Dispelling the USMLE Myths...

1. "You don't need to study more than a week for Step 2." I don't really agree with this one; I think a lot of people undermine the importance of this test. I don't think you need as much time to study for it as Step 1, simply because Step 2 covers what you learned over 3rd year where Step 1 covers 2 years of (let's all say it together, "B-O-R-I-N-G") fact-based basic sciences. Plus, clinical information learned on the wards often is reinforced throughout different rotations. I think studying for Step 2 is much less painful for those reasons, but I'd allow at least 10 days to 2 weeks, depending on how high-yield you want to be.

2. "It doesn't really matter what you make on Step 2." I can speak only for my interviews as a general surgery applicant- my interviewers honed in on my Step 2 score much more frequently than my Step 1. I guess I can see why since the knowledge that you use as a resident is much more similar to what you did in clinicals than the steps of the Krebs Cycle. You can work this to your advantage if you improve on Step 2.

3. "You can make a 240 if all you study is 'Crush The Boards.'" I was very skeptical of this one- after all, 'Crush'is a thin book, one that definitely could be read well in 3-4 days. Weirdly enough, this rumor actually may be true if you made it a point to memorize this book cover-to-cover. I was amazed at the amount of material on the test that this book hit on the head; however, I also found the Kaplan Q-Bank book to be very similar, so I'd advocate doing some questions as well (the version of 'Crush' I used did not have any questions.)

4. "Your Step 1 and Step 2 scores will be very similar." This one is outright false; fortunately, there is opportunity to improve dramatically on Step 2 if you put enough effort into it.

 

What are the recommended USMLE Step 2 Materials?

1. Kaplan CenterPrep Step 2 review course- this consists of lectures that you pay (I believe) $150-$200 . You get 9 DVD. The lectures consist of 140 hours. Time for each lecture ranges from 30 to 60 minutes, most being under 50. This can be completed in 3 week if you are very intense; probably would be best to allow at least 5 weeks if you are interested in taking your time or reviewing any of the lectures multiple times. I was very happy with this course; for someone who often drifts off while reading, this was awesome. I really felt like I was making progress as I completed each lecture, I thought they made you think, and were (relatively) fun. The only thing that it did not cover was biostatistics or much ortho and neuro, so I'd recommend doing a little of this elsewhere.

2. "Crush The Boards" by Adam Brochert- a friend of mine who took Step 2 in 2001 swore up and down that all she did is study this book for 2 weeks and made better than a 240. I didn't beleive it at the time; thought she may have underestimated her efforts, but after reading this book, it really did hit almost everything on Step 2, including stats, neuro, and ortho. I would not blow off those 3 topics; while there weren't dozens of questions on them, there were enough that I think could make a difference. I point this out because I did not have much exposure to these as a 3rd year and am really glad that I made an effort to learn them for Step 2.

3. Kaplan Q-Bank Book for Step 2- although some of these questions almost seemed too straightforward for a USMLE exam, there were some that were extremely similar to what I saw on the test. BTW, don't flip out if you are not rocking the scores on these; I'll admit, some of the tests I scored in the 70's, others in the 90's, so not necessarily outstanding, but I ended up cracking a 250 on the real test.

4. High Yield OB-GYN- I know this probable sounds kind of random, but this is a very good book, not only for Step 2 but also for the OB-GYN NMBE. Very easy to read; hits all topics quite nicely; I think it is worth the read if you have time (can be done in 1-2 days.) I felt there was a decent amount of OB on my test, so if you feel you need a little extra review in OB (I did because it had been quite a bit of time since I had the rotation) this book is worth the time.

5. NMS Simulated Exam for Step 2- I think there were 5 mock tests in this book; IMO, it was more difficult than the actual test, however, it did have a decent amount of stats in there with great explanations, which I really needed to review.

6. Other books I heard were great but didn't read myself include First Aid for Step 2, Boards and Wards, and Step 2 secrets. I paged through them at a bookstore one day; all looked good, however, I did not have the time to read any of them. My friends all really liked these books, so I bet you could also get a great score with these as well.