dr_arc
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 156
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i took my step 2 a few days ago. and yes it was very exhausting. also i think we really shouldnt take it lightly since the popular conception seems to be that the step 2 is the easier one. believe me it is not. you need to read for step 2 like you need to read for step 1.
well my exam covered practically every single thing under the sun.most i would say abt 50 % was imed and the rest was almost equally covered with a slight tilt toward obgyn and psy.also lots of dermat questions. opthalm and few ent, those were pretty st forward, the ent ones . dermat was a little upsetitng
i also did a really stupid thing on the exam that is still giving me sleepless nights and nightmares when i do manage to fall asleep.
i accidentally locked the exam during the second block , a knee jerk reactn being used to the uworld format.and then the screen went red , the unauthorised break warning came up. the people at the centre went crazy since apparently noone had done something so stupid before but well , the rest of the exam did continue so i hope it doesnt make a diff erence to the score or anything. pls guys make sure you dont do this.infact when you do uworld dont get used to ending the block by closing the window.so was a bit nervous during the third block but calmed myslef down to cont with the rest.timing didnt seems so much of a problem initially but yes towards the end it does matter since you are so tired and everything.
as for the exam there seemed to be a question from every single page of every single subject from kaplan. well i had PE, pul edema. MI , angina, myocaditis, IE. arrythmia with the ecg and identify which one that was.there was CAP, lots of HIV stuff, lung abscess. GERD, esophageal ca. inflam bowel diseases and PSC.lots of vitamin questions. a couple on acid base.diabetes, cushings and acromegaly from endo.osteoporosis, RA , and sjogrens. i cannot recollect if i had sle or not.there was lots of dermat too scabies, acanthosis nigricans,psoraisis , allergic dermatitis in kid.and a few i cannot recollect. surgery was predom trauma and Gi esp biliary and pancreas. lots of post op questions. opthalm was glaucoma. then there was a question on migraine . ortho had oshgood shattler and slipped capital epiphysis treatment. ob gyn had abortion , placenta previa . preterm labor and an nst to read which didnt require reading to answer the question. there were a few arthritis xrays, an mri of something i cannot recollect . a ct scan of something and an xray of bowel obstruction. most of these didnt require looking at , the question provided enough informatn for the answer except the arrythmia strip which was a direct question. a woman with a c/o palpiatations. this is the ecg so what do you think it is. peds had torticollis, developmental milestone.intussusception..parasitology , sickle cell and hereditary spherocytosis and g6pd def. there was a leuk question in the adult age grp. well that is all i can remeber.
but what i realised during the test was that most questions you could narrow down to 2 answers and then the struggle started, i feel it could have been less painful had i spent more time on my basics.looking back now i would advise all test takers to break their heads over getting their basics right. you dont feel so bad when you are stuck with a weird question but when you have to think and choose for a basic question you kick yourself cos all along you thought you knew it well enough not to read carefully. so pls sweat the small stuff.do not assume you know the easy stuff and take it for granted. do not neglect your basics. i guess i am being repetitive but i cannot stress enough the need to read all the regular stuff and put that permanently inside your head before you move on to those really weird questions.
i suggest you read the exam experiences before you embark on your study and cont to read the new ones too but stop a week or so before the exam,
make a study plan. figure out the books you would like to read and stick to it. try making some sort of study schedule if you can but if you cant wirk your way around the day and read whenever you can. donot get disheartebed if you cannot read like you thought you would be able to. simply go out for a walk. listen to some good music or do whatever it takes to take your mind off for a while but dont take the entire day off unless you feel you simply cannot push yourself.
everything is possible. the battle is won in the mind first. so decide you can read.sleep well befor the examand go with a calm mind and a determination to do well.
i personally couldnt really study as i would ahve liked to with a toddler to worry abt, my partner's away and i am sort of multitasking and manging the baby . to top it i had taken a 2 year break to be with the baby , decided to switch careers to something nonmedical till hubby convinced me to give the usmle a shot. didnt help that he was away for both the steps . so i sort of built my studying around baby time. it was difficult to begin since i had absolutely washed my mind off all things medical, i also had to accept that i would never be able to read like i used to in college.i managed by commuting between my moms house and mine , a one hr journey one way when the traffics good and a transport mode is available. but i guess i am ok with everything. i had to deal with a bad medical crisis in he family, an extremely curious and active toddler but i think if you decide to do it you can. i managed by reading at busstops, in buses,. i put up some postits of stuff to remeber and i read it as i rocked the baby to sleep.you can never plan your day with a baby. def not a toddler who thinks he has to investigate evrything that is dangerous or out of his reach.my toddler didnt sleep till 4 in the morning the day before my step1 but thankfully he slept reasonably well for step2. anyway i survived step 1 and now step2 so i think we all are capable of doing much more than we think we can.
oh god this post is way too long.
moral of the story.
