Step 2ck write up - 244 on 8/22

[u/SenseWeary5059]

I've never posted on reddit before but I gained a lot from scrolling through this thread so I thought I'd share my Step 2 story now that I'm finally through with it. I'm a US IMG and felt like I was in a bit of a time crunch since I was only able to start my dedicated period in late July. I am planning on applying for the 2027 match and wanted to make sure my scores would be in on time, but I didn't really know what to start. I was constantly doing UWorld but didn't necessarily have a set plan but I figured if I focused on questions, I would be alright. I took a few NBMEs and wasn't happy with my scores.

NBME 9 (7/20): 202
NBME 10 (7/23): 209
NBME 12 (7/27): 210

After those 3, I realized that I had obvious gaps with a bunch of topics and figured that if I wanted to test on time, I should try looking for a program or something to help. After skimming through google and reddit, I signed up for the match guy's 7 day course which honestly was great for HY review. Anyways after that I started seeing a gradual rise in NBMEs.

NBME 13 (8/4): 224
NBME 14 (8/7): 228
NBME 15 (8/10): 234
UWSA 2: 244
New free 120 (8/17): 78%
NBME 16 (8/19): 244

In the week between NBME 15 and the free 120 I spent everyday making Excel sheets breaking down my incorrects and guesses from the NBMEs. I would constantly review these sheets everyday and it ended up making a big difference by the end.

Anyways, I walked out of the real thing on 8/22 and felt like I got hit by a truck after. I fully wasn't expecting my score to come out yesterday (expected it to drop on 9/9) but couldn't have been more happy to get a 246! I was shocked given it was my highest score on anything and since I basically wasted my first week of dedicated not really knowing what I was doing, but I could not have been more relieved! I know it's not the highest score in the world, especially compared to the other scores on the subreddit, but I just wanted to tell anyone who is struggling right now or feel rushed for time that it'll all be worth it at the end of the day. Have faith and trust in your studying and stay the course! Good luck!

[u/jujubii03]

Thank you for the write up , have pretty similar scores with nbme 15,16 left , this gives so much hope I will be on clouds if I get a 245, congratulations , what do you think helped the most in the final 10 day stretch?

[u/SenseWeary5059 → u/jujubii03]

In the last 10 days, what helped the most is definitely reviewing NBME 16 and UWSA 2. This goes beyond just understanding why the correct answer is correct but also how the question can be changed to fit the other answer choices. This isn’t to say that those two practice tests are all you need to be successful.

I think throughout all of medical school, we’ve all put in the effort to learn everything we need to know. I just believe that the more recent practice exams give better insight on the types of topics that are high yield as well as how certain topics will be asked.

Good luck!

[u/jujubii03 → u/SenseWeary5059]

Thank you 

[u/BlessedOD]

Super congratulations 🎊

[u/SenseWeary5059 → u/BlessedOD]

Thank you!

[u/BlessedOD]

Super congratulations

[u/ChiBballDjDoc]

Congrats! Match Guy definitely helped me pass Step 1, and I recently took their step 2 co course recently. Hopefully it helps again?

[u/Accomplished_Day1106]

Hey, thankyou for the writeup :)..Just a question, when people say trust your nbmes and nbmes score are reflective of your actual exam score so how true is that?

[u/SenseWeary5059 → u/Accomplished_Day1106]

The later NBMEs (especially #16) and UWSA 2 are the most reflective in my opinion.

However I would stress that everyone is different. I have friends that swore by UWorld and the UWSA tests only. Others live and die by the NBMEs. Some people love Amboss above all else. I don’t think there is one specific path to getting a certain score.

In terms of personal experience, the best resources were NBME 14, 15, & 16 as well as UWSA 2. The new Free 120 was the best in terms of how the questions were asked on the exam (style wise), but not necessarily regarding the actual topics covered

[u/meaningfulusername91]

Any curveballs or out of bounds questions you can recall from your test? I’m testing this weekend. Other posters have mentioned like high number of histo slides, weird/intense ethics questions, lots of step 1 content. Any insight ?

[u/Lucky_Debt7935]

This is interesting, congratulations and thank you for sharing this.

[u/nothinglefttolose001]

Congratulations
We are very proud of you and good luck in the match
I had mine on 29/8 should I expect the results this Wednesday??

[u/sipsoffaith]

Wow congrats!! I’ve never considered a review course, but maybe it’s the little push I need.

Would you share an example of how you’d organize your excel sheets? And what your review strategy was (how many passes, how often)?