Taking Step 3 during Intern Year Vacation?

[Futuredoc1364]

Hi everyone,

This is a particularly great time for us MS4's who recently matched. From what I have read however, internship is probably the most difficult year of a physician's life so I should enjoy the remainder of medical school as much as I can.

I am going to be a prelim medicine intern next year and my advanced specialty is in the same hospital. I have already received an email from my medicine program regarding a vacation request form.

This program seems to be a busy intern year with only 2 months of electives. There is a 1 week and 2-week block vacation and the electives will be built around those vacation weeks. I am assuming it is the same at any intern year program.

So do you recommend taking step 3 during that 2 week vacation? How much time do interns usually study for step 3 ( I know it can vary a lot but I would like to hear your experiences regarding step 3).

Also when do you recommend taking step 3? I have heard somewhere in the middle of intern year is a good time to do it. So perhaps in February/March of intern year?

I think it would suck to have to use up my vacation to study for step 3 but then again I don't want to fail.

Right now I am thinking about having my 1 week vacation perhaps during October and my 2-week vacation during March to take step 3. This way I have enough time in between so the vacations are not too close but yet not too far apart.

Thank you for your help guys and for those of you in intern year, you are almost done! Congrats!

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[Bitsy]

Make sure to check the requirements of the state of your residency program for taking Step 3. Some states require so many months of internship before allowing you to take Step 3. I believe there are some loopholes in that you could go to take Step 3 in another state without those requirements.

 

[mdphdgirl]

Make sure to check the requirements of the state of your residency program for taking Step 3. Some states require so many months of internship before allowing you to take Step 3. I believe there are some loopholes in that you could go to take Step 3 in another state without those requirements.

My understanding is that you can take it under any state's auspices-- that you don't have to take it under the state that you are training at, or planning to get your final license at, or are taking the test. Which would suggest that you should take it in a state with a lower cost and fewer requirements. Is that not right?

 

[Smurfette]

My understanding is that you can take it under any state's auspices-- that you don't have to take it under the state that you are training at, or planning to get your final license at, or are taking the test. Which would suggest that you should take it in a state with a lower cost and fewer requirements. Is that not right?

For the most part, yes. You can look up the requirements to take step 3 for all 50 states. This doesn't mean you physically take the test in the given state, but that the application is filed through that state. The cost of step 3 is the same....but the cost of "filing/applying" through each state is different, and some require extra paperwork and hoops to go through. My GME office also had the list with "suggested" states as the ones that were the "easiest" (and cheaper) to use for Step 3 (I filed under Cali....can't remember the others but I think there were 3 that they listed).

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

For the most part, yes. You can look up the requirements to take step 3 for all 50 states. This doesn't mean you physically take the test in the given state, but that the application is filed through that state. The cost of step 3 is the same....but the cost of "filing/applying" through each state is different, and some require extra paperwork and hoops to go through. My GME office also had the list with "suggested" states as the ones that were the "easiest" (and cheaper) to use for Step 3 (I filed under Cali....can't remember the others but I think there were 3 that they listed).

where do you go to find this info?

 

[smq123]

where do you go to find this info?

http://www.fsmb.org/usmle_requirementschart.html

 

[thesauce]

I applied through Connecticut b/c it was cheap and the least amount of requirements/paperwork.

As for how long to prepare: it varies. If you rocked steps 1 and 2, you can probably just familiarize with the CCS software and go take it. Check out the step 3 forum for more info.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Does the above link and regulations apply to COMLEX, as well?

 

[gutonc]

Does the above link and regulations apply to COMLEX, as well?

No. It's only for USMLE.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

No. It's only for USMLE.

So disappointing.

Thanks.

 

[gutonc]

So disappointing.

Thanks.

I'm sure that Teh Googelz can find you the same thing for COMLEX. But I'm tired of doing other people's searches for them.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

I'm sure that Teh Googelz can find you the same thing for COMLEX. But I'm tired of doing other people's searches for them.

I tried, couldn't find anything.

 

[sashIMI]

I tried, couldn't find anything.

the only requirement for COMLEX step 3 (that i've come across in researching) is that we must have graduated already...so you could potentially take it in between graduation and before intern year starts...i was thinking about doing this but my residency program pays for step 3 so that's incentive to wait till intern year starts? unless i can get a refund retroactively...who knows

not sure how many ppl take it right after graduation, although i've come across a bunch of interns who tell me to get step 3 out of the way as fast as possible bc it's a serious pain in the you-know-what

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

the only requirement for COMLEX step 3 (that i've come across in researching) is that we must have graduated already...so you could potentially take it in between graduation and before intern year starts...i was thinking about doing this but my residency program pays for step 3 so that's incentive to wait till intern year starts? unless i can get a refund retroactively...who knows

not sure how many ppl take it right after graduation, although i've come across a bunch of interns who tell me to get step 3 out of the way as fast as possible bc it's a serious pain in the you-know-what

Yeah, my program pays too, so I'm just gonna hang tight.
Programs will NOT pay for anything that you purchase or sign up for prior to 7/1 (as was told to me by several residents in my program and in another program).
I'm gonna try to take it when on peds I think. I have no call that month, and it's apparently outpt

 

[backrow]

I wouldn't waste time on vacation to take Step3.

There is plenty of time to "study" for Step 3 during internship and why not get 2 additional days "off" from clinic/wards/whatever instead of eating up 2 precious days of vacation.

Remember the adage "2mos for step 1, 2wks for step 2, and bring a #2 pencil to Step 3". Although that's a bit of a simplification, much of what you need to know you have already learned or will "learn by fire" during a busy IM internship. Grab a Step 3 study book and read through it when you can.

Make sure to read the OB sections and any others that you may not have rotations on prior to the test.

 

[DOFOSHO]

does intern year give you a day or 2 off service to take usmle/comlex 3?

 

[AdmiralChz]

does intern year give you a day or 2 off service to take usmle/comlex 3?

Think before you post - this will depend on the program. Some will "strongly" encourage you take it during certain months to avoid scheduling conflicts, some may even ask you to take the test after a night shift if you're unlucky. It's a two day test, but every resident has to take it (although not all take it during intern year) so your program will better be able to answer this.

 

[Jlaw]

does intern year give you a day or 2 off service to take usmle/comlex 3?

No, you're not in school anymore, you have a job, you are expected to take it on personal time. But step 3/comlex 3 is super easy compared to the other steps. If you passed the other two comfortably you dont need to study more than a month (and i mean just studying on days off and the nights you aren't too tired) to pass. I studied for my inservice and then did a few hundred comquest questions and scored over 100pts higher on level 3 than 1/2.