1.decide on a study plan
2.decide on your study material. dont use too many books
3. first get your basics very very clear.
4. next move to the difficult questions.
5.make a note of all the volatile things that can stay only in short term memory , stick it up on your wall and keep reading it whenever you can and the read that stuff a couple of days before the exam.
6.donot change your study plan or study material midway, stick to what you have already decided. what works for someone else might not work for you.
7. accept your problems in life and work your way around them, trust me you can.
8. never choose an answer based on a single fact alone. see what else the question has to support your diagnosis .
9.donot go back and change the answer ever unless it hits you as the absolute truth and nothing but.
10. sleep well and relax before the exam, stay calm and stay focussed.dont ever panic. i did.
11. do what works for you . we are all different but we are all superheros,cmon if you decide to take the mle you are a hero.believe in yourself. never doubt your ability to do anything.
remeber all days are different. you might not be able to do the same amt every day. that is ok. some days you fly. some days you run. somedays you walk. somedays all you can do is crawl. doesnt matter. keep moving. you will get there.
well i am done with step2 and now the eternal wait for the result. god. i hope i am ok
good luck guys.impossible is nothing.
Edited by dr_arc on 08/20/07 - 12:31 AM
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| arlete
Intern in 2009!!!!!
Topics: 30
Posts: 2,216
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Thanks for sharing. One can say you are really trying to help.
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When men make the rules, God decides the exceptions.
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| dr_arc
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 156
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arlete wrote:Thanks for sharing. One can say you are really trying to help.
hey arlete. thanks. you are a wonderful mom, girl.hats off to you for managing your 3 kids so well.and congratulations on thewonderful score.you deserve it.wish i had read your post earlier.would have been able to push myself some more.
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| cirus
Forum Guru
Topics: 108
Posts: 740
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Congratultions , wish u a great score, for all uve been through, i really believe u've earned it ..
GL
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| Drtweetie
Forum Elite
Topics: 17
Posts: 301
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You deserve a break and a great score.
All the best!
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"Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall." --Confucius
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| njcjzy
Forum Guru
Topics: 16
Posts: 737
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Thanks for yout time sharing your experience and wise insights with us. I bet a great score is waiting for you. While you are in agony waiting, maybe you can change your mind just playing with that curious toddler. Best of luck!
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| GOGETA
I'm Dr. GOGETA
Topics: 318
Posts: 2,692
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good luck on your score
and thanks for sharing, hey what about neurology?
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As a general rule, the better it felt when you said it, the more trouble it's going to get you into.
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| smalley
Forum Elite
Topics: 51
Posts: 284
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thanks for sharing ur wonderful exp an advice
which review book u used an found to be helpful?
gl on ur score
tc
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But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint-Isaiah 40:31
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| arlete
Intern in 2009!!!!!
Topics: 30
Posts: 2,216
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dr_arc:
I admire you, too, and am glad you did not give up on being a doctor.
Keep us posted, we want to celebrate with you.
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When men make the rules, God decides the exceptions.
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| veroni14
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 133
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Great post!! Good luck
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| dr_arc
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 156
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thanks a lot guys . wish you good luck too.keep moving. every little step counts. if you can dream it you can do it. dont ever give up.
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| dr_arc
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 156
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GOGETA wrote:good luck on your score and thanks for sharing, hey what about neurology?
i dont really recollect a lot of neuro questions. there was one on huntigtons.there was a question on parkinson diagnosis.thats all i can remember. i had a question on spine osteomyelitis inv option.i am trying to remeber more questions. i had a question on fragile x in a roundabout manner, there was one on alzeimers risk factor . there were a few fractures st forward .
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| dr_arc
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 156
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smalley wrote:thanks for sharing ur wonderful exp an advice which review book u used an found to be helpful? gl on ur score tc
thankyou smalley. i used only the kaplan books and did the uworld. sort of skimmed the first aid in the last week. and followed the discussions on this site.
good luck.
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| nany
Forum Guru
Topics: 14
Posts: 961
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Oh dr_arc ....your words really inspired me and gave me just a huge energy to move on.....
wish you all the best of luck with your results....you really deserves the best
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" You Are Limited Only By What You Think "
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| suniti
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 9
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HI , ALL THE BEST FRO A VERY GOOD SCORE.WELL I AM AT PRESENT IN A VERY CONFUSED STATE , HAVE A LITTLE DAUGHTER AND HAVE NOT BEEN IN TOUCH WITH MEDICINE FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS.TOOK STEP1 5 YEARS BACK . DID WELL BUT , NOW DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO . AM THINKING IF I COULD DO SOMETHING ELSE. WOULD HIGHLY APPRECIATE ADVICE.
