Best Review Book for Step 2 Ck Reddit

Summary of Step 2 CK Study plans

1 Week Programme

Do 80 questions per day in timed, test way, this is for stamina, not for learning
Read your notes grade videos (only your weak points)
Watch i Emma Holliday video each day
Go through the milestone and immunization charts in First Aid, or watch the immunization video below.
UWSA #1 on 24-hour interval #one, and UWSA #2, ii days before your exam

ii Week Plan

Questions: 80 UWorld questions per day in timed test style. Spend iii-four hours reviewing them. These are for stamina, not for learning.
Videos: Focus on the notes you have taken from videos you watched in your clerkship. Watch Emma Holliday videos twice.
Reading: Just read your weak points. Other than that, read your video notes. Read the charts in Frist Aid for milestones and vaccinations, or just lookout man the video in the 1 week department for immunizations.
Practice tests: Do 2 NBMES, one on the first mean solar day and one on the half dozen^th day. Exercise both UWSA's, #1 on the ix^thursday day and #2 on the 12^th solar day.

3 Week Plan

Questions: Practice sixty UWorld questions per mean solar day in timed tutor way. Spend 4 hours reviewing
Videos: Watch Emma Holliday videos twice, so watch the IM video 3 times. Brand certain yous watch your weakest points in OME. Don't watch all of pulmonology for example, but watch COPD if that is your weak bespeak.
Reading: Go over your weakest topics in Step up to Medicine, and if yous aren't going to lookout man the video below on immunizations and then read and memorize the charts for immunizations and milestones in First Aid for the Stride 2 CK.
Exercise tests: Do 2 NBME's, 1 on day i, and another on day half-dozen-7. Practise both UWSA'due south, on day 12 and day 18. If you want more, then use UWorld questions in xl question blocks and do 3 of them back to back to back. This is better than more NBME'south.

Cheque out the Details below

Introduction

What concern does a DO have in writing the Ultimate Step 2 CK study program?

Simply put, because I scored a 254 with very minimal studying. Honestly, at that betoken in the process we are all so burnt out.

The determination to get all in and get >260 is one you have to make, just in all fairness if you did expert on the USMLE Step one, and so your foundation is congenital. The Step 2 CK tests a lot more clinical applications of your knowledge, but there are notwithstanding enough of step 1 "esque" questions.

This guide is meant to walk you through resources, and and so at the end break down all the resource into a planned set on for studying.

If yous are interested in knowing what resources to use, how to use them, and how to stone your USMLE Stride 2 CK, then read on.

Before we swoop into the specifics, we demand to address a few common questions kickoff.

Chapter 1: Common Step 2 CK questions

How much time exercise y'all demand to Report for Step 2 CK?

With clinical rotations, you lot only don't take that much time. Some students but have i week of dedicated time, while others have more.

Honestly, if yous put in the work throughout the year on each clinical rotation, and so 1-3 weeks is all you need.

That is why at that place are only 1-three calendar week plans above. Annihilation beyond that, and you start to burn out.

What should I written report for Stride 2?

There are a ton of resources, and nosotros volition go into detail on videos, books, and other resources out there.

For step two, you should be using a combination of multiple resources, we will get into that below.

What is a Passing score on Stride 2 CK?

A passing score on the Footstep two CK is a 209

The score has a range betwixt one and 300.

The mean is typically around 245, with a standard departure of 15.

A "good score" is >250.

Can you retake Step ii CK if you laissez passer it?

No, if you laissez passer the examination that is your score. You tin can retake the exam if you fail it, but y'all cannot retake Step ii CK if y'all pass it.

If you score 209 or higher, that is your score, no retakes.

Chapter 2: Practice Questions for Step ii CK

Is UWorld enough for the Pace 2 CK?

UWorld is admittedly enough for the Step 2 CK, lets talk about why.

Information technology goes without proverb, the best Q-banking concern out there for your Step two CK prep is UWorld.

The representation of not merely the topics in their Q-depository financial institution, only too of the style and difficulty of the questions is so realistic to the real deal.

If yous are only wanting to do one Q-Depository financial institution, then UWorld is the one you need.

When to exercise the questions

My mantra has ever been early on and often when it comes to doing practice questions.

