BOTH Class of 2018 Study Thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
ortnakas

ortnakas

DO
Verified Member
10+ Year Member
Physician
Joined
Jul 23, 2013
Messages
3,257
Reaction score
5,118
A lot of us loved our study thread for Step 1, so why not recreate it for Step 2?

I know we won't be thinking hardcore about USMLE/COMLEX until next spring/summer, but figured we could use this for strategizing now, and for shelf exams too.

Paging: @W19 @gobigorgohome22 @Entadus @Ibn Alnafis MD @AlgernonMed @TheShaker @Mad Jack @NontradCA
Members don't see this ad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 8 users
Sort by date Sort by votes
Members don't see this ad :)
MelMcT2009 said:
Have you read anything about how it correlates? School made us take it so I just did it today.
Click to expand...
No clue unfortunately. My school also made us take it. If it is similar to how the comsaes were for level 1, I'd say not predictive at all, at least for me. I dropped ~120 points between the two I took last year. I'll see end of July how predictive it was or wasn't.

Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
PianoMedic said:
No clue unfortunately. My school also made us take it. If it is similar to how the comsaes were for level 1, I'd say not predictive at all, at least for me. I dropped ~120 points between the two I took last year. I'll see end of July how predictive it was or wasn't.

Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Dang that's a bunch! Comsae E was 3 points off for me last year. We shall see!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
My status just recently changed on the NLES website. No longer able to "confirm or reschedule." Definitely getting my score this Wednesday! For those of you who want to know if you're getting your score on Wednesday, you should go check the site!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
For people who already took step2 and got their score back, did you notice any correlation between your shelf exam 'scaled scores' and step2?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
BamaNicole said:
Be prepared to have questions where there are parts of the physical exam or lab data that is missing that you expect to have. That's what threw me off.
Click to expand...

Yeah saw this on some of the practice NBMEs as well. It seems like they are trying to get people to look at the overall clinical picture and base an answer off that. Basically just gotta trust instinct on those questions.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Members don't see this ad :)
Joel_Matip said:
Hey, mine is the day after tomorrow. any last min advice?
thanks!
Click to expand...

Lol I feel like I just had 318 ppl come to me for medical advice in a 9-hour span; pretty sure I killed like half of them.

Last minute advice? Eh not really - I just went over some good UW charts I had trouble memorizing, did Step2 Secrets on the more difficult topics, and practiced skim reading questions; time usually being my biggest challenge.

The hardest thing for me was committing to an uncertain answer then moving on. As you read through the questions many of them give you all the information that you think you might get asked.... Dx? damnit!, Tx? Damnit!, Complication? Dammit!...."[insert 4th level question]" :barf:

But you gotta choose and move on otherwise you are taking up valuable time needed for other questions. If you don't know the answer by the end of the question, take like 10-15s tops to reason through the answer choices, go with your gut, and click next. You'll thank yourself when you get to the last question with a little time to spare to either go back or just relax.

You have to get comfortable with being uncertain and going with your best guess. You have to accept that you will sometimes be wrong and that just going to be part of the score. They give you 300+ questions for a reason. Look at it as a systematic process - one of risk management like a CEO. You just have to get comfortable accepting uncertainty as a part of your process, knowing you are making a successful effort overall. In the end your score will reflect this.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Upvote 0 Downvote
Comlex tomorrow. Took usmle two weeks ago and haven't touched a book since. Have been sick the last several mornings. Got a feeling tomorrow is going to go super well :p
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Got my score today: 245!

Couldn't be happier considering my step 1 performance. Seems UWA 2 was the most predictive and I thought it seemed the most similar as well while taking the exam.

Now just have to get my COMLEX score back....
cluelessmedstudent411 said:
Took the exam today!

Overall, thought the exam was fair. I'd say 40% questions I could narrow it down to two then having to make an educated guess, 25% where I was confident in my answer, 25% where topic was familiar but not enough to get the right answer, 10% where I was wondering if the question was in english. My biggest problem was timing on the test. I had to pick an answer without reading the question for 1-2 questions consistently for every block. Didn't get to review marked. I dont think the questions were necessary longer, I just spent a lot of time on those 50-50 questions trying to decide between answers. Looking back, there is no other resource I would have used other than uworld. My practice scores are below:


- Step 1: 222
- Uworld SA1: 200 (2.5mo) -> Never reviewed and plan on retaking. Should have never taken it!
- Uworld 1st pass: 68% overall (68% medicine)
- NBME 6: 224 (1mo)
- UW SA1: 255 (2 wk) -> see above
- UW SA2: 246 (1 wk)
- Uworld 2nd pass: 84%
Click to expand...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users
Upvote 0 Downvote
cluelessmedstudent411 said:
Got my score today: 245!

Couldn't be happier considering my step 1 performance. Seems UWA 2 was the most predictive and I thought it seemed the most similar as well while taking the exam.

