Of course! Sorry I don't check this thread much. I'll try to come more often.
Bismillah:
First off is the steps: Step 1: around 6-8-12 mos to prepare-Step 2: around 4-6 mos-Step 2 CS: around 1 mo- Step 3 i don't know i heard around 2 mos esp. if u'd just finished the step 2s. (These are all according with Kaplan courses, I don't know how long independant studiers need, maybe less?)
Now if u prepare from before, u can take step 1/2 during imtiaz yr, which will save u a lot of time. And of course it depends how high you want to score; it depends how well u knew ur stuff from college; wether u prepared during college; wether or not ur working at the same time, or have other responsibilities. Yaani, less/More time everyone's different. And of course it depends how smart u are!
Not really, we all know its not about smartness. More like who has a social life and who doesn't. (sigh, oh well.)
Then u also have the match process:
Have ur scores in by Sept before the match, at least step 1, and 2CK. The whole match process takes around 6 mos: Sept to March, where u should be in the states so u can go to interviews. You apply in Sept through this online thing called ERAS that sends ur application stuff to programs. Then u wait to hear from them, u go to interviews if ur lucky, in Feb u join the NRMP to rank ur programs 1- 30 (if u got 30 interviews and went to all of them! in which case u'd be too cool to be writing on this forum
), and wait till march 13th where hopefully u got ur 1st choice.
Or u might "prematch" where u sign somewhere sometime a long the way, which is a lot less nerve racking.
So that's the whole thing, total 3la ba3duh: 2-4 yrs avg is what I've heard and seen.
I'd be happy to answer ur qs!
tc.