Path residents who have taken step III?

[uhoh!]

So there I'm scrabbling all around the Prometric website trying to figure out how to schedule my Step 3 online, since the option seems to have vanished in a tangle of other drop-down menu options.

so,when you taking it? i have mine scheduled for mid-December..

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[Microscope Eyes]

I took my Step 3 a month into my residency (over a year ago). I was lucky to be in a state that doesn't care how early you take it. My advise to everyone is to take it as soon as you can! I know that if I had to take it now it would be alot harder since I am doing a pathology residency and am not exposed to many primary care issues anymore. I used Qbank and Crush in the little bit of studying that I actually did for it. Good luck to everyone who is taking it soon!!!!

 

[deschutes]

so,when you taking it? i have mine scheduled for mid-December..

Just got off the phone. Mid-January. Enough for them to come back from their 2-week office closure, find out their computers don't start and repair them before I turn up.

Is it December next week already...

 

[uhoh!]

Mid-January.
Is it December next week already...

double ..my exam is in 22 days(just counted down today!)..WTF am i going to do?! *pacing room nervously,biting nails*

 

[sandyworks]

i took mine monday and tuesday. as with the other steps, it felt horrible. especially going back the second day. on the bright side, with 95% of first time takers passing, i just don't think i'm special enough to fail (being a native english speaker and not suffering from crippling test anxiety).
for the ccs cases, i highly recommend the first aid step 3 high yield section (the rest is not helpful). i studied way too much. the things that i knew were things i would have already known and the things i didn't know were things i simply wouldn't have known, i.e. what do you tell a pregnant woman who wants to exercise. by what cellular mechanism does aflatoxin cause hcc. etc. anyway, good luck to you guys studying now. just don't overdo it, or you'll be mad like me.

 

[uhoh!]

i took mine monday and tuesday.

Congrats on finally getting rid of those pesky USMLEs!

i studied way too much. the things that i knew were things i would have already known

*paces room double as fast,chews what remains of fingers*

anyway, good luck to you guys studying now. just don't overdo it, or you'll be mad like me.

if i should be so lucky! there is no such thing as overdoing perp for an exam..i'd rather be over-prepped than clueless..
don't pay attention to this paranoid rant. exam-time flip out in progress.. Thanks for the good luck wishes though..looks like i better begin stock-piling as much luck as i can get.

 

[uhoh!]

Step 3 is so OVER!!
don't ask me how it went..LONG would probably describe it best. however, i did come across real good advise, which helped me in my approach to the CCS, and surprise,surprise, it was from SDN! i'm posting a link here. this is more of a "how-to-approach-each-case" advise, which helped me in a couple i had very little idea about first off.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/archive/index.php/t-188662.html
Hope it helps (or helped, considering i just gave the exam and await the results with my usual dread )
Good Luck!! hope i NEVER need to give such a stoooopid exam again..

 

[beary]

Step 3 is so OVER!!

Congrats!! That's awesome!

 

[quant]

Step 3 is so OVER!!

Congrats my man...I so much want to get this over with and be over with giving competitive exams forever....

Open da beeyah cann......

 

[whorubigman]

I took it the 2 days before starting residency. They required me to send in a copy of the med school diploma, so I sent in my exam application the day after my graduation.

How early can I take the step 3 as a 4th year medical student? Two days before the residency; is this the earliest?

Also, does it matter where I will be doing my residency? In other words, if I take the step 3 say, 2 days b/f residency, like you did, will it count as passing in all the states or just certain states?

 

[sohsie]

How early can I take the step 3 as a 4th year medical student? Two days before the residency; is this the earliest?

Also, does it matter where I will be doing my residency? In other words, if I take the step 3 say, 2 days b/f residency, like you did, will it count as passing in all the states or just certain states?

You cant register until you graduate. After that, you can take as as fast as you can register, get your ticket back, and schedule an appointment with Prometric.

Dont worry about the state thing. Pick any state with no requirements to apply through (IE California, Connecticut, etc.) You dont have to have any intention of ever visiting those states to register through them. And when you pass, its good for any state.

 

[hzma]

Howdy yall,
Listen, does any of you know which one is better for preperation?
Kaplan qbank or usmle world qbank?
thanks!

 

[AngryTesticle]

Howdy yall,
Listen, does any of you know which one is better for preperation?
Kaplan qbank or usmle world qbank?
thanks!

Different people will have different arguments. The fact of the matter is that some folks prefer USMLEWorld over Kaplan QBank and vice versa. Just pick one and you'll be fine. The most important thing, I believe, is that you do practice questions to begin with while you study for the Step exams. Personally, I learn more by doing questions and learning from my mistakes. Whichever path you choose, just be diligent about reading the explanations for the question you get wrong AND the questions you get right. It helps to get in the mindset of the thought process when it comes down to answering standardized test questions. Make sure you know WHY you got a question wrong. It also helps to know if you got a question correct FOR THE WRONG REASON simply to clarify any misconceptions you had regarding any given medical topic.