A bully fashion to use UWorld is to practice information technology twice, once throughout the 3^rd yr clinical rotations to prep for your COMAT/Shelf exams. And so again the month or so leading upward to your USMLE Step ii CK.

Doing it this way, really allows you to dig into the tutor mode during rotations, then mimic the difficulty of the Step 2 CK before test twenty-four hours.

How to practice the questions

Early on, the goal should be to do the start pass of UWorld aslope your rotations in preparation for the COMAT/Shelf.

When doing information technology this style, you should be doing the questions in tutor way and annotating your explanations into a Stride Periodical.

As you lot are a month out from your USMLE Stride 2 CK, and then reset the Q-Depository financial institution and showtime doing twoscore question blocks that are in timed test style.

How many Practice Questions should you do

Early on on, during your first pass a good goal is to exercise fifteen-twenty questions in tutor fashion every day. This is a pretty good corporeality of questions, and if you are doing them according to the rotation you are on, and so it isn't such a daunting chore.

This means that if you do 20 questions a day, and you take a 4 week rotation then you should exist able to complete around 600 questions in 4 weeks.

That is a proficient amount of questions!!

After you lot reset UWorld and then the focus turns to more of a testing fashion. This ways you can hands do 40-60 per day, since it volition exist in exam style and timed. Then you can review the answers while you eat lunch or as yous lay in bed.

In summary:

Early on on (first pass): do fifteen-20 per day
Later on on (second pass): do xl-60 per day
The approach successful examination takers with questions
Those that exercise well on the UMSLE Pace 2 CK, make questions fundamental to their prep.
The importance of practice questions, can't exist understated.

Not simply practise practice questions lead to increased agreement and retentivity (Link), but they make it so you are basically practicing what yous volition exist doing.

Reading is cracking, but at the cease of the day you won't be evaluated on your reading ability on the USMLE, yous are beingness evaluated on how well and how right you lot answer questions about complicated medical topics.

Do questions prepare you lot for this.

Ultimately, those that are near successful on all of these standardized board exams recognize that practice questions are the mode to absolutely own these exams.

Stride 2 CK Questions Program

Doing questions during each rotation is important. Since questions are one of, if not the best mode to larn for your board exams, doing them during rotations in preparation for the COMAT/Shelf exams helps you achieve this.

Do them early and frequently.

Shoot for 15-20 questions per day in tutor style until one month before your Step 2.

If yous are on the Internal Medicine rotation, and then yous should exist doing questions from the IM section of UWorld, same goes for the other rotations.

When yous get 30 days out from your exam practise this

Daily

Do 40-lx questions on timed test manner, this simulates test day
Afterward they are done, spend 2-3 hours reviewing them
If you have time, do another 40-lx questions that twenty-four hours
Review them again for a few hours

It really is that simple. If yous have dedicated prep fourth dimension, then doing questions the 30 days before every bit mentioned above leads to 8 hours of studying a day, with 2 hours of questions.

If you actually want to button yourself, and so exercise twoscore question blocks, and do 3 of them dorsum to dorsum to back.

This simulates test solar day, and helps with timing. Now, doing up to 120 questions in a single day won't leave a lot of fourth dimension for review, that is why this method is all-time left for the second laissez passer of UWorld.

Chapter iii: Text Books

Step up to Medicine

How to use it

This book is broken down into medical topics. There is cardiology and all the major topics.

A swell way to use it, is to dissect it downward into those individual topics.

If you detect when doing practice questions that you are struggling with cardiology, and so it is time to bust out the Stride upwards to Medicine book and become through the cardiology section with a fine toothed rummage.

This too served as the place where I annotated the material from Uworld.

If I got a complicated topic on Cardiology then I would put the extra data into the cardiology chapter.

Why it is the all-time

Step up to medicine is the best book for your clinical rotations because it is full of good details merely besides presents all the details in a straightforward and easy way to understand.

Compared to the other options out there, this one is the best ane easily down.

How much should you read

This depends on how deep your foundation of knowledge is at the outset of clinical rotations. Make it a habit to read atleast v-x pages a 24-hour interval at a minimum though. This is a pocket-sized corporeality and information technology is totally doable, that overtime will add up to quite a bit.

