2bmd
Forum Senior
Topics: 8
Posts: 100
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Hello all,
I finally FINALLY took the CK today. So if all goes well (God willing), Im set to graduate in the spring...yeah!
So where do I begin? I would say it was a fair and doable exam. Not to say that I my performance on it would reflect that. It was definitely NOT what I expected. What I gathered from other peoples experience was that test questions were very long, had a long list of answer choices, that time was a big issue, and that the exam tested concepts in very vague ways. I think I just got really really lucky with my test cause I may have had 2 or 3 questions that I had to scroll down on. Everything else was about 5-8 lines long. The good majority of my questions only had 5 answer choices. I had 2 questions where the choices went to M but thats it. I had a some EKGs, but for most, you could answer the question by reading the stem. I had a few Xrays as well.
Time was not a problem...I finished all blocks within the alotted time.
I had been doing UW and thought that those questions were much more difficult than the real exam.
I think NBME exam was definitely the best representation of the length of questions, and difficulty of the exam. For preparation, I would say UW definitely gives the best yield of info....there were a few questions that were similarly tested.
As far as subjects tested...
Of course Medicine was most, then peds, OB, psyc, surg, biostats, and a few Step 1 things.
I dont wanna sound like the exam was cake...cause I dont think it was, I just think that I went in there expecting MUCH worse, so my post reflects my relief more than anything else. The exam does require you to know your stuff well. I know I was NOT 100% with my material, but I had to take it. Im just looking to do above an 80. I prepared while doing my surgery core which shows the amount of time I could committ. I dont mean to sound as if I am at all confident in my performance...cause Im not....I just dont sit there and think about an answer during an exam....so I cant tell how I did, I just know that I wasnt as LOST as I thought I would be. And for that I thank GOD....and my mama for her prayers.
Just know that all the material out there is good....cause its all on the exam. Just to plug a book that I think is really good and no one speaks of is "Boards and Wards". Its small and conscise. Its only one of many books I used, its just that no one ever mentions it and I think the book is def worth mentioning.
The more I sit here and think about my exam the more I am questioning my answers...very nerve wrecking...but now is the hard part.
Anywho, if anyone has any questions I could answer, please feel free to ask.
Hope this post helps noelle :wink:
Good Luck,
-2bmd
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| ELM
Forum Guru
Topics: 28
Posts: 936
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Done with it huh...that's good! Congratulations!
You seem you were well prepared and did well on your exam......that's good news! Wish you a great score!
If you don't mind please tell us what did you read and your practice test scores, especially your NBME scores? How many qs did you get on Biostatistic and Behavioral's or Ethic's?
Thank you.
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ELM
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| sanz
Forum Elite
Topics: 14
Posts: 154
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Thanx for sharing yr experience, 2bmd! I'm sure you'll do well! You'll be an MD in no time at all! Congrads 
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| lucky
Forum Guru
Topics: 23
Posts: 505
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all the best 2bmd. ur post gives me a lot of hope.
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| catalinx69
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 9
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Congratulations! thank you for sharing ur experience 2bmd.
My exam is tomorrow and after all I have read on forum I was a bit nervous. Now I"m a little bit more confident.All the best!
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catalinx69
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| 2bmd
Forum Senior
Topics: 8
Posts: 100
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Thanks alot guys!
Now that the exam is over, I find myself constantly second guessing my answers. Im starting to get a deep sickening feeling in my stomach...the kind you get when youre really nervous. Oh well, I guess its all part of the process.
Anyhow to answer your questions...
I actually wasnt planning on making the 2005 match, it was a very last minute decision and I wasnt sure I would have enough time to study for the exams.
I didnt have a set studying routine like most people do, since I was doing my rotations and my time was very limited. At the end of our rotations we have 'shelf' exams, so I would read during my rotations moreso to study for my rotation exams than the step. Once I made the decision to go ahead with the match I prepared for the Step by doing questions...lots and lots of questions.
I read BRS for psyc, blueprints for OB/GYN, kaplan for IM and peds, Boards & Wards for surgery and reviewing everything else. I read these once during my rotations, and didnt use any of the above mentioned books after Oct (except B&W). For the whole month of Nov I didnt get alot of studying done cause of personal issues...but I still did questions. Second week of December I bought FA, and started reviewing everything. I used that, Crush and B&W. My exam was scheduled for Dec 29th...I had to push it back to Jan 17th cause I was horribly sick that day. It didnt buy me more time cause I didnt wanna study after that....but I kept doing questions....I cant emphasize that enough. I used questions to learn from more than any book I could recommend.
Questions I did...
