Just came back home. Exam taken today. 1pm-10pm.

All I can say is that I have never read any message that said that you better get physically (not only mentally) fit for this. After block 3 I was like what the hell, am I dreaming ? My head was clouded, and I had 5 more block to go. A big,big,big issue is the TIME. As long as you dont start daydreaming in block 6,7,8 and keep moving, you should be fine. I had sometimes 10 seconds left after the last Q of each block, but mostly 1 minute left, so you can review your marked items...

Concerning the Q's. Well...I guess I cannot say hard or easy...as everybodies opinion about this will vary and we all have different strengths and weaknesses...but it is exactly the same "toughness" as the NBME exams, form 1 and 2.

Concerning Q topics...everything. Nothing left out. The usual distribution I guess....Med>OBGYN=Peds>Surg...

However...what was interesting is that they ask you the question as you do not expect it. For example, instead of answering not to give ACE inhibitors in renal disease, they ask by what mechanism it harms the kidney. Lots of stuff like this. Dont learn material by heart that you have no clue about. Understand it. They will get you otherwise.

After all...sometimes I got pissed because there were like 10 Q's in a row with a huge story...then lab values, then the actual question....then choices from A-K ! Even an educated guess is worthless if you did not read the Q preciscly.

However...no panic. If you read Kaplan, you should be all set. I read the Kaplan books and read Crush the boards. Did the complete Kaplan Qbank (very helpful I thought), did half of UW (for the hard Qs of the Step 2 exam, those Q are good)...but after all guys...dont worry, this exam is very doable...it is not the hard Q's they ask, it is the long Q's, the little time you have. Almost like in the ER...acute patient...what you do. Quick. Or he dies. That's how you feel in this exam. Time is always your worst enemy. Do practise to read Qs quick...do practise to do Qs for a LONG time on a piece...and especially....be physically fit...otherwise you will fall asleep on the table.

I had overall maybe 5 Qs that were totally Step 1. No clinical correlation whatsoever. Wouldnt even know where to look those answers up. Crazy stuff.

Anyway...my contribution to this exam in regards to reporting to you guys probably didnt help too much...i am just glad its over and wanted to say goodbye Step 2 by writing this (hopefully not again in the future...hehe)...

GL to all...believe in yourself...and dont overwork yourself. Take a day off, and dont feel bad about it. Your mind needs to breath. Stay calm. Relax. It's all not as bad as I thought it would be.