Step 2 - USMLE Tips

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Now that Step 2 was divided into Clinical Knowledge (CK) and Clinical Skills (CS), it is becoming a bit trickier.

Here are the major subject areas defined by the USMLE:

* General Principles
* Infectious and Parasitic Diseases
* Neoplasms
* Immunologic Disorders
* Diseases of the Blood and Blood-forming Organs
* Mental Disorders
* Diseases of the Nervous System and Special Senses
* Cardiovascular Disorders
* Diseases of the Respiratory System
* Nutritional and Digestive Disorders
* Gynecologic Disorders
* Renal, Urinary, and Male Reproductive Systems
* Disorders of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Puerperium
* Disorders of the Skin and Subcutaneous Tissues
* Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue
* Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
* Congenital Anomalies
* Conditions Originating in the Perinatal Period
* Symptoms, Signs, and Ill-defined Conditions
* Injury and Poisoning

Most of what can be done in terms of preparation for the CK part is shared by my Step 1 guide. There are, however, a few particularities. For one, the test vignettes are longer than Step 1. This translates into relatively less time to solve each question.

So you will go through the same steps that you did for Step 1, right ? Partially. You will see that things are more general and vague. First Aid for USMLE Step 2 is not nearly as useful as it was for the first part. Why ? Because it is impossible to cover Clinical Medicine in one tiny book.

How to cover such a vast area with little time ?

1.Cover all the major diseases in each category
For example in Cardiology you would take hypertension, congestive heart failure, MI and such. Just take a look at Harrison's for a good outline of what you should know

2.For the less common diseases, cover the ones that have an established pathophysiologic mechanism
Take chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), for example. It is not very common, but you sure know about Gleevec and how it works. That is the mentality of how you should look at less common entities.
As it is for Step 1, you absolutely have to get the right materials...for example:
? Internal medicine 347 pages
? Obstetrics & Gynecology 174 pages
? Pediatrics 250 pages
? Psychiatry, Epidemiology & Ethics 188 pages
? Surgery 194 pages
? Q-Book with around 850 USMLE style questions

Suggested material:

• KAPLAN VIDEO LECTURE DVDS FOR STEP 2 CK
• STEP 2 VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Extremely High yield material
• Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment
• Harrison?s Internal Medicine Book(only study for reference)
• Step 2 Secrets: by Dr. Adam Brochert featuring "tips" and "secrets" based on his own experience and research on USMLE Step 2
• And you can go for Blueprints too..but Kaplan covers everything.
• Dr.Goljan's audio are again must for step 2 just like step 1.

Step 2 CS Material:

• First Aid for USMLE Step 2 CS
• KAPLAN CSA 5 Day Course Audio Lectures in mp3 format.
• USMLE WORLD (Specially Physical Examination Videos from UW covering everything on physical Examination)
• Supplementary material is again endless and you can choose what you consider good for your preparation.

And yes, hope you all know the newer requirements for step 2 from ECFMG:
Current Requirement 1: To take Step 2 CK or Step 2 CS, medical school students must be within twelve months of completing the full didactic curriculum at their medical school.
Current Requirement 2:There is no examination prerequisite for Step 2 CS. This means that applicants are no longer required to have passed Step 1 before applying for Step 2 CS. Applicants for ECFMG Certification may take Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS in any sequence, provided that they meet all other eligibility requirements.
Current Requirement 3:To take Step 2 CK or Step 2 CS, medical school students must have completed at least two years of medical school. This eligibility requirement means that students must have completed the basic medical science component of the medical school curriculum.
Current Requirement 4:To apply for Step 2 CS, all applicants (students and graduates) must have passed Step 1.

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Posted in: MEDICAL,USMLE