drsmraf
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 4
|
Hey Guys,
Just took the test and this was by far the longest, lengthiest exam i have ever taken...no doubt about that...
Time management:
first day was step 2 all over again...for me time management has been an issue and many others complain about it too so make sure u manage your time in a wise manner...dont waste too much time on a single question trying to get the right answer or just trying to feel good about it...move on...there are plenty more ahead..
Coffee Breaks:
what i would suggest is to have coffee, tea whatever...especially on the second day ...just to keep ur mind active...coz the second day is when fatigue may set in so take plenty of breaks in between blocks....45 min break for the 4 mcq blocks...spend it !!.. in the ccs part more time gets in where u can just sit back and relax a while in between cases..
Difficulty Level:
the difficulty level of the questions was the same kind i faced in steps 1 and 2... that is ..it was a broad based yet superficial exam testing common knowledge on common presentations...stems felt pretty long this time though...read them carefuly and take the whole situation of the case into consideration when picking a choice.
Prep Time and Prep Material:
as far as the prep time and source goes...i did uw ofcourse and uw ccs..plus i did premier review...although after the exam...i would say that doing kaplan step 2 ck notes with uw step 3 is more than enough..where kaplan step 2 ck notes are deficient, uw fills the gap for it. doing either first aid or crush along with it wont harm.... i looked at them too...i also had a look at the first aid ccs cases...just to get an idea of ccs although uw ccs cases are where the money is...it is by far the best source of prep for the exam...
when doing the uw mcqs..please read all the expanations atleast twice...2 reads...and then for practice u can do the kaplan q bank which i couldnt find the time to do completely so i just did the surgery Qs from there.
NBME:
take the nbme to assess urself and may be improve urself by working on ur weaknesses..
my prep time was wayward...it went on and off and even in the last few weeks before the exam it was hard for me to concentrate completely on the prep and i hope i pass it..
Images:
and yes...do look at the derma slides and xrays of common presentations..a list of such high yield images is given at the end of crush step 3..
Good luck to all preparing for the exam..
|
| yendor
Forum Senior
Topics: 21
Posts: 180
|
congrats for finishing the exam! good luck with the score!
___________________
Keep your feet on the ground, while reaching for the stars!
|
| pearl20
Forum Senior
Topics: 32
Posts: 132
|
thanks drsmraf for the post.......all the best for ur result.
Can you tell us how long did u take to prepare for the exam. i have heard ppl doing it in 4 weeks to 2 months. whats ur take?
___________________
2007 grad/96/95/CS pass/research(1year)/6 weeks observership/3 US LORs(waived)/need visa
|
| House
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 3
|
Well done drmraf!!! Did Premeir Review notes & audio help you???
|
| inkspot
Forum Guru
Topics: 40
Posts: 736
|
is it more of diagnosis or management ? or a mixture of 2. also is it very similar to step2 (MCQs?)
___________________
go away interviews 
|
| drsmraf
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 4
|
thanks yendor, pearl 20 and house for ur wishes..pearl20, as i already mentioned mine was an off and on prep but i studied a bit consistently for 2 mths .. 4 weeks to 8 weeks is enough for the exam if u plan well and study consistently.Focus is the key...if u have a date decided and have no visa issues...u better get it done within this duration...depending on the time u have at hand and ur prep level to take the exam u can extend or shorten it.
house, i liked premier because it was different from kaplan ck notes...it dicusses all the follow ups and digs deep into management so it was very interesting...but the exam as i already said didnt need that much of data....u can stick with ck notes and the gaps in it get covered by step 3 UW. But if u are hell bent on doing premier..as i was...then better listen to the audios coz they add some good points that wont be there in the paper notes..but again..step 2 ck notes + UW Step 3.( with or without First Aid or Crush).. would make a smooth sai...no additional pains needed.
inkspot, its a lot about management and a bit about diagnosis...many a times u need to diagnose it urself and then move ahead to answer the question thats asking about managemnet...but the Questions did look a lot ike Step 2 CK.. though..once again.. more focus on management.the questions are mostly like 'the most appropriat next step will be?'
hope this helps u guys.
|
|
| |
| | | | | | |