Also, recall y'all are reading during your practice questions. Because of this yous volition ultimately end up reading a lot more than the v-10 pages per day.

The of import affair is that the content y'all are reading is focused on your weaknesses and that you read it during your exercise questions sessions. Reading and coorelating your text to your practice questions helps you retain information technology then much more.

Pocket Medicine

Why information technology is awesome

This book goes into the weeds a lot more than than Step upwards to Medicine does. This book covers the topics then well, and is actually one that I take kept using throughout residency.

If you want a book that is a great summary of near all things medicine, so this is the book to get.

The issues with it

It tin be too detailed for clinical year purposes.

The clinical years are tough, you are trying to impress preceptors, get practiced grades, study, and maintain a lilliputian chip of your life outside of medicine.

Sometimes we just don't have the time to worry well-nigh the extra details that this book has.

At that place are times when nosotros only need to make it through and learn what nosotros tin can.

If you have extra time, read this volume. If not, don't sweat it.

How to use information technology

As briefly mentioned in a higher place, Pocket Medicine should be used afterward you lot cover the simpler stuff institute in Step up to Medicine, and do plenty of practice questions.

In one case yous know if you have fourth dimension, then y'all utilize this to dive into the details and really get a deep understanding, that your other colleagues just wont.

Master the Boards

Why it is crawly

Information technology is an even more simplified version of what you lot need than Step up to Medicine is.

I personally didn't apply information technology, but I knew a lot of other students that used it.

They all said that it was a bang-up book, and it did the job for them. I would recommend that you use this book in a like way that you lot would utilise Stride upward to Medicine.

All in all, what makes Chief the Boards great is that it is just a really simplified text and just gives you the bare bones of what you need to know.

Problems with information technology

The principal issue with Master the boards is that it is just too uncomplicated. That can come up in handy if you don't take time or already have a large foundation of knowledge.

Overall though, it is a slap-up book from what my co-students said.

When to utilise it

Apply Master the Boards, the aforementioned manner you lot would employ Step upwardly to Medicine as above. Read a little bit each day, and annotate your practise question explanations into it.

This volume is all-time used all throughout both three^rd and 4^th year, but primarily during iii^rd yr before pace ii.

Starting time Aid for the USMLE Step two CK

Why it is great

This book is nifty because of a few sections.

The first is the pediatrics chapter. This has some great tables and details on the milestones that make it very easy to memorize that real quick and get some easy points. Other than that, the book is laid out in a very similar manner to Step up to Medicine, and that layout and organization makes it a keen tool for y'all to use in your studies.

Bug with it

Information technology lacks detail. This is 100% the make you lot turn to for USMLE Pace 1 and COMLEX Level 1 to serve as your guide.

For USMLE Step 2 CK, and COMLEX Level 2 CE, information technology falls curt. The details just aren't at that place and it lacks expert explanations in information technology also.

It simply doesn't have the details yous need.

This volume is worth information technology solitary though for just the peds affiliate.

When to utilize it

Use it during peds.

This volume should exist purchased for the peds affiliate that includes some pretty awesome and decently organized tables with milestones and evolution in it.

What book is the best?

Step up to Medicine: This gets the #1 option for best book for the USMLE Stride 2 CK. Information technology is the virtually well rounded book out there, it just lacks a decent peds department.

Showtime Air for the USMLE Footstep 2 CK: Get this for the Peds Section

Pocket Medicine: Option this upward for four^th year reading and go on information technology through residency.

Affiliate 4: Videos for the Step ii CK

Online Med Ed

Why this is crawly

This video resource is a great way to written report and build a stronger foundation. The videos are short, sweet, and to the point.

The videos also offer a lot of helpful ways to remember the details that take your test score to the next level.

Online Med Ed covers all the of import topics. It follows a similar outline like the texbooks above practice. All the specialties are in there. It covers everything from pulmonology to obstetrics.

The nice affair about the videos is that if you are okay with ads, and so they are free.

How to use it

Obviously it would exist nice to employ these questions every day. Truth is, you merely don't have the time to practise questions, read Step up to Medicine, and do these daily.

