USMLE Step 2 Preparation

Preparing for the Step 1 exam was weeks, maybe months of painful study. The USMLE Step 2 preparation journey is much more enjoyable and much less painful for most students.

The most time-saving and effective method of studying for the Step 2 exam is to begin on the first day of the clinical rotation portion of medical education. The purpose of the third and fourth years of medical school is to expose the student to the “core” specialties, which happen to be the exact topics covered in the Step 2 exam.

Let’s take a two-pronged approach to attacking this exam:

First, it is essential that from day 1 of the clinical years of medical school, the student takes a proactive approach to their education.

There’s nothing easier in med school than staying quiet, standing at the back of the pack, and just waving goodbye. Sure, you’ll spend your clinical rotations, but without getting fully involved, you’ll suffer in the following two ways:

1. You will lack the “hands-on” experience that is absolutely essential to gaining the educational experience that will make you not only a competent doctor, but an excellent doctor as well.

Y

2. You will limit the number of cases you will be involved with, which means you will not be exposed to the more common everyday cases that make up the bulk of the Step 2 exam.

The great thing about this exam is that you can study for it while you go to the hospital and learn, essentially killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. Studies have been done that prove that the students who are most involved within the group are almost always the ones who get the highest scores on their board exam.

So how should you make the most of each rotation and use it to skyrocket your USMLE scores?

Your first step is to develop and outline an action plan: what you need to learn and achieve from each particular rotation.

Here is a partial list of some steps to take to ensure you get the most out of each rotation to get adequate preparation for the Step 2 exam:

1. Find a list of the most commonly tested topics on the exam for that particular topic. For example, if you are on your OB/GYN rotation, you would develop a list of the most common obstetric problems encountered in the clinic and in an emergency situation, as well as the most common gynecological problems, such as infections, menstrual problems, etc. . . The purpose of this list is to give you the topics you need to learn for your future practice and it gives you a list of what you need to know for the board exam.

When you have it on paper, it will be much easier for you to keep track of what you are learning and you will begin to see patterns and trends of what is most common, which can guide you in your study.

2. Once you have your list, it is imperative that you take it with you everywhere. The purpose of these lists is to help you really dive into the rotation and get the most out of it. Use these checklist topics to guide your questions for your treating doctor. This will serve two very powerful purposes: It will allow you to quiz attendees, that if you can offer quality questions on a regular basis, you will look interested and get a higher score and possibly an outstanding letter of recommendation. And second, it will allow you to fill in any gaps in your knowledge and have someone who has the most up-to-date knowledge in your field fill it.

These are invaluable resources that you should take advantage of immediately.

These are very simple yet highly effective things you need to do to really simplify the USMLE Step 2 study process. They may seem like a bit of work, and they are, but these simple tricks will make your actual studying significantly easier and are guaranteed to skyrocket your USMLE scores.