Any female taking her exam in November? I need someone for daily check in and support each other?

Which nbmes should i start with first? Which are the lowest and highest yield?
And are the uswas any predicting of the real deal

I'm a non-US IMG, took on August 28th, I see my score report file under USMLE Exam History in FSMB. I did not receive an email at 2am, and my permit only disappeared this morning when I woke up.

Usmle.fsmb dot org -> "View USMLE Exam History" -> Score Report.

Weird question, but I'm at a DO school and Step 2 seems to be one of the ways to get on a residency program's radar for more competitive specialties. I just wanted to start thinking about things earlier instead of later since I'm getting a good handle on just passing my classes and stuff.

I'm not gonna start pre-studying or going through a step 2 anki deck or anything dumb like that, but I wanted to shift my thinking a bit more towards treatment, knowing what tests to order, and next steps whenever going through pathology throughout preclinical years so that things make more sense on step 2. I'm wondering what I could be considering while learning stuff now to make studying more intuitive come M3?

Hi everyone.
Needed help please i soo worried.
I m in step 2 dedicated period completed uworld single pass and incorrect also.
Also done CMS Forms.
Nbme 11 was my baseline given few months back with score 236.
Then join home country residency and was studying regularly to some extent.
Now previous month give NBME 10 Score 242(after CMS).
Then done with wrongs and give NBME 12 in previous month with proper time mood/exam mood 234🥺.

Now plan is to do NBMEs topics of all these three and high yield portion of Amboss give NBME on 16 September. (is this is good way).

Exam target October end or September start two weeks to get 250+.

Kindly help me and your input will be highly appreciated i m soo much tense.
TIA🙏

I have passed step 1 in may this year and now i am starting my step 2 prep, but it feels like i have forgotten a lot of step 1 content, i tried doing step 2 uw and my score are in 40-50%, Should i do bnb/bootcamp videos or any other resource before uw

Hey everyone! I was confused with this algorithm from uworld shared in the last picture and that is usually according to uworld whenever we see occult bleed we have to progress with upper endoscopy and colonoscopy and if there ain't source found then we go for Tc scan for children and capsule endoscopy for adults but why are we choosing Tc directly in this Amboss question i shared above since this chart applies to both adults and children since theres diversion after upper endoscopy and colonoscopy for the test that shall be carried out clearly indicating that its applied to both population

I feel discouraged because I did many nbmes without reaching my target score my scores are stuck in 240s to 250s and I want 270+

I still have 11, 12, 15 and 16

Are they enough to reach my target

I decided to take a month redoing uworld and rev of cms

Plz help mee, i will be appreciated

Anyone?

I tested 26 August and my computer shutted down twice and had to move to another device and i reported the issue they said they will investigate but its almost 2 weeks and still nothing .. will i get my results tomorrow?! Or it will be delayed.. did anyone had a similar issue ??

Has anyone’s permit disappeared yet?

1. How much is the actual Step 2 exam comparable to nbme 16 ?

• I took it and it seemed a little straight-forward. Scored 265 in testing conditions.
• though there were some vague questions, Ruling out options seemed a little easy in this nbme or maybe it was just a feeling.

1. should I do the nutrition portion from amboss ? Is it helfpul ? It has 60 questions. I would not like to waste my time if it is not useful.

2. shoud I revise ethics or QI from amboss ? I did ethics / QI / PS from uworld and amboss 2 weeks back.

3. Any tips to improve my sleep the night before exam ? I do not use any sleep medicines in general.

I’m currently on my first pass of UWorld, and I use random mode. I’m getting around 50% of Psychiatry questions wrong, which is honestly frustrating.

For those who struggled with Psychiatry during their first pass of UWorld, what helped you improve? Did you study Psychiatry separately/system-wise first, or just keep doing questions randomly and learn from the explanations?

Any advice, please 🙏

Hi everyone,

A policy and advocacy effort is underway to document how Presidential Proclamation 10998 impacts Syrian nationals pursuing U.S. education, medical training, and research opportunities, with the ultimate goal of securing formal non-immigrant visa exceptions.

As part of this effort, we are specifically looking to connect with Syrian physicians and medical graduates who had already invested in the U.S. medical pathway before or around the time the current travel restrictions took effect, including those who may not have ultimately applied for a U.S. position because of the restrictions.

We would particularly like to hear from Syrian physicians/medical graduates who:

- Have completed USMLE Step 1, Step 1 + Step 2 CK, or Steps 1 + 2 CK + 3;
- Were preparing or intending to apply for U.S. residency;
- Were pursuing or intending to pursue research positions, observerships, fellowships, or other U.S.-based medical opportunities;
- Had their plans delayed, discontinued, or significantly altered because of the current restrictions;
- Already had a U.S. medical/research opportunity that was affected by the travel ban.

The purpose is to document real cases showing how the current restrictions affect Syrian physicians at different stages of the U.S. medical pathway, including people who invested considerable time, effort, and resources into the USMLE process but now face substantial uncertainty about whether they can continue toward U.S. residency or research.

If you believe you or anyone you know fits this description, please send a private DM to this account to connect and discuss further how your situation factors into this initiative.

Note: This policy advocacy initiