The USMLE Step 2 is the second licensing exam in the US to become a physician. It consists of the clinical years in a nine hours exam. Eight Blocks of sixty minutes. Forty-five minutes break total.
With Step 1 being Pass/Fail, there is a considerable emphasis on Step 2 CK.
Overall Timeline and Dates
Four months CCSE, One month Step 2CK, all during clinical rotations
For context, my school had Comprehensive Clinical Science Examination (CCSE), the exit exam to take the USMLE Step 2 CK. I took the USMLE STEP 2CK on October 28, 2022.
Don’t Make the Same Mistakes I Made
I didn’t take any time off during clinical rotations to have a dedicated study period. Therefore, I signed up for a review course to aid my studying. It was not the best decision I made because it was not my learning or teaching style.
Game Changer for CCSE
I went back to what I had been doing throughout my clinical years.
For all of 3rd Year Clinical Rotations, I had been doing the “Shelf Review” before resetting my UWorld; I did the “Step 2 Review,” which had approximately 150 Biostats and 180 Social Science Questions that didn’t appear in the Shelf Section.
I spent approximately a week doing UWORLD BIOSTATS, AMBOSS Biostats, and watching Randy Neil & Divine Intervention, and really learned the topics before resetting my UWORLD after 3rd year.
The HIGHEST Yield Divine Intervention Podcasts
Every morning, depending on my clinical rotation schedule, I started off my day with 40 UWORLD, RANDOM, and TUTOR mode to ensure I saw ALL material.
Throughout clinical rotations, I annotated my First Aid Step 2CK while watching Online Med Ed; I refreshed on the systems/topics I was weak in while also doing the AMBOSS STEP 2 CK Plan TUTOR mode. That really helped me learn the systems in much greater detail. Depending on the system and my rotation schedule, I spent 3-5 days per system. I would make ANKI cards for my incorrect. And I would review my ANKI from the system I was learning from that day.
One week apart, I did NBME 9, 10, and 11 before the CCSE, reviewed my incorrect writing in a notebook, and made ANKI cards for it.
Throughout my clinical rotation shelf exams, I had a notebook of my incorrect from my NBME’s so I reviewed the SHELF exam NBMEs. When I was studying for CCSE, there was a new Internal Medicine and Surgery Shelf NBME that I had not done, so I also did those two.
The last week before CCSE, I began doing RANDOM, TIMED mode to simulate test day. CCSE was 5 hours consisting of 4 blocks of 50 questions. I listened to Divine Intervention Podcasts, Dr. High Yield videos for the 6 Shelf Exams (Internal Medicine, Surgery, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, OBGYN).
Step 2 CK
After passing the CCSE, I continued to do my UWORLD, Random, Timed mode 80-200 questions per day every day until Step 2 CK.
I was fortunate enough to have a resident willing to do 20-40 questions a day with me during my Step 2 CK study time, which was very helpful in reinforcing high-yield material and little techniques to test taking.
I did NBME 12, UWSIM 1, UWSIM 2, and Free 120 one each week, reviewed my incorrect writing in a notebook, and made ANKI cards for it.
Final Week Before Step 2 CK
I listened to Divine Intervention Podcasts and Dr. High Yield videos for the 6 Shelf Exams (Internal Medicine, Surgery, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, OBGYN). I continued to do my UWORLD Random Timed Mode. I reviewed my notebook that contained all my incorrect from ALL Shelf exams and NBME exams.
I reviewed the USPSTF guidelines, vaccines, and screening guidelines and completed the quality and safety questions on uworld.
Mindset Change For Step 2 CK
I entered my USMLE STEP 2CK day with the mindset I was going to the beach that day. I was going to have a beautiful day. It was not exam day, just another day I had been training for. Truly, telling yourself it’s just another day and be confident you have studied and done everything you can for the exam brings so much peace.
Step 2CK Results
I scored well above my goal and increased by over 25 points from Step 1.
I am commonly asked which practice exam was closest to my exam, and I scored 20-30 points higher than my UWSIM 1 & 2. They were not correlative to Step 2CK for me.
Things I Would Do Differently In Clinical Rotations
If I could go back in time, I would have listened to Divine Intervention Podcasts throughout 3rd-year rotations and utilized his website and notes more for Shelf’s.
I also would have begun the “Step 2 Review” section of UWORLD earlier, which contained all the BIOSTATS and SOCIAL ethics. THIS WAS GOLD FOR STEP 2CK.
Lastly, I should have kept up with my ANKI from previous rotations coming closer to CCSE/Step 2 CK time.
Overall Training For Step 2 CK
Studying for Step 2CK is different than Step 1 because of the clinical requirements still expected of you during this study time. There’s no dedicated time, and balancing rotations, studying, and your well-being is a skill learned during this time.
If you got through Step 1, tell yourself you can get through Step 2CK. I also attribute my score jump to my dedication, hard work, and the way I studied throughout the clinical year despite all the challenges and events I had to overcome. It was not only the work I put in the last month but the knowledge I gained from studying and actively participating in patient care.
Looking back, all I can say is, EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON.
My Personal Resources
I have attached the EXCEL Sheet Checklist I used for Step 2 CK to keep track of everything. DATES become essential to ensure spaced repetition and consistent reviewing of the material. Create your own schedule based on your clinical rotations and your weakness.