USMLE Step 2 Study Tips

John Kisiel, UI-Rockford, Class of 2004

Like Tom above, I did nothing but practice questions. With used copies of Appleton and Lange, plus the USMLE Step 2 Mock Exam (by the same author as Crush the Boards), and Kaplan’s Qbank, I got through about 3000 practice questions in 2 ½ weeks working about 5—6 hours a day. The habit of using practice questions for the shelf exams made them a natural choice for Step 2 prep as well. I find that during review reading my attention will easily drift off but that I can maintain focus for question blocks. Also during review reading, the reader focuses on what they find interesting, not necessarily on what will be tested.

Conventional wisdom suggests that if you’ve scored well on Step 1 then you should wait until the last minute to take Step 2. I preferred getting it over with as soon as possible. Even though I hadn’t taken neurology yet, I knew that my peds, ob/gyn and psych knowledge base would deteriorate rapidly through 4th year, which is mostly medicine selectives. I had other classmates who planned to take it in the fall or early winter and ran into nasty scheduling headaches with away rotations and interviews.


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