Kaplans Qbank...not via subscription, but off of a CD
Kaplans Qbook
NMS book
UW 64% (started off in the 50s, but later in upper 70, 80s)
PreTest Pathophys (for Step 1)
PreTest Physical Dx
NBME 1) 600 2) 640
USMLE CD: 40, 38, 43
I dont remember my scores from the books, Id have to look those up and post them later. I did the NBME exams TWICE...once in the middle of Dec, for my 29th exam date....did in the middle 500s. And then again this past Sunday before my exam...the scores of which are above.
ELM, specific questions....I had about 6 or 7 ethics questions, and maybe the same for biostats.
Hope this helps...lemme know if you have anymore questions.
Good Luck,
-2bmd
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| ELM
Forum Guru
Topics: 28
Posts: 936
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Great 2bmd!
Thanks alot. Your NBME scores are great! You will definatly get a goooood score.I can tell you that! :lol:
Hey were those ethics and boistat qs hard? I am really suck on those subjects......i onestly hate them and i don't even read them :oops: ...so what do i do to answer those qs?
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ELM
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| 2bmd
Forum Senior
Topics: 8
Posts: 100
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Thanks ELM...
If you read the ethics part in Crush...you'll be fine.
Biostats...agh! The questions werent hard, its just that instead of having to only analyze a 2x2, they verbalize it, so you have to figure out how to put it together then figure how what theyre asking. Its doable, its just very time consuming. But I dont think it was anything too complicated. I think the ones from UW are too hard. I wouldnt focus on trying to answer complicated biostats questions. I would try and nail the simple concepts in biostats cause its a matter of knowing the simple things really well. If you already have then you have nothing to worry about 
good luck,
-2bmd
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| ELM
Forum Guru
Topics: 28
Posts: 936
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All right then!
Thanks again.
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ELM
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| noelle
Forum Elite
Topics: 59
Posts: 226
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dont worry ,.. u will be more than fine dude...
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only strong survive......
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| rhonda
Forum Senior
Topics: 9
Posts: 122
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Hi 2bmd! Finally you're done with all the steps! I thought you were scheduled late Dec last year, if I remember it right :icon_heh: Anyway you're DONE! You deserve a break! I'm sure you'll do great as always! :wink:
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| 2bmd
Forum Senior
Topics: 8
Posts: 100
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Thanks guys!
Yeah rhonda I was scheduled on 12-29...but I developed a nice sinus infection with strep throat that day...had to push it back. Im hoping it was for the better, but the more I think about it, the more I keep remembering questions that I think I should have answered differently. ](*,)
Im starting to get bummed....but hey, I start my int med subinternship Monday, so I guess thats something to look fwd to till my results.
Anyhow, good luck with your scores and the CS!
-2bmd
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| equinox
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 7
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Hey 2bmd
You took the step 2 CK on the same day as I did ! I feel very happy to see the people who took the same exam on the same day.Which country do you live? I'm from Thailand and plan to match internal medicine program this year. What's about you and What will you do next ?
God bless us for our great score wink
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| 2bmd
Forum Senior
Topics: 8
Posts: 100
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Hi equinox...
arent you glad to get it over with??
Im in the US...finsihing med school, and just like you...trying to match in IntMed. Im starting a subinternship in Medicine at the hospital Im triyng to match at, so we'll see how that those. Then I have some more electives left.
I thought I was taking it at a bad time since there werent alot of people taking it then, so its good to hear from you.
Good luck with your scores and residency!
-2bmd
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| rhonda
Forum Senior
Topics: 9
Posts: 122
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Hi again 2bmd and thanks! I'm hoping to see the oasis updated if not this week, maybe next...
So you're now in IM. I had a blast when I had my IM rotation last year in my Internship. The whole deal made me feel like a "real doctor" :P So break a leg and work really hard if you plan to match there. But I'm sure you would. But I'll pray for you just the same. Good luck in everything! 
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| jaylike
Forum Junior
Topics: 11
Posts: 42
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hello 2bmd,
i would like to know what review books to read for these 2 topics and also was taking UW worthwhile?
do you think kaplan material is sufficient for CK?
also good luck on your score.
bye ,jaylike
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| Dani_2005
Forum Senior
Topics: 13
Posts: 81
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Hey 2bmd, ***** C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S *****. wish you all the best in your result. I really feel the hard work in your words, and I believe you deserve all the good.
I have just little question.. I am an international medical student, hopfully to graduate this year (in my country). I am in touch now more with the Step2 subjects, so just wondering if I can take step2 first, and if so, Do you recommend for me to do that, considering that some questions of Step2 exam are from Step1 subjects?
Thanks a lot for your help, very much appreciated..
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| 2bmd
Forum Senior
Topics: 8
Posts: 100
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Hey guys...
Thanks alot for the well wishes.
