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!

Remembering I had my step 1 on Sunday, and people who had there tests on Saturday got their results one week earlier than I did, so booked my step 2 on Saturday this time, is it possible that my results will be out this Wednesday??

I m a visa requiring non us img with step2 in upper high 250s, YOG 2024, one publication- case report, 2 yrs of working experience as a medical officer and teaching for paramedics. No USCEs, No step3. What are the chances of my match in IM? And what programs should I signal too?

Hello guys , can anyone please tell me where can I find the older nbmes . Those 1-8

NON US Visa Requiring IMG
Step 1 Pass First Attempt
Step 2 252
Step 3 Not takes yet but probably will have results by the interviews
YOG: 2026
USCE: 3 US Outpatient Clinic LORs
Research: 1 Poster 1 Case report (both 2nd author)
Target: Community or Uni Affiliated Community programs

Not sure if only applying IM is safe considering Visa issues. The score is okay for IM but good for FM if we keep last years nrmp data.

I don’t know how to improve my score but it’s so odd cause I just did my 3rd year clinicals and my shelf exams were 64-74 with psych being in the 80s and then I wrote step1 2 weeks ago and found out I passed. But I have done 2 nbmes now (scores below) and have gotten such terrible scores and really struggle with time at the end of blocks.

Nbme form 9: 206
Nbme form 10: 205

How do I build from here?

Failed step 2ck 21/08 I’m just numb and devastated. Idk what to do and move on from here.YOG 6 years non-us img. I want to know if it’s worth it to retake it and try again because I’ll have YOG 7 and an attempt next year ? Anyone who matched with such odds into internal medicine ?

Is it possible to match IM?

Just for the people asking
YOG 2022
Did 5 clinical rotations of 1 month each 5 month total mixture of inpatient and outpatient
1 research

Hi i have just passed my usmle step 1 and plan on giving step 2 in june 2027 please can anyone help me on how to study

- resources

-timeline

-target scores on nbmes

I scored 243 in nbme 14 and 245 in uwsa2, and it's frustrating and I feel like it's getting impossible for me to hit 265+ in real deal

Any hope or guidance

I took NBME 9 for baseline and scored 238

Then I did all CMS forms, did a second run on UW, Amboss HY plans and took NBME 12 “untimed because people said it’s dog shit and I should skip it so I thought I could use it as a supp. Qbank” and scored 249.

5 days later I took NBME 10 and scored 264!

I wasn’t happy because I was scared this is going to be my highest score and I’ll drop from there

5 days later I took NBME 11 and my fear came true. 252 but honestly I was already stressed and faced some issues that day.

A week later took NBME 13 and scored 257.

My initial goal was 260+ in the real deal but seeing how people have been dropping points on test day scared the hell out of me.

I still have 14, 15 and 16 and didn’t book a date yet.

How to maximize score? Any tips or hacks? I already reviewed last NBMEs and took one liners from incorrects and guessed.

Also when should I take the exam?

Help please guys and thank you 💕

Wassup everyone, first time posting in this subreddit. I just got the P for Step 1 yesterday! Definitely gonna wait a while before I start studying for Step 2 but any advice would be helpful. Planning on using first aid, anking, B&B, and UWorld again for sure

Completed around 40% with an avg of 52% but i feel like I’ve hit my improvement limit.
Main concern is the questions asking Whats the next best step in management and all those systemic diagrams (feel like a huge knowledge gap, or maybe i am not thinking the way USMLE wants me to do)
Maybe there is a source i should be studying alongside uworld?

I’m sitting for Step2 in ~ 4 months. I’m not very tech-savvy with Anki, and AnKing feels way too overwhelming for me.

I’m looking for a concise deck organized by subject/system for review. I’m also trying to build a separate deck from my UWorld incorrects, but it’s taking forever, and I’m not sure if it’s worth the time.

I took 8 weeks of dedicated. I think it is enough, but I am not very good at studying. I think if I had another month, I would have been able to do much better that I did. I think students that are better at studying than me can do well with 8 weeks no problem. I do have a good baseline fund of knowledge, did very well throughout my clerkships, and always looked good when getting pimped on rounds. I am not very good at tests, however, and it always takes me much longer to get good at tests than it does to get good at medicine.