 

[deschutes]

USMLEWorld is cheaper than QBank, I think. At least, that is a decision point for some.

I also think USMLE practice questions are like sunblock lotion - doesn't matter what you use, as long as you use it

 

[beary]

USMLEWorld is cheaper than QBank, I think. At least, that is a decision point for some.

I have been using Qbank and have step 2 this Thursday.

I will let folks know if I felt decently prepared! Or maybe I will wait till my score comes back for the final word!

 

[Aubrey]

I have been using Qbank and have step 2 this Thursday.

I will let folks know if I felt decently prepared! Or maybe I will wait till my score comes back for the final word!

Go kick some ass today, Beary.. you will do great!

 

[miko2005]

Go kick some ass today, Beary.. you will do great!

Good luck, beary!! You will do great!!

 

[SLUsagar]

Howdy yall,
Listen, does any of you know which one is better for preperation?
Kaplan qbank or usmle world qbank?
thanks!

i'd recommend qbank for ?'s, but uslmeworld's practice CCS cases...88+ i believe; sure that's that a ton, but if you simply just read them over, you set....i mean there was no way i'd even think of typing in "elevate head of bed or daily weight +salt restriction or pneumatic stockings" for a CHF patient.

CHF? huh? oh yahhh.....i remem now.. =)

 

[beary]

Thank you very much Aubrey and miko!!

I am very happy to have it over with. Now I can just sit here and watch football for the next six days.

 

[deschutes]

Gah.

Preparing for this exam is like pulling teeth. I'm going through my usual pre-USMLE questioning-my-MD meltdown

Y'know, I finally figured out the reason the durned results for any of our professional testings take like 6 weeks to come back in the mail. It goes like this:

If you had sat there from 8 to 4 for two whole days and just when you clicked Submit for the very last set of questions, this FLASHING RED SCREEN comes up saying "YOU FAILED!! HAHAHAHAHA" etc. I think a lot of people would just stroke out.

At least with the delay in result reporting, you get time to collect yourself and think about a Plan B, in case you really failed Path boards or whatever.

 

[AngryTesticle]

I wonder if computer adaptive testing has kicked into effect yet. I remember taking Step 1 and Step 2 thinking that if I saw the question, "What is your name?", I knew I was doing bad.

 

[yaah]

I wonder if computer adaptive testing has kicked into effect yet. I remember taking Step 1 and Step 2 thinking that if I saw the question, "What is your name?", I knew I was doing bad.

Elevated cardiac enzymes in the context of chest pain and an abnormal EKG suggests:
A: Cardiac ischemia
B: Anxiety
C: Acute pyelonephritis
D: Lung cancer
E: Gout

 

[beary]

Elevated cardiac enzymes in the context of chest pain and an abnormal EKG suggests:
A: Cardiac ischemia
B: Anxiety
C: Acute pyelonephritis
D: Lung cancer
E: Gout

Gout?

 

[deschutes]

Elevated cardiac enzymes in the context of chest pain and an abnormal EKG suggests:

Definitely gout.

Why oh why is an electrocardiogram abbreviated "eKg" in the States?

 

[beary]

I just found out I passed Step 2 CK! Yay!

I dropped exactly 40 points from my Step 1 score.

 

[quant]

I just found out I passed Step 2 CK! Yay!

CONGRATULATIONS on slaying the beast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Scores doesnt matter a crap!!!

woo hoo party time beary!!!

 

[beary]

CONGRATULATIONS on slaying the beast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

quant!! Thank you so much!!

How are things going for you? Figuring out the ROL?

 

[quant]

quant!! Thank you so much!!

How are things going for you? Figuring out the ROL?

Things are ok...nothing spectacular.How about your Beary? I have been following your travails of Obs Gyn....I absolutely hated that rotation the most throughout my medical school.Argh!...The horrors of it all....

Of all specialities, I think Obs Gyn are the most demented of all....

 

[uhoh!]

I just found out I passed Step 2 CK!

CONGRATS!!!

 

[deschutes]

I just found out I passed

Such glorious words! I hope I get to hear mine in the next 6 weeks. God, the thought of doing that thing again...

I felt exactly the same walking out of Step 3 as I did for Step 2: I had no idea how I did.

I did feel like the 2nd day was easier on the examinee: lots of opportunity for break time. And the CCSes seem more directed (25 minutes to spend on one patient!) as opposed to the hourly nitpicky parade of 300+ patients on the first day.

Mine was skewed towards 2 patient populations:
(1) Hypertensive dyslipidemic diabetic smokers (HDDS), and
(2) Anorexic/athletic amenorrheics.