Now just have to get my COMLEX score back....
Click to expand...
Congratulations. That's an awesome score.

My NBME 4 & 6 are in the low 230, and I have been considering to drop CK. Your post gave me hope. I'll take the two UWSAs and decide based on that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ibn Alnafis MD said:
Congratulations. That's an awesome score.

My NBME 4 & 6 are in the low 230, and I have been considering to drop CK. Your post gave me hope. I'll take the two UWSAs and decide based on that.
Click to expand...

Yeah unfortunately NBME's are just not representative of the new CK exams. UW is doing a much better job updating assessments to match the exam.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
I am waiting for my comlex PE score, expected july 3-10, and i am dying to know my outcome. Anyone know if they are just waiting until the end of the range to release scores or are they sometimes nice and pick one of the first dates in the range? I feel like with the holiday week if they dont release on the third i am going to have to wait until the 10th, ugh. Ive just gotta know, ya know.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
radsgrad said:
I am waiting for my comlex PE score, expected july 3-10, and i am dying to know my outcome. Anyone know if they are just waiting until the end of the range to release scores or are they sometimes nice and pick one of the first dates in the range? I feel like with the holiday week if they dont release on the third i am going to have to wait until the 10th, ugh. Ive just gotta know, ya know.
Click to expand...

I'm waiting, too. I have friends who got scores in both of the last two months and they got them on the fourth day of the window. So with the holiday I'm guessing we can expect it next Thursday or Friday... but don't hold your breath until the 10th, either.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
MelMcT2009 said:
Comlex tomorrow. Took usmle two weeks ago and haven't touched a book since. Have been sick the last several mornings. Got a feeling tomorrow is going to go super well :p
Click to expand...

Hope it went well! Was it as bad as everyone makes it out to be?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hey guys, so I admittedly am not the greatest with the search bar. I didn't do as well as I would have liked and now I want to destroy Step 2. I obviously know UWorld is a priority, but what are some other resources that people feel are really helpful? I am aiming for a 250/260 and had average Shelf scores so I really want to make a sound study plan. Thanks for the help!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
W19 said:
@kal2210 Uwolrd, step up, and all the NBME shelf that are for sale on the NBME ... People got a hand on them an redid them all, and treat them like a Qbank. It's 1,400 questions. One student that is ahead of me told he thinks these NBME exams net him 15-20 extra on step2...
Click to expand...

Do you mean step up to medicine? And that's crazy...is there like a list out there or I'd have to purchase all of them? Sounds like a cool resource, but a lot of cash.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
NBME 6, 2 weeks ago = low 230s
NBME 4, 1 week ago = low 230s
UWSA-1 today = 253

Test is in 10 days
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ibn Alnafis MD said:
NBME 6, 2 weeks ago = low 230s
NBME 4, 1 week ago = low 230s
UWSA-1 today = 253

Test is in 10 days
Click to expand...

What the F*ck is up with those NBMEs.

Seemed like last year it correlated more but they have changed the scale. Essentially making it harder to get the same score as someone who took it last year.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
iceman55 said:
What the F*ck is up with those NBMEs.

Seemed like last year it correlated more but they have changed the scale. Essentially making it harder to get the same score as someone who took it last year.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Click to expand...
The scale is missed up. The difference between 230 and 250 is like 7 questions. I noticed that you miss less from 20 wrongs your score goes up by 3+ points. Kinda ridiculous.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Internet friends, what's the consensus on the NBMEs? Worth doing, or will they just terrify me unnecessarily? I'm 17 days out now and was going to take NBME 6 this weekend (I've already done NBME 4 and it went surprisingly well), but if it's not predictive and not helpful, should I bag it and just stick to UWSA 2 and maybe an additional COMSAE?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ortnakas said:
Internet friends, what's the consensus on the NBMEs? Worth doing, or will they just terrify me unnecessarily? I'm 17 days out now and was going to take NBME 6 this weekend (I've already done NBME 4 and it went surprisingly well), but if it's not predictive and not helpful, should I bag it and just stick to UWSA 2 and maybe an additional COMSAE?
Click to expand...
I've heard that its not great in terms of predicting because they under predict. I was advised by friends to take the UWSA instead.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ortnakas said:
Internet friends, what's the consensus on the NBMEs? Worth doing, or will they just terrify me unnecessarily? I'm 17 days out now and was going to take NBME 6 this weekend (I've already done NBME 4 and it went surprisingly well), but if it's not predictive and not helpful, should I bag it and just stick to UWSA 2 and maybe an additional COMSAE?
Click to expand...
I took uwsa1 as baseline. 2 weeks later I did nbme 7, since I had heard it is the lowest scoring, and I dropped 8 points. 1 more week later I did nbme 6 and it was equal to UWSA1. Another week later uwsa2 was up 9 points so the difference wasn't huge.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Officially passed the COMLEX PE! Huge relief.

