTANIUM TEETH BIT N DIGESTED THE MISSILES OF USMLE WITHOUT LEAVIN A TRACE ! GOOD LUCK WITH UR SCORE N ENJOY UR ANDA PARATHAS N TEA! WHCH I GUESS R EASIER TO DIGEST! :wink:
___________________
only strong survive......
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| FAT_GOITER
Forum Senior
Topics: 18
Posts: 110
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Hey guys, it took a little while to respond because I was busy in Step 2 CS and then interviewing process.
DEAR DEALS: Thanks for reading my posts. I hope they were helpful to you. :wink: My score for step 2 CK is no different than step 1. Seems like to me that I cannot cross the 86 barrier :roll:
Anyway, to me its a satisfying score and the best part is that I was able to get the interviews from several programs of my interest. I think if you could practice more detailed MCQ'S they shall provide better preperation. As far as material is enough as you asked, I would say that it's never enough. Depending on your goals you may put a limit on it. For me it was indeed enough. I think I performed better in exam than what my score reflects but you never know what are they looking for.
DEAR MNHAKEEM: Conversion scale ??? :evil:
DEAR ALFIE58: There is an overlap between the step 1,2,3 knowledge and certain amount of help can be drawn from the previously taken exams. Step 1 is flat memorizations for most part and step 2 often tests you on that too.
DEAR PATRICIA 2005:
I honeslty do not have any method to do that. What I practiced is to read quick and pick the important points from the mcq. As we know that most of the info in the mcq is distraction and usually the question is simple if you separate it from the distraction. By practice - practice- practice you can get better on picking up the important points from the mcq. My method may not be perfect. There are many people who scored better than me and may have an advice better than mine. I did what I thought was best and most importantly which worked for me best. I had limited time to study everyday with my full time job and had to come up with something which saves me some time and energy to work anothe day. Studying 2 hours a day usually can't beat studying 10 hours a day. if you are lucky enough to have more time on your hand to study then I would recommed to try different strategies first to see which works best for you best. I think my recommendations for material and strategy might be more productive for those who are pressed for study time like I was.
DEAR NOELLE: wow! I felt proud of myself when I read the way you have described me... :oops:
I am just a normal man made up of flesh and blood, with some dreams and working my a** off to change my life. :P
Anda paratha and tea are my favourite breakfast items. They are heavy and do not digest quickly. But it worked for me since they stayed longer in my belly and aborting any desired to eat again in next seveal hours. 
Thanks for wishing me good luck.
GUYS: I JUST WANT TO UPDATE YOU. I AM DONE WITH MY INTERVIEWING PROCESS. I WAS NOT OFFERED A PREMATCH :x MAY BE BECAUSE MY CERTIFICATE WAS NOT ISSUED BY FEB. 3 (DUE TO DEALY IN CS SCORE REPORTING). ANYWAY, WHO KNOWS?? MAY BE THEY DIDNT LIKE ME THAT MUCH :cry: ANYWAY, I AM HOPEFUL FOR THE MATCH DAY ON MARCH 17TH. I WISH YOU ALL BEST LUCK IN USMLE. THIS WEBSITE HELPED ME A LOT FOR STEP 2 CK AND CS. I HOPE MY POSTED STATEMENTS COULD BE OF SOME HELP TO MY DEAR FELLOWS. I AM AN IMG FROM KARACHI, PAKISTAN. I WORKED FULL TIME AND STUDIED FULL TIME IN USA. I HAVE CLEARED MY EXAMS WITH GOOD SCORES AND ALSO STAYED CONNECTED TO THE MEDICINE DURING THAT STYUDYING PROCESS. I AM THANKFUL TO ALL-MIGHTY ALLAH FOR THIS DAY. NOW I AM READY TO BEGIN MY CAREER AS A PRACTICING PHYSICIAN IN THE UNITED STATES. ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE: PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO HELP OTHERS, TRUST ME WHAT GOES ARROUND - COMES ARROUND. I HOPE DURING MY RESIDENCY PROCES I COULD HELP OTHERS TOO.
THANKS FOR READING ME AND WISH YOU ALL THE BEST LUCK 
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| patricia2005
Forum Senior
Topics: 15
Posts: 74
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thank u for your reply FAT_GOITER
i wish u success
___________________
patricia
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| FH
Forum Senior
Topics: 10
Posts: 136
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Congrats Fat_Goiter.
I too am from Karachi Pakistan, SMC!
Passed my step 1 a month ago. Can't bring myself to get into that dreadful schedule again. Have a fulltime job as a mom of 3 kids, but I really want to do this and improve my score in step2. I plan to take it in June and take cs in August. I hope my plans don't fail me.
It was good to see so many of you guys from my part of the world.
I have all BP books in the series ,Don't have crush the boards. The only book I read promptly after giving my step1 was Surgery from BP. I immediately realized not a good book for surgery. Am reading thru psychiatry from BP,is that OK? Still waiting for my Kaplan books to come. In the meantime pushing myself to do something while waiting for Kaplan books.
Good luck for your match.
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| lucky
Forum Guru
Topics: 23
Posts: 505
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all the best and good luck to both of u.nice to meet u people from my country on this forum.
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| Hamidi
Forum Guru
Topics: 46
Posts: 471
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Hey FH , it is nice to know that u r from SMC.I am also from
smc,mom with two kids , passed my step 1few months ago and now trying to study for step 2.That is alot in common ,is'n it ??
good luck withur studies and everthing. :lol:
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| FH
Forum Senior
Topics: 10
Posts: 136
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Thanks lucky.
Hi Hamidi
Good to hear from you too. How long have you been studing for step2 now?
Iam kind of jumping from here and there. When do you intend to take the 2nd step?
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| Hamidi
Forum Guru
Topics: 46
Posts: 471
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Even tough I took my S1 on sept 30 ,I started studying 0n Jan 25th..(enjoy being mom and a housewife :oops: :lol: ).I am in Phoenix Arizona and going to take my test here.I am hoping to take it b4 kid's summer vacation,but as usual I am going toooo sloooow.So let's see wat happens.How about u??
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