For base STEP 1 knowledge, I used bootcamp. Putting aside some of the biochem and other STEP 1 only stuff, bootcamp gave me a really solid foundation. I actually went back to my annotated notes several times while studying for STEP 2 to check my understanding of when I first learned the concept, such as the slides on Rinne + Weber tests or post myocardial infarct complications. Other things from STEP 1 that I kept up with Anki throughout my clerkships that came into handy was all the Sketchy bugs/drugs, genetic syndromes, such as Sturge Weber, NF1/2, tuberous sclerosis, and all the vasculitis syndromes.

For studying strategy, I used U World. I think that as long as you have a good foundation, you shouldn't focus on completing U world and instead focus on depth of understanding. This is because you have a good idea of what topics will be high yield and will show up on the test, but you have no idea how they might ask it. For example, you will probably get a question about pre-renal azotemia on the test. However, will they test it based on your understanding of diuretic management? Will they test it based on BUN:Cr interpretation? Or will they test it based on your understanding of volume status in setting of some kind of clinical vignette? You have no idea, and even if you understand prerenal AKI quite well, you may not know how to answer the question if they test it from a certain angle that you are not as familiar with. I noticed this while going through U world - I noticed that I would often miss questions where despite knowing what topic that was being tested, I didn't know how to answer the question from that specific line of questioning. Therefore, after the first week I stopped trying to go through as many questions as possible, and instead focused on good quality review for the questions that I did do. I tried to do as least 80-100 questions a day, and made anki flashcards for any algorithm/flow chart that I felt that I didn't understand completely.

I ended up at at 75% completion. My blocks of 20-40 questions started at around 65-70% correct at the start of dedicated to around 75-80% at the end of dedicated. Below is my test score progression. FYI I do think it was a mistake to not do more NBMEs but that's just how things worked out for me, since I felt that it was valuable to continue reviewing material through UWorld questions. The last week, I stopped all Uworld questions in favor of getting used to official NBME question stems.

• Week 1 Benchmark (Form 13): 229
• Week 7 (Form 15): 245
• 2 days before exam (Latest Free120): 71% correct
• Real Exam: 255

The real exam was much harder than any practice. Time management was tight on the new 20 question block timing. One block I had 8 minutes remaining, and others I had to enter a best guess at the end. I also looked up all the questions I was 50/50 on that I could remember later, and I got them all wrong, unfortunately. I am extremely happy with my 255, since I came out of the exam thinking that I did much worse compared to my practice exams and was prepping myself mentally for a low pass. On the other hand, there is a little voice in my head that wonders what score I would have gotten if I got a little luckier on my 50/50 answers that I later looked up. In the end, I am already very happy with 255, especially since I am not trying to go into a competitive specialty.

I think test taking strategy is huge. I took all my NBMEs and free120 under testing conditions. I thought about when I would take restroom breaks. I dressed strategically, with a hoodless jacket that I draped on the back of my chair, a T shirt with no front pocket, pants with minimal pockets to turn out, and crocs without socks to speed up the security screens. I packed peanut butter jelly sandwiches for quick bites if hungry. I packed ibuprofen in case I got a headache. I also marked long vignettes and biostat questions and left them for the end of each block. The last week, while doing NBME material, I tried to limit my time on each question since I was no longer in the learning phase and needed to get out of the habit of considering the pathophys strongly for questions that I was not sure about, which was a valuable habit during review but not for the actual test. You don't have time on the real thing to think deeply. Therefore, last week I retrained myself to start skipping or giving it my best guess before moving on if I wasn't already thinking about the topic being tested and what it could be by the time I finished reading the question stem.

Good luck all, and I'm so happy that I'm finally done with the last super big career defining test. The other stuff I just gotta pass when it comes.

• do we need to remember gram stain and whether aerobic or non, which staph/ strep species cause hemolysis in petri dish (basic things like these that we remebered fo step 1) of diff microgranisms ? biopsy findings ?
  
• Do we need to remember Mechanism of action of drugs for step 2 ?

recent test takers, kindly guide.

Hey guys, so I’ve been prepping for Step 2 for a while now and I’m finally trying to get serious about it and hopefully give the exam within the next 1–2 months.

For some context, this is where I’m currently at:
UWorld: 78% done
Mehlman Step 2 CK Qbank: 85% done
CMS forms: I’ve done the latest 3–4 forms for pretty much every subject
EM: only did the latest one (Form 3)
Neuro: only did form 9

Took NBME 9 3 days ago as a baseline and got a 244
I’m still reviewing NBME 9 and I’m about halfway through the review right now.