Leaning toward taking USMLE at the moment; assuming I take it it's in twelve days and COMLEX CE is in sixteen days. I have myself scheduled to take NBME 6 tomorrow, but I haven't decided yet if it's a good idea or a terrible one. Too many decisions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Upvote 0 Downvote
I feel like step 2CK, much more than step 1, relies on our patterns of thinking. Or maybe it is just Uworld. For some reason, I will never ever ever think of mixed cryoglobulinemia as a possibility until I sit there for 5 minutes going through and matching what's in the vignette with what i know. Maybe this is why the UWSAs predict our scores so much more than in Step 1 where it was either you know it or you don't?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Anicetus said:
I feel like step 2CK, much more than step 1, relies on our patterns of thinking. Or maybe it is just Uworld. For some reason, I will never ever ever think of mixed cryoglobulinemia as a possibility until I sit there for 5 minutes going through and matching what's in the vignette with what i know. Maybe this is why the UWSAs predict our scores so much more than in Step 1 where it was either you know it or you don't?
Click to expand...

I think its all perspective, step 2ck has a lot of you know it or you don't as well in regards to management and screening guidelines.

I actually thought Step 1 was fair in terms of requiring us to know basic science concepts and just applying them.

But for what you mentioned above, i think it is def just uworld, i got a different vibe from NBME exams. Haven't take real thing yet though.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I did the 120 free online qs. Got 85%. Not sure what that means.

Thinking of doing UWSA2 tomorrow. Exam is on Thursday. Any thoughts?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ibn Alnafis MD said:
I did the 120 free online qs. Got 85%. Not sure what that means.

Thinking of doing UWSA2 tomorrow. Exam is on Thursday. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Didn't know there was a Free 120 for Step 2, good to know.

UWSA2 is supposed to be a good predictor but I guess it depends on your plans for Wednesday. Will you end up stressing all day reviewing it instead of relaxing? If not, go for it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ibn Alnafis MD said:
I did the 120 free online qs. Got 85%. Not sure what that means.

Thinking of doing UWSA2 tomorrow. Exam is on Thursday. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
I did uwsa2 2 days before and free 120 day before. I had finished UW and wasn't getting anything out of it. 91% in free 120 and 261 on uwsa2. Still waiting on my score. I can't tell if doing those helped or hurt me, but I think it's reasonable to do them.

Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
Took UWSA2 today. Boy, that was tough. Two blocks of 82% and two of 62%. Score 247. Hell, I'll take it.

Summary:
NBMEs 4&6 are both in the low 230s
UWSA 1 is 253
UWSA 2 is 247
Free 120 is 85%
Average of all assessments is ~241. I'll be happy with this score.

Exam in 2 days
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ibn Alnafis MD said:
Took UWSA2 today. Boy, that was tough. Two blocks of 82% and two of 62%. Score 247. Hell, I'll take it.

Summary:
NBMEs 4&6 are both in the low 230s
UWSA 1 is 253
UWSA 2 is 247
Free 120 is 85%
Average of all assessments is ~241. I'll be happy with this score.

Exam in 2 days
Click to expand...
I see you repeating your step1 score...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ibn Alnafis MD said:
Took UWSA2 today. Boy, that was tough. Two blocks of 82% and two of 62%. Score 247. Hell, I'll take it.

Summary:
NBMEs 4&6 are both in the low 230s
UWSA 1 is 253
UWSA 2 is 247
Free 120 is 85%
Average of all assessments is ~241. I'll be happy with this score.

Exam in 2 days
Click to expand...

Didn't we take Step 1 the same day last year too? I am taking ck on Friday. Practice exams very similar to yours.

Never mind, just realized you are taking yours tomorrow. Good luck!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0 Downvote
Took the damn test today. Wish I hadn't.

Qs were the same length as UW qs. Few were longer. 50% of the concepts tested weren't in UW or NBMEs. I guessed more than I answered confidently.

It will be a long wait.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ibn Alnafis MD said:
Took the damn test today. Wish I hadn't.

Qs were the same length as UW qs. Few were longer. 50% of the concepts tested weren't in UW or NBMEs. I guessed more than I answered confidently.

It will be a long wait.
Click to expand...
I am sure you will do ok... Don't think about it anymore. Focus on CE/PE. What's done is done!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
  • Question
Serious Study partner 2CK NYC (June- July 2018)
Replies
1
Views
595
jokes of life
J
F
  • Question
USMLE Step 2 CS Study Partner NYC/Skype Exam: End of April 2018
Replies
1
Views
968
july9th2018
J
M
  • Question
Official 2018 COMLEX Level 2 CE Experiences and Scores Thread
2 3 4 5 6
Replies
271
Views
84K
rev0
rev0
Schwifty
  • Question
Official 2022 Step 2 CK Experiences With Scores Thread
Replies
47
Views
12K
scorpiondr_intospace
S
I
  • Question
Comlex PE 4/23/2018 - looking for study partner
Replies
0
Views
642
Ifeelya
I
Top