At any rate, I found the ultimate Step 3 lunch: chunky soup in thermos.

After all, one can only eat so much chocolate before going

 

[beary]

Anybody have any advice as to whether I should release my score to programs? I guess it is a good thing that I passed, but I got some comments about my good step 1 score and I am worried that my less than stellar Step 2 CK score (209) will take away from that somewhat.

 

[AngryTesticle]

Anybody have any advice as to whether I should release my score to programs? I guess it is a good thing that I passed, but I got some comments about my good step 1 score and I am worried that my less than stellar Step 2 CK score (209) will take away from that somewhat.

Don't release anything until prompted to do so. Programs probably don't care at this point.

 

[beary]

Don't release anything until prompted to do so. Programs probably don't care at this point.

Thanks - that was my gut feeling as well.

 

[yaah]

Don't release anything until prompted to do so. Programs probably don't care at this point.

I agree - if it matters they will ask you. I was lucky and did well, so I released it to them. But I don't think it mattered one bit except for the one program who wanted to see it.

 

[AngryTesticle]

I agree - if it matters they will ask you. I was lucky and did well, so I released it to them. But I don't think it mattered one bit except for the one program who wanted to see it.

Lucky? Ha! C'mon man, don't kid yourself!

Oh well, who cares now? It didn't matter then and it certainly doesn't matter one bit now!

Gots to think about that damn Step 3 now. Nah, screw that, I'm gonna continue to not think about it.

 

[uhoh!]

Found out I passed my Step III today!! Wooohoooo!!!!

What made it even more awesome was my just barely scraping through with a 76!! How sweet it is! Goodbye to those damn USMLEs...forever!!

 

[beary]

Found out I passed my Step III today!! Wooohoooo!!!!

Congrats uhoh!! That is awesome!!

 

[beary]

I have Step 2 CS on Monday and am SUPER nervous about it for some reason.

I haven't really studied for it at all. Our dean says it is a "wildcard."

 

[quant]

I have Step 2 CS on Monday and am SUPER nervous about it for some reason.

I haven't really studied for it at all. Our dean says it is a "wildcard."

Beary
It is quite an easy exam.....trust me.
For the patient part, Just remember to SMILE!.....Keep smiling throughout the interview. And making soft cooing sounds helps even more....

For the written part, Following a pattern of writing again and again helps.

 

[beary]

For the patient part, Just remember to SMILE!.....Keep smiling throughout the interview. And making soft cooing sounds helps even more....

Thanks. I will remember to smile and coo. Just keep repeating that to myself. Smile and coo.

I have not done very well at our SP exams at our school. Our SPs are overly dramatic. One of them was fake puking and I laughed. Got dinged big empathy points for that.

 

[yaah]

Don't forget to wash your hands too. Good luck!

 

[uhoh!]

Congrats uhoh!! That is awesome!!

Thanks beary!
And Good Luck to you too!

 

[quant]

One of them was fake puking and I laughed. .

Ah!

That is where you do the sympathy cooing......

"oh dear, can I do something? I can imagine how terrible you must be feeling....coooo....coooo...."



And as Yaah said, washing hands....

I forgot to do that twice. But I'd advise not to forget...obviously!

 

[deschutes]

What made it even more awesome was my just barely scraping through with a 76!!

Gawd now you're making me nervous. I'm going to have no nails left by the end of the month.

 

[uhoh!]

Hey beary! Did you "Cooo" enough? How was the $1200 lunch?

 

[beary]

Hey beary! Did you "Cooo" enough? How was the $1200 lunch?

I tried to coo. "Smile and coo" was my mantra for the day. I know I forgot to wash my hands at least once!

The $1200 lunch was very underwhelming.

 

[beary]

Well, I guess they are releasing all the Step 2 CS scores for everybody who took it from January 1 to February 25 on March 29. I don't think that will give me enough time to retake it (and get scores back) before graduation if I failed.

 

[Nikki2002]

Well, I guess they are releasing all the Step 2 CS scores for everybody who took it from January 1 to February 25 on March 29. I don't think that will give me enough time to retake it (and get scores back) before graduation if I failed.

shut up!

 

[AngryTesticle]

I've done the unthinkable...opening up my Step 3 review book today since my next two weeks are gonna be a joke. It's amazing how much I've forgotten...even simple names of drugs in certain categories. And I remember folks who urged first year residents to be done with this exam ASAP.

Step 3 topics to study, for me, fall into two categories:

(a) Stuff I don't care about.
(b) Stuff I really don't care about.

 

[yaah]

Step 3 topics to study, for me, fall into two categories:

(a) Stuff I don't care about.
(b) Stuff I really don't care about.

An alternative way to look at it is:

(a) stuff that doesn't matter for pathologists
(b) Stuff that doesn't matter anyway