Jaylike:
Sadly I dont think theres a good book out there for either subjects. The thing about biostats though, is that its not tested in a hard way. What makes it hard is the way its presented. If you can figure out what theyre telling you, then the rest is the usual PPV, NPV, SP, SN, OR, RR. The good thing is that there arent many questions on it. About ethics, its not very difficult...I found most of the questions on my exam were addressed in Crush the Boards. I would say kaplan with UW is sufficient, I would also get Boards and Wards (small review book)...lots of things not in kaplan is in there. And yes, UW is DEFINITELY worthwhile.
Dani_2005:
If you feel that you are comfortable with Step 2 stuff now, I would definitely recommend taking it before Step 1. There ARE questions from Step 1, but I got 3-4 on my exam, so I dont really think jeopardizing your current clinical knowledge for a hand full of questions is worth it. The main Step 1 questions you would get would involve pharmacology (mech of action, side effects, etc) of very common Step 2 drugs, pathophysiology of common Step 2 diseases, and some anatomy. So I would say go for Step 2.
Good Luck guys!
-2bmd
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| pedjua
Forum Newbie
Topics: 11
Posts: 19
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Thanks for sharing your experience with us.Please please help me and answer this question.I have a CD saying Quest BANK that was give to me by someone and l wanna know if that is the same Kaplan Q bank on the line.Itīs divided into Blocks(subjects) a total of about 22 Blocks and most containinf 50 Questions each. The words usmle practice questions roll on my desktop before choosing the blocks.Total of 9 Blocks in medicine and lesser in the other subjects.All these is for you to confirm if l am having the same Kaplan Q bank on line so that l donīt need to register on the Line.
Once more l am using Boards & Wards and l love it.Nice to know you wrote good about it.Do you want to add some tips on how to use it.Please please let me know about the Kaplan Q bank CD you have to be sure l ma having the same so tell me about yours
Thanks so much once more
sincerely
Paul
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| 2bmd
Forum Senior
Topics: 8
Posts: 100
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Hi Paul,
I know of the CD youre talking about...I used it. Though I cant tell you anything about the online version, cause I never subscribed to it. I used UW.
About B&W, read it through and through....great book!
Good Luck,
-2bmd
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| pedjua
Forum Newbie
Topics: 11
Posts: 19
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thanks a lot for your response but you failed to confirm if we have the CD that l have and the one that you have is from kaplan.I barely have Quest Bank on it and not Kaplan Quest Bank and so itīs difficult for me to know if it is from Kaplan.If my CD that l have itīs the same like that you have and yours is from Kaplan then l would be happy to know that.Please confirm this.
Thanks a lot
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| 2bmd
Forum Senior
Topics: 8
Posts: 100
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Well, like I said, I used the same CD as you have described. Whether or not it is kaplan...like I said, I cant tell you, cause I dont know. I didnt use any of kaplans (authentic) software (whether it was their online qbank or a CD). I did do questions off of CD which labeled those sets of questions as Kaplan....I cant confirm anything else, cause I dont know. The only things I CAN confirm that I used are the QBOOK and the practice exam (on CD) which both say kaplan all over it.
Good Luck,
-2bmd
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| dann
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 13
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congrats on giving the exam! i hope you get a great score! i was just wondering since you used b&w, crush and fa.....btw cruch and fa, which one is better??? i like fa bcse it really helped me in step one so i wanted to stick with it.....but i have heard that crush is better??? i am really confused!?? thanks in advance
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| 2bmd
Forum Senior
Topics: 8
Posts: 100
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Hi Dann,
Thanks alot for the well wishes. I used FA for Step 1 as well...it really was a life saver. Thing about Step 2 though, theres ALOT of material most of it tested in a common way, which most review material cover pretty well. The things they differ at are those nit-picky little details that are at times tested. That and the way that the material is presented. I initially had my mind set on just reading Crush...but then I read alot of posts by people who only read FA and did questions and did in the upper 80s. So I thought it was worth checking out. Thing is, they both had certain topics that one covers better than the other. For example...Crush's ethics section was adequate for questions on CK. But if I remember correctly, FA doesnt really discuss it. FA doesnt have a surgery section, whereas Crush has surgical subspecialties as well. FA presents things in bullet format and tables more than Crush...so if that helps you remember, you may opt for FA. I think Crush may have more high yield info, but FA has a little extra info that may help you put things together. FA did pull through on certain topics more than Crush. I know youre looking for a hard answer telling you one over the other...so I guess, if I was short on time and really needed a quick review....I would opt for Crush. But OBVIOUSLY I really couldnt commit to one since I used 3 for my final review...sooooo...back to the beginning.... 
Good Luck,
-2bmd
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| sanz
Forum Elite
Topics: 14
Posts: 154
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hey 2bmd.
Just wondering about your second attempt at NMBE form 1 and 2. Do you get a new set of questions or similar questions from your 1st attempt?
Thanx
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