If you lot desire to try and do it all, then a peachy plan would exist to use these videos when you don't accept to exist at the hospital or in clinic, such as on the weekends.

If you programme on using all three resources, then focus on this i over the weekends, and read Step up to Medicine throughout the week.

Then on the weekends go over the same topics just in the videos.

How long does information technology take

This allows you to speed the videos up, since the guy educational activity them does talk kind of wearisome.

These videos can be time consuming for sure. Get yourself the video speed chrome extension.

If you lot go the chrome extension, then information technology shouldn't have longer than 30-lx minutes per day of watching these.

Get the Notes

Having the notes is a must with this! They serve as a great outline, and if you annoatate good plenty, you don't have to lookout man the videos over and over again.

That is the central with any video resource, take good enough notes then yous don't have to watch all of the videos over once more.

If you get the notes, I would argue that y'all don't need Step up to Medicine, because and so the notes serve as your textbook.

Emma Holliday Videos

These are a cracking series of high yield videos. They are nigh an hour in length each and are an absolute souvenir to medical students!

How to get them

Y'all can but search "Emma Holliday peds" or whatever the specialty is on youtube.

I also, accept found them for you and the links are below.

Emma Holliday IM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?five=oARp9g0db-0
Emma Holliday Peds: https://world wide web.youtube.com/watch?v=5mFF-WlLuQU
Emma Holliday Surgery: https://www.youtube.com/lookout man?v=iAmX6o7GPuY
Emma Holliday Psychiatry: https://world wide web.youtube.com/watch?v=IzK0PDENoOU

Why they are keen

These videos hitting the loftier yield points of all 4 specialties. Dr. Holliday has done an amazing job of only talking well-nigh the pertinent details and talking about them in such a way that y'all can't aid but remember them.

These videos are not all inclusive, but they practise cover quite a bit of what you need to know. I wouldn't depend on only these, simply in a compression they would likely get you to pass the COMAT or Shelf.

When to utilize them

These videos should exist used a few days before yous USMLE Step 2 CK, and honestly the day before your COMAT or shelf.

They are great summaries and if you lot tin get through them and feel confident virtually everything that Dr. Holliday talks about, so y'all can rest assured that you are ready for the exams.

Affiliate five: Anki for the USMLE Footstep 2 CK

My disclaimer

I did not use Anki.

I personally am not a huge flash carte du jour person, just I know that Anki has saved a lot of you out there, so I included it here.

This section volition be brief, since I accept express experience with it, just I will provide you with some links and places you can go to get the information you need.

All-time Decks reviewed

All of these decks from what I can tell appear to be very comprehensive and they take all helped multiple students get fantastic score son their exams.

Zanki
Dorian
Anking

From what is seems, Anking is the most comprehensive of them all.

If any of you lot awesome people out there that use Anki regularly take whatever boosted information, please mention information technology in the comments below.

I am very much an apprentice when it comes to Anki.

Resources for how to properly practice Anki

Anki Palace is a fantastic resources for all things related to learning nigh Anki. They accept fantastic tutorials and after you get through their cloth you lot will be confident in your skills.

Also, I can't help merely detect almost of them are form my habitation state of Utah, which is awesome!

Chapter 6: Practice tests for the USMLE Step 2 CK

NBME's

What are they

These are a decent option when information technology comes to practise tests. Trouble is, they don't offer explanations for the right and wrong choices.

They are withal valuable though because they are questions that are written past the aforementioned people that write the real deal, so you know they will be like.

Y'all get access to these the same style yous got access to the ones for Step 1.

When should you practice NBME's?

If you are on the two week plan, and so honestly one of these at the start of dedicated prep for you would be plenty. If you have more time, then shoot to practise 1-2 practice tests per week.

We will get over the details of each plan below and when to incorporate these exams, but stick to the plan of doing 1-2 practice exams per calendar week.

UWSA'due south

What are they

These are UWorlds practice exams. At that place are two of them, and they can be purchased through UWorlds website.

These are touted as the scoring representing the real bargain very closely. The questions are a slightly different style, just when information technology comes to scoring, if you become a 250 on UWSA #2, then you can bet you lot will exist pretty shut to that on the real bargain.