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| Shaina
Forum Elite
Topics: 23
Posts: 239
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hey Dr arc thanks alot for wonderfull experience ,u sure did work hard, you post is so ecouraging in this uninspiring world full of excitement. i feel like working really hard,u struggled so much every day. many many thanks for sharing with us and pouring ur heart out.
i wish u get really good score and Gl for future too,ur kid is so lucky ,she is sure going to be bold,as she has strong ,confident mommy
GL
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| dr_arc
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 156
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suniti wrote:
HI , ALL THE BEST FRO A VERY GOOD SCORE.WELL I AM AT PRESENT IN A VERY CONFUSED STATE , HAVE A LITTLE DAUGHTER AND HAVE NOT BEEN IN TOUCH WITH MEDICINE FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS.TOOK STEP1 5 YEARS BACK . DID WELL BUT , NOW DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO . AM THINKING IF I COULD DO SOMETHING ELSE. WOULD HIGHLY APPRECIATE ADVICE.
hey suniti dont worry girl.you already have a good step 1 score/ believe me it wont be difficult to get back into study mode.all those years of studying medicine will come back to you once you sit down to read.5 yrs will absolutely not matter.just set a date for the exam, define your exam strategy, decide on the study material and take the plunge.accept that you will never be able to read as freely as you did when you were a nonmom but that shouldnt stop you from aiming for the highest goal.
first of all make sure you are ready to leave your little girl and stay away from her for a considerable part of the day.i was a stay at home mom for close to 18mnths before i decided to get back to medicine.its ok to have done that. there wa no way i was going to miss out on his forst words or first steps, so once he was talking and walking and i had developed a good mom son attachment i slowly started staying away from him for a few hrs and then half the day at times.ofcourse the guilt kills you and you have to stop yourself from running back to your kid and endlessly worrying. but dont feel guilty, think of the long term goals. kids grow up and go to school and then college and then you wonder what to do with yourself. so dont put your life on hold for long. just decide and start now.
next get a good support system into place. figure out who will watch over your little girl and for how long. decide on how to go about the household chores.sit down and talk to your family members and set up a good reliable support system. delegate duties and dont fret to much abt how things wil get done. you simply have to let a few things go. make sure you are sharing atleast a meal with your baby and try to be there to put her to sleep. kids like a routine and so get one into place.remeber that there will be times when your schedule will be upset, you will have to deal with immunizations, respi infections, and whatever else that the age grp brings. at all times remember to stay calm, stay focussed. and never ever scream at your child. if she is trying to hold on to you it is because she loves you, so be gentle even when you feel like banging your head against the wall. tell your little girl you need to study for a exam and talk to her abt your day and what you did. no matter how samll kids are , they understand more than we think they can. my 2 year old son knows mom has to read and though it is a big process to leave him everyday, he is so excited when i get back and he asks what did you read today mom, so you see they do understand.dont stop enjoying your little girl. having our kids around and watching them grow is as close to heaven as we can get.but also live for yourself.
write some inspiring motivating stuff and stick it up on your wall. i had put up "i can . i will" in big bold red on my wall. and i made that my mantra.dont worry when your plans are thrown off track. take a deep breath and move on. you can. cmon girl you have been thru 9 mnths of pregnancy, been thru labor. stayed up nights with your child. gone thru endless nappy changes and burpings, lost sleep over a cold. and you worry abt an exam. cmon this should be easy compared to all that you have done.go girl. you can do it. pm me if you feel low.dont ever doubt yourself. you can , you will.
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| USMLEGladiator
Forum Guru
Topics: 83
Posts: 342
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gud luck for a great score
r u in US?
Edited by USMLEGladiator on 08/19/07 - 09:41 AM
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scores are just up to how high we aim and of course the amount of effort and time we put into it
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| bax
Forum Senior
Topics: 17
Posts: 138
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congratulations to getting through these painful exam experience and other worries.....
ur words r very motivating...
hpe d best 4 u....gl wid ur score...
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| elitoki
Forum Guru
Topics: 54
Posts: 508
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Hi dr_arc. Long statements .
Thanks for sharing and good luck in your result.
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| toughguy
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 5
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Hi forum seniors,
I am very worried and confused.
I gave my step 2 ck on aug 13 had 1 audiovisual question.
Should I wait for my result the coming wed, or go ahead and apply.
my exam was not too good.
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