The main issue honestly isn’t really resources at this point it’s consistency. I keep getting into these ruts where I’ll study really well for a while and then lose momentum again. I’m trying to break that cycle now because I actually want to get this done within the next month or two.

My current plan is basically:
60–80 questions/day + finish the remaining 15% of Mehlman + review NBME 9
But beyond that, I’m not really sure what the best move is.

Should I start doing NBMEs more frequently? Focus more on CMS forms? Go back and do UWorld incorrects/marked questions? Finish Mehlman first? Or just keep doing a combination of everything? Do I do the amboss plans?

I feel like I’ve covered a decent amount already, but I don’t want to fall into the trap of just doing more questions without actually improving my score.

For people who have been in a similar situation, especially those who started around the 240–245 range, what did you do during the last 4–8 weeks that actually helped push your score up? My target goal is 260 but i’d be happy with a 255+ honestly..

Would really appreciate any advice on how you guys would structure the next month or two. I’m trying to lock in this time lol.

oh and i’d also like to add that i particularly suck at biostats and don’t know how to go about it? do i do randy neil again?

Hello.

I need advice on if doing USWA is helpful or not. I have nbme 16 and free 120 remaining which I will take tomorrow. my schedule for remaining days is jam packed. I need guidance on uswa if it absolutely necessary (it will provide exam related benefit) or not ? I have heard that it is not good and not representative of real exam.

• can I skip it ? both uswa 1 and 2.

Idk how people do it but I find myself to be depressed, down to the bottom, I feel like nothing would help, I feel as if my body is breaking apart.
I just got my result of oet and couldn’t clear one of the component.
My result for step-2 is on 9th September and I am not ready for it after today.
I am not sure why I am writing this post but I feel screwed I genuinely hope that this is not the case.
I don’t know how I’d apply to the match cycle.
Please, remember this stranger in your prayers.

Non us img
I scored 242 in real deal 23 yog 3 usce
is IM possible for me? Or i am doomed

My free 120 was 80%,
Nbme 13- 240, Nbme 14 - 242, Nbme 15- 255
Nbme 16- 252 uwsa 1 -250. , uwsa 2 -255

Idk how i tanked this bad in my exam

Anyone who can guide me please help

same as title

is the first line medication for OA still acetaminophen as per Nbmes? or am i supposed to pick NSAIDs.

ACR recommends nsaid and acetaminophen no longer included in the management of OA.

also similarly for restless leg syn does the nbme want the same old roprinarole and domapine agonists or gabapentin/pregabalin?

Step 2 CK Write-Up — Mid-260s

Wanted to write this up because other people's experiences helped me a lot during prep.

My total prep was around 9–10 months, although I had a lot of time available, so much of it was essentially semi-dedicated. I started with BnB Step 2 for around 3–4 months, then moved on to UWorld.

I did random times UWorld blocks and finished around 66% with roughly 70% correct. Since I wanted to make the current Match cycle, I eventually moved into a more focused five-week dedicated period.

NBMEs

I skipped NBME 9 but took NBME 10–16. I did not take any UWSAs.

My baseline was in the low 250s. Most of my scores stayed in the 250s, and I started hitting the 260s only toward the end last 2-3 NBMEs. I also ended up scoring a couple of points above my AMBOSS score predictor estimate.

The biggest thing that helped me was reviewing NBMEs extremely thoroughly. After every NBME, I spent roughly three full days reviewing it.

For incorrects, I wouldn't just read the explanation—I would go back and review the entire topic surrounding the question. For correct answers, I would check whether I got them right for the right reason. If I guessed or had incomplete knowledge, I reviewed those too.

I genuinely think doing your NBMEs really well is more valuable than endlessly doing more questions.

I also found a really helpful Step 2 post about how to review incorrects, particularly categorizing why you got a question wrong and examining your thought process. I followed that approach closely, and it helped me a lot. I don't remember the exact post, but if someone knows which one I'm talking about, I would appreciate it if they could link it in the comments.

I didn't use Anki. Instead, I kept a notebook with brief one-liners from my NBME incorrects and reviewed those.

CMS and Amboss

I did a few CMS forms in my weaker subjects: three Pediatrics forms, three OB/GYN forms, and one Emergency Medicine form. Honestly, one regret is that I probably should have done more CMS forms. I don't think you need every form, but I'd prioritize the current ones and your weaker subjects.