The reason for this is because about anybody takes these exams, and then you lot are existence scored against an average of everyone, merely like the real deal.

When should you do them?

If you are on the two week plan, do UWSA #1 in the showtime week, and and then UWSA #2 in the second week. If you are on the longer plan, then save these two exams for the x days leading up to your test.

Chapter 7: Detailed Study Plans

one week Written report plan

Questions:

Hopefully y'all did UWorld throughout your clinical rotations.
Reset UWorld
Practise 80 Questions per day on Timed/Random, Test mode, this is 2 blocks every day.
After doing the questions, take virtually iii-4 hours each twenty-four hour period to review them.
This will help you with pacing, and will go you ready to sit down for 2 hours straight doing questions so your stamina is upwards.
You won't learn a ton from the questions at this bespeak, simply you should accept already learned what yous need to.
Questions on the 1 week program are for stamina

Videos

Go through your notes from the videos yous watched throughout your clerkships.
Don't do all of it, merely exercise the ones that you are obviously weak in.
Videos can be time consuming, if you have notes from OME or other videos throughout clerkships and so watch them.
Make sure to lookout each Emma Holliday video throughout the week.

Reading

Read easy to memorize charts, like the Outset Help for the Step ii CK milestones and immunization charts each day. This should only take 30 minutes or so.
Other than that, read your video notes as above, and only get though Step up to Medicine or similar books inn your weak areas.
Reading book is of to the lowest degree importance at this point, just become through those tables that are easy to memorize to make sure you get some of those like shooting fish in a barrel points.

Practice Tests

USWA #1 on the offset day of the week of your prep
UWSA #2 2 days before the exam

In summary:

Exercise eighty questions per solar day in timed, test way, this is for stamina, not for learning
Read your notes class videos (only your weak points)
Watch 1 Emma Holliday video each twenty-four hour period
Go through the milestone and immunization charts in Commencement Aid, or watch the immunization video below.
UWSA #1 on twenty-four hour period #1, and UWSA #2, ii days before your exam

Check out the video here

ii Week Written report programme

Questions

Do UWorld
Do 80 questions per day in Timed test mode
Spend three-4 hours each day reviewing them
Focus on developing your stamina

Videos

Focus on your notes yous take already taken from watching OME and other videos during clerkships. Videos are time consuming, so if you have notes, get over those instead.
If you lot are peculiarly weak in a subtopic of something then picket those videos for certain. You will know your weak points at this stage. Focus your efforts on those.
There isn't time, or reason to try and lookout man all of the OME videos at this signal.
Watch the Emma Holliday videos twice. Y'all have xiv days, then if you lot watch one every day you will have a few days left over if yous want to sentinel i or ii of them again.
These are more important than OME if your written report fourth dimension is this short.

Reading

Read your notes.
Spend peradventure 30-60 minutes each twenty-four hour period in Step up to Medicine reading your weak points.
If yous are weak in pulmonology, you lot don't have to read all of information technology. Strop in on the areas within the topic you are weak.
If you struggle with COPD, and then focus on that and ignore asthma.

Practise Tests

NBME's

Do 2 of them in the first week.
Doesn't matter which ones, but do one on the first 24-hour interval of your prep and then on the half-dozen^th day.
This will help y'all know the style of the NBME and it will help with stamina in answering questions.

USWA's

Do both of them.
On day 9 of your prep do UWSA #1, spend a few hours reviewing information technology.
On day 12 of your prep practise UWSA #2, then spend a few hours reviewing it.

Summary of the 2 week Footstep 2 CK written report programme

Questions: 80 UWorld questions per day in timed test mode. Spend three-4 hours reviewing them. These are for stamina, not for learning.
Videos: Focus on the notes y'all take taken from videos you watched in your clerkship. Lookout Emma Holliday videos twice.
Reading: Only read your weak points. Other than that, read your video notes. Read the charts in Frist Aid for milestones and vaccinations, or just watch the video in the 1 calendar week section for immunizations.
Practise tests: Do 2 NBMES, i on the kickoff day and one on the 6^th day. Do both UWSA'due south, #1 on the 9^th day and #2 on the 12^th day.

three Calendar week Report Plan

Questions

You can plow information technology down a lilliputian bit with the 3 week plan.
Do threescore questions per day, this turns out to be 1.5 blocks each solar day.
This will build good stamina, and leave you more time to review.
Programme on 4 hours per day reviewing these questions.
Do UWorld in timed examination mode.

