USMLE Step 2CK Breakdown
Haseeb Mukhtar Batch of ‘21
Hello again, aspirants! It seems like you have completed the Step 1 of the USMLE examinations. Take this moment to be proud of yourself for having reached this milestone. Now, I know a lot of you have countless number of questions regarding the right approach towards Step 2CK. I understand it can be a bit confusing at the start. Let’s face it, CK resources are not as clearly defined as Step 1 resources are. Having been through this, I wanted to take this opportunity to help you out in the prep journey for an exam that is probably now the most important component of the USMLE series.
I have divided this article into three sections based on your stage of prep. Like before, I won't be talking much about my own experience since I firmly believe that everyone has their own way of going about this exam. Have fun!
PART ONE – For those just getting started:
1. So, it hasn’t been that long since you started off with CK prep. But the thing is, you're confused about what resources to trust. What I would really suggest at this point is to use your old friend: Fist Aid for Step 1. You are already familiar with this book, and with the level of basic sciences tested on CK (which is a great deal actually :p), you really do not want to let go of this book.
2. If you are someone like me who learns more with annotations, I would really advise you to keep a textbook for this purpose. Now this can be your old FA (if you still have room for annotations), a new FA, Master the boards (great book, will discuss later), electronic pdf for UW notes (again, will discuss later)
3. Now, on top of all of that what is your primary resource? I think you probably know the answer to this. U-World has tobe your no. 1 learning tool for CK. This resource literally has every pathology, concept and clinical algorithm that is supposed to show up on your exam.
4. Some secondary resources are: Online MedEd, FA for step2CK, Boards and beyond for Step2 and so on. TBH, I haven't used any of these but if you have good experiencewith these then why not. The basic idea is that by using resources you are already well-versed in really improves the learning curve for you.
5. A BIG question is - how to use uworld? There are mainly two famous approaches: Random so that every new q is a surprise, and second is system wise where you study a system first and then attempt the questions. While both systems have their benefits, I really favor the latter. I started off uw doing random. But I began to feel like most of my answers were simply shots in the dark, I could not “prepare” for a particular system before attempting the question as I was being bombard by qs from all systems, making notes was hard as I wanted them to be orderly and system-wise (after all, who would not!). I then switched to system wise, and it solved all of my above problems. Okay, you get a slight hint about the answer choices, but that isn'tmuch of a big deal if you ask me.
6. This might not seem that important but goes a long way. Having study partners really helps. Studying together with SPs keeps you consistent and constantly motivated. Plus, you get to teach and learn from the other person, both improve your learning exponentially.
7. Always have a blueprint of your whole plan and tentative dates and deadlines. This solves the innate tendency of a lot of us, i.e procrastination. If you do a decent no. of uworldqs daily (even 30-40), REMEMBER, doing that consistently is wayyyy better than taking days off unnecessarily and then doing extraordinary number of qson other days to the point of exhaustion.
8. For a system-wise approach, you would defo want to review a system before attempting qs. At first, I tried Master the boards and honestly it was not that bad. However, I soon begin to feel that the book did not have A Lot to help me when I attempted uw qs. This is when I switched to uw notes. I know this seems a bit of “cheating”,but we all know in the end it is all about learning and grinding uworld content as much as possible. So why not get some help from some premade notes. You can also use these two for annotations as I previously suggested and use these resources in your final prep days.
9. Another good learning tool is Anki (as always). If you are good with making your own flashcards then yes, go for it! There are also some amazing CK premade decks. I was able to use Tzanki and cheesy dorian for a bit. Due to time constraint, I was not able to complete these but would really suggest you give it a shot. One pretty unconventional way is to browse cards from a particular system and then go through them before attempting the system on uw.
10. How could I forget this one. This is probably one of the best resource for CK only if used properly and consistently: Divine podcast. Esp for those with good “audio memory” (but dw you can even try out the pdf version of his podcasts – someone made it and you can get it online for free). A lot of stuff repeats from his podcasts actually, esp the preventive medicine portion of CK.
11. Three things that I found relatively more challenging in CK are Ethics, Abstracts/drug Ads and qs on preventive medicine. Ethics may seem like blind guesses, but I think practice can help you overcome this in one way or another. For these three aspects of the test (which comprise a total of around 13-19% of the whole test), I would recommend doing all that is possible. Be it Amboss library, Amboss q bank, any other q bank after UW and amboss, divine podcast (really good for preventive medicine). USPSTF (which makes all the preventive medicine guidelines) has a site where you can find all the information. It is quite elaborate so going over it might be useful esp for areas that you find confusing.
12. I honestly did not use Uptodate since I found it very detailed but there is no harm in using it (esp if you are already used to it)
PART TWO – Midway in Prep. Now What?
1. You probably have completed Uworld first pass by now (+ ur wrongs and marked). Heck of a ride, no? By now, surely you have your own notes/annotations/flashcards based on uworld. CK content is a lot tbh. You really need to review this consistently and steadily rather than pile it up for the last days of your prep.
2. This especially goes for algorithms. Going through all the algorithms repeatedly on a regular basis and understanding them is way superior to memorizing them because then you are not able to apply them as efficiently on test day imo.
3. Apart from this, at this point you have two options: go for a second pass of uw, or try out a diff qbank like amboss.
4. If you are someone who wants to add another variety of qsand who has had good exp with Amboss in the past, then definitely go for Amboss. If you are someone who just wants to put all the time into uworld then go for another uwpass. In the end both approaches are good, and it comes down to your style of learning and personal preference. I personally like amboss and would have gone for one pass of it (if only I had more time)
5. Frankly put, this phase is all about consolidating what you have learned in the previous phase. Review notes, go through algorithms, regularly do qs and listen to divine, review cards I.e whatever that has suited you during step1 and up till now.
6. During this phase throw some nbmes at yourself. For CK you have a few nbmes (form 9, 10, 11 and 12 as of now if Im not mistaken). I would suggest do UWSA1 after your first pass of uworld and gauge yourself. After that, at regular intervals, attempt the NBMEs and assess your performance.
7. I would also recommend that for systems that you find relatively more challenging, try doing CMS forms for those. These, again, are nbme style qs and can help you strengthen those systems further.
PART THREE – The Final Countdown
1. This will be the last 15-30 days of your prep. This phase is probably the most imp part of your prep but don’t stress it, you have come a long way and you will ace this exam for sure.
2. This is the time when you may attempt the mock tests that you are left with. The most predictive in my opinion are UWSA2 and NBME 10 so save these for last. Other than these two, do the free 120 (CK has a “new” as well as an “old” one). I honestly just did the newer one but it’s up to you.
3. Reviewing theory is now more important than ever. Do this regularly. Divine has some rapid review podcasts for the final days of your prep, it is vital that you listen to these.
4. First aid for step1 is useful throughout the prep for CK. Just like all other resources, it is v important for the final days of your prep (esp the rapid review section)
5. A very interesting way of using uworld (once you have completed it) is to “review” a previously attempted block and read through the explanations along with the q stem. For the final days, when you are already done with uw (and any other q bank), this acts as a great stimulus to keep you well oriented with the question style of CK until the very last days of your prep.
Conculsion
As always, trust Allah and never doubt yourself. You have already come a long way. This journey definitely has its ups and downs but most importantly take care of yourself. Eat good, sleep well, exercise, socialize, don’t let go of your hobbies and keep yourself going. There is a high chance that your sleep schedule is ruined by the end of your prep; try improving it about 15 days out by using sleeping aids at night and waking up early. I am pretty confident that you know the rest of the drill from Step 1. CK has 8 instead of 7 blocks so remember to give yourself ample breaks between blocks and avoid fatigue. If you have any other queries, do not hesitate to reach out to me. Always a pleasure to help fellow colleagues and aspirants. Cheers!!!
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