Sabine
Forum Junior
Topics: 4
Posts: 36
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Hi ALL,
I was reading the posts in this forum from time to time... to find out about how to prepare best (books, questions...) and it was very helpful!
I did the exam yesterday and I want to post my experiences to maybe help others who have the exam coming up soon!
FIRST it's doable!!!!!!!!!! Don't be afraid! I was soooo scared to run out of time or to lose concentration...and indeed the last to blocks are pretty tough, you're getting tired and need more time to understand the question...But I never ran out of time (1 min left in the last block  )
I never did timed questions, always using the tutor mode, but most of the times I was in the one hour limit even with the tutor mode!
I have no idea, if I really passed but I hope it very much!!!!!!!!
Here's what I thought about the questios:
They are very much straight forward... Lots of internal medicine (endocrinology is number one!), some cardio, pulmo, nephro, rheuma, hema (anemias!, ), some infectious disease, HIV, preventive med...! Lot's of questions about "what would be the next step in management"....
Peds, Ob/Gyn and surgery are about equal in distribution (I might be wrong, it's really tough to say afterwards!) Some statistics and psych in each block (about 2 to 3 questions)....PPD, NPD, sensitivity, specificity, doctor-patient interaction, schizophrenia, phobias, anxiety, personality disorder....not much derma and not much ophtlamology...
But I really would not skip anything!
I can't say, like some others, that you really need step one knowledge!
My step one was in September last year! I had one question about enzyme substrate (it was a graph)....i don't think I got that right,,,,BUT it was only ONE question.
There are 4 questions in each block where you have the same answers for two questions each...somehow I liked these!
My time management for the exam was I did three blocks in the morning, then a break, then two more blocks, another break and then short breaks after each of the remaining three blocks!
There were few ECGs, but you don't need if, if you read the question..., some Xrays (pelvis), but alltogether very few picture questions!
I'm sorry I can't say more...it's like erased this morning!
What I did for preparation: Kaplan Notes for IM, Peds, Surgery, Blue Prints for Surgery and Ob/Gyn. Kaplan Q- Bank Books.
I wrote 1 Mio flash cards and tried to learn from them!
Last month before the exam I did USMLE world Q-banc (I would highly recommend those!!!!!! The questions are tough and a very good preparation for the real exam) and CRUSH Step 2 (my personal bible!)
Didn't do Kaplan Q-banc think USMLE world is absolutely sufficient!
BUT who knows...I might have failed!
If anybody has questions..go ahead! This weekend is relax time for me, Monday I start studying for CS. I'll take it in for weeks!
I wish everybody LUCK. Hang in there and don't get frustrated!!!!!!!
Sabine
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| patricia2005
Forum Senior
Topics: 15
Posts: 74
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hi
have u practiced exam simulated for ex sitting and doing 8 blocks each time before exam?
best wishes
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patricia
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| Sabine
Forum Junior
Topics: 4
Posts: 36
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Hi Patricia,
no, I've never done that before. I usually did 2 question blocks each day besides learning flash cards....
Never did it for step one either....never had time problems..
But everybody has different strategies....
Sabine
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| patricia2005
Forum Senior
Topics: 15
Posts: 74
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Thanks for your reply
flash cards seems a very good idea u just wrote the key words in a small piece of paper and file them Am I right?
what scores did u get from kaplan qs could we estimate by the scores that we ourselves get our real score in the exam?
I have my step2ck in this may one month later
with best wishes
___________________
patricia
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| N2b8
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 5
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Hello Sabine. I'll be stylin' just like you (step 2 ck out of my hair) in 22 days. congratulations on making it!
Re: the personality disorder question you got: were you asked to identify what type of personality disorder it was (Cluster A, Cluster B, Cluster C), the specific name of the d/o, next step?
Thanks a lot, and I'm sure you'll rock CS.
Julie
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