Need Good Advice Please......

[thebigeasy]

Hello.

I have to retake Step 2. I am in total shock that I failed it. Can someone please give me a study regimen for my retake. I only have about 30 days to retake the exam. Please ease up on all the questions regarding my first attempt. I just really need some help. I am willing to do what you people suggest. I plan to use UW all over again but maybe use Kaplan as well? Which videos do you recommend I watch? What about Kaplan lecture notes? Crush? Please try and give me some sort of schedule as to how you would go about preparing for the retake. NBME form 2 now then later.....any ideas? Thanks to anyone who responds.

[rokshana]

Hello.

I have to retake Step 2. I am in total shock that I failed it. Can someone please give me a study regimen for my retake. I only have about 30 days to retake the exam. Please ease up on all the questions regarding my first attempt. I just really need some help. I am willing to do what you people suggest. I plan to use UW all over again but maybe use Kaplan as well? Which videos do you recommend I watch? What about Kaplan lecture notes? Crush? Please try and give me some sort of schedule as to how you would go about preparing for the retake. NBME form 2 now then later.....any ideas? Thanks to anyone who responds.

i thought the ob and gyn kaplan videos were very worthwhile, as well as the Con*** Fish** videos (though the ID ones were a little short). The peds ones were good because he show pix that are helpful.

Since there was a lot of ob- that would be an area to concentrate, but i would suggest looking over the areas that YOU were actually weak on the real deal and focus on those areas.

World would be best as questions - read both the right and wrong answer explanations if you didn't the last time.

sorry can't help with a timeline though.

[finishingfifth]

I am sorry about your results, but its time to suck it up. I just suffered through a 30 day step 2CK crash course (thankfully, I passed).
I looked at how long all that kaplan videos were and I made a schedule where I spent about 6 hours a day on videos.
This allowed to view all the videos in about 3 weeks. That part of the day was 6am-noon.
I took an hour for lunch.
From 1pm to 6pm I did questions on the subject of the video I just watched. (I prefer USMLE world, questions were similar to the real thing). I worked 7 days a week for a month.
The last week of studying I did 8-10 blocks of USMLE world or NBME questions each day. I also read why each answer was correct or incorrect (even if I got the questions right).
Just forget about everything else for one month, you should do fine. Remember, you passed step 1, you can pass step 2.

I hope it helps, best of luck.

[thebigeasy]

I really appreciate your input. You wrote that you did 8-10 blocks a day in the last week? That's 8-10 hours a day on questions....and that left you time to go over the questions? I'm not trying to be a detective, I just want to make sure I completely understand your method. I found that going over the questions took me much longer than simply taking the exams (46 questions, timed). So you think the videos helped? Any particular subjects you thought the Kaplan videos were really helpful on? Thanks again for you input.

[finishingfifth]

I thought psych, obgyn, and some of the nephro videos were good. I did spend about 12-15 hours a day on questions in the last week. (8 hours to do the questions, another 4-8 hours to review the answers). If you watch all the videos, and do all of the USMLE World questions 2 or 3 times, you really should have no problem passing.

[shutterbugmd]

DO USMLE W 2 or 3 times? that's 2000 plus Qs??? can you benefit from doing the SAME Q's all over again? My friend read the Kaplan Books/ watched videos and did All of USMLE World and he passed. Just focus and like the others say.. If you passed STEP 1 go for it!!!!!!

[rokshana]

DO USMLE W 2 or 3 times? that's 2000 plus Qs??? can you benefit from doing the SAME Q's all over again? My friend read the Kaplan Books/ watched videos and did All of USMLE World and he passed. Just focus and like the others say.. If you passed STEP 1 go for it!!!!!!

i think 8 blocks is good the last 3-5 days- you build up the stamina to take the real thing and and you still have time to go over the questions in a 10-12 hour day. That will allow you to get through W 2x.

but boy fifth- i could not get started as early as you did- 9 am but studying later was better for me so i could end at 9(10 if i spent too much time here!!) was the best i could do- but 6 hours of videos is very doable ( and if you speed the track a bit- they sound a little chipmunky, but understandable) you can get them done a bit faster.

[finishingfifth]

I did UW twice, I had that crazy schedule because I wanted to offset my step 1 score. I did OK, so I wanted to knock step 2 out of the park. About getting up early...I am one of those annoying "morning people". Around 6pm my concentration would fade, no matter when I started. Besides...I had to study alot, I didnt go to the "Harvard of the caribbean" ;)

[rokshana]

Besides...I had to study alot, I didnt go to the "Harvard of the caribbean" ;)

ehh.. that and 3 EC will get you a carib...

[thebigeasy]

I'm thinking of using Kaplan videos/lecture notes just because they seem to have a proven record of success. I am trying to balance using these videos/notes but emphasizing USMLE WORLD questions above all. I figure I'd watch the videos and either make notes or use the lecture notes for Internal Medicine, OBGYN and PEDS. The rest I was hoping to absorb while doing questions. I apologize for the babbling, I just want to formulate the best program I can for a 30 day study period, which I will start soon. Thanks again for all of your help!

[callmegreengirl]

Sorry to hear that....it's tough.

30 days isn't a whole lot of time, but I think it's doable. What I did in preparation for Step 2 was
1st - the videos
2nd- the kaplan notes
3rd- UW questions
4th- went back through the kaplan notes and made my own notes that were basically highlights.

I think that a lot of times we (as students) make the mistake of memorizing too many details and not really grasping the concept as a whole.

Do this reality check: Pick a topic...any topic....(I'll use diabetes as my example) and ask yourself these questions---

1. What is it?? (Seriously, be able to describe it in the most basic terms....like you would to someone off the street)

2. How do people get it? Which people are more likely to get it?

3. Where does it come from?

4. How is your pt going to present to you? (what are they going to come into you complaing of....)

5. How do you treat it?

6. What are the complications, and the most common causes of death from this disease?

Honestly, this was the way that I studied for Step 2......and as a result....I actually scored a 99 on it. Not kidding. My step 1 score was okay (mediocre), so it's not like I'm a genius or anything. I also have a schedule that I followed, if you're interested. If you want, PM me and I can email it to you. I know this is a long response.....but I think that we should all help each other out at this point in the game. Best of luck.