Videos

You have time, so picket the OME or other videos yous know you are weak in.
Still though, the focus should be on the notes you take already taken. That is a quicker way to review videos, and quicker means you tin do it more, and more means amend retentivity.
With three weeks, you lot have time to picket maybe 2-three of your weak videos each day if you need to.
This should but take an 60 minutes or and then each day.
Picket the Emma Holliday videos twice, and the Internal Medicine 1 3 times.
IM is the biggest portion of Footstep 2.

Reading

Read your notes from videos, and go over weak subtopics in Step up to Medicine.
You don't need to go crazy with the reading, but with 3 weeks you practice take time to go over some sub topics in particular if yous need it.
The focus is more than on questions, but if you need it, and then practice some reviewing in Step upward to Medicine and definitely become over your OME notes.

Practice Tests

NBME'southward

Do ii of them.
One at the beginning of your prep and so another near half dozen-7 days later.
These are good for establishing a baseline and also for knowing the way.
Don't fixate on them though.

UWSA's

Do #ane on day 12 and so do UWSA #two on twenty-four hours 18.
This gives you plenty of time to review them.
Likewise, if you want to exercise more practise tests but don't want to buy NBME's, then you can build 40 question blocks in UWorld and do them in timed test mode, back to dorsum to dorsum.
This gives you three hours of questions, and is a amend apply of your fourth dimension and then ownership more NBME'southward.
If you choose to do this, then build them into your plan so you accept a imitation practise exam every iv-5 days throughout the 3 week menstruum.

3 week Step 2 CK written report plan Summary

Questions: Do 60 UWorld questions per solar day in timed tutor way. Spend 4 hours reviewing
Videos: Watch Emma Holliday videos twice, and so watch the IM video 3 times. Brand sure you watch your weakest points in OME. Don't watch all of pulmolology for example, only watch COPD if that is your weak point.
Reading: Go over your weakest topics in Step upwards to Medicine, and if yous aren't going to lookout the video below on immunizations then read and memorize the charts for immunizations and milestones in Beginning Aid for the Step 2 CK.
Practice tests: Do 2 NBME's, ane on twenty-four hour period i, and another on day 6-vii. Do both UWSA's, on solar day 12 and day 18. If you want more, and so use UWorld questions in forty question blocks and do 3 of them back to back to back. This is better than more NBME'south.

Bonus: Tips for doing well on exam day

Programme your breaks

You accept 1 hour of break time on the USMLE. You go to use it as yous see fit.

There are 7 sections. If you take a break afterward 2 sections, this means y'all can have twenty minute breaks every 2 hours.

20 minutes is more enough fourth dimension to go to the bathroom, eat some food, and have some ibuprofen and caffeine pills!

Basically, plan your breaks. Know what you volition do each break. Know that after 2 blocks you take a interruption each time.

Have plenty of food

Take a couple sandwhiches, take some crackers, and take water.

Drink minimal water, you don't want to accept to pee all twenty-four hours.

In this category is meds too.

Don't forget your Rx meds if you lot have any.

Also, take ibuprofen, Tylenol, and caffeine pills to get you through the solar day.

You don't want a stupid headache causing issues with this test.

Looking upwards your questions

On your breaks, don't wait up the answers to questions you remember you missed.

Just roll with it, eat your food, and take a breath.

Look upwards questions later the exam, not during your breaks, this will mess with you more you think, especially if you got it wrong.

The conclusion

Whew, that was a long article.

If yous stuck with me and so you have a TON of data about designing your own footstep ii CK study programme.

I hope this has been helpful for you, and I repent that I didn't include much nearly Anki, I just don't know much near it.

If you have any comments or thoughts, experience free to share them below.

Thanks for reading

Sean Kiesel, Practice, MBA

haleyafriallifuld.blogspot.com

Source: https://comprepmed.com/the-ultimate-step-2-ck-study-plan/