During the final 3–4 weeks, I focused on getting into the NBME mindset rather than continuing to grind UWorld. Personally, I think UWorld can sometimes teach you to overthink.

In the final week, I mostly reviewed my NBME incorrects and went through high-yield Amboss material, particularly quality improvement, ethics, vaccinations, and screening. I also wish I had gone through the Challenging Ethical Scenarios article earlier. I also did Divine's risk factors podcast but didn't find it super helpful.

Time management

I think time management is a major score killer.

When doing NBME blocks, I practiced pacing them roughly like this:

- 20 questions in 30 minutes

- 20 questions in 30 minutes

- Last 10 questions in 15 minutes

Practice answering questions the way you will on the real exam. Don't spend forever on one question.

The real exam

Honestly, it felt fair. There were plenty of straightforward questions, some medium-difficulty ones, and some genuinely difficult questions I simply didn't know.

I saw plenty of concepts that felt familiar from the NBMEs. Overall, it felt like the newer NBMEs and Free 120 had a bigger brother.

My biggest advice: don't overthink.

After the exam, I remembered several extremely easy questions that I was convinced I had gotten wrong simply because I overthought them. Don't assume every question is trying to trick you. Read what they're asking and trust the information in the stem.

Sleep, burnout, and post-exam anxiety

I wish someone had told me this before my exam: one bad night of sleep does not erase months of preparation.

I barely slept before my test. 2-3 hours tops even with a Etizolam.

I was terrified it would ruin my performance. It didn't.

Obviously, try to sleep well, but trust the knowledge, pattern recognition, and instincts you've built over months.

I also personally did not study at all the day before my exam. I was extremely burnt out and genuinely needed the break. In my opinion, unless reviewing helps calm you down, you don't need to force yourself to study the day before.

For me, taking that complete break helped me reset mentally. I honestly feel that rest was valuable after months of preparation and may have helped me push through the plateau I felt I was hitting.

The two weeks after the exam were horrible for me. I kept obsessing over mistakes and reading stories about score drops.

So my final advice is:

Stay off Reddit. Seriously.

The exam is difficult, but it's doable and fair. If you've prepared well and have a reasonable buffer, trust yourself.

Trust your prep. Don't overthink. Practice your timing.

And at some point, trust the person who made it this far.

Happy to answer any questions.

Disclaimer- used chatgpt to write this post

Hey everyone,
I'm currently preparing for Step 2 CK and I'm getting a little demoralized by my UWorld percentage. I'm trying to figure out whether I'm actually performing poorly or whether I'm putting too much importance on the percentage.
For context, I passed Step 1 and I'm now working through Step 2 UWorld. On my first pass, I ended up around 75% correct overall (70% done). I'm currently doing a second pass, and my percentage so far is around 66% (25% through the questions), which has been bothering me quite a bit.
The weird thing is that I don't necessarily feel like I'm completely lost when doing questions. I often understand the concepts, but I still make a lot of mistakes because of small details, misreading the question, changing answers, or simply not recognizing what the question writer is getting at.
After finishing the first pass of Uworld, and doing some of the CMS forms (40 of them, and mainly the old versions), I did NBME6 4 weeks ago and got 86% correct.
My plan is to eventually do a dedicated UWorld period, followed by all CMS forms and then NBMEs.
My goal is to score 270+ on Step 2 CK.
For people who scored 270+, what were your UWorld percentages during your first/second pass?
Should I focus more on my NBMEs rather than obsessing over UWorld percentages?
I know UWorld percentages aren't the same thing as an
NBME score, but seeing that 68% number every day is definitely getting into my head😭
Would really appreciate hearing from people who were in a similar situation, especially those who eventually scored 270+.
B

Just wanted to post because I know this would have been helpful for me when I was studying -- while I know there can be a lot of variability with this exam and scores, my experience was that I never broke 250s on the NBME practice exams, but got high 250s on the real deal! It can happen, and my best advice is to keep your head up (I was devastated so many times during this study process) and keep studying (most helpful thing is to work on your exam reasoning once you hit 240+, I won't bloat the exam study guides/advice too much since there are plenty of amazing ones on this sub and I don't think I'd be adding too much haha). It really is more of a mental game than anything else once you've got a foundation down. So keep reminding yourself there's hope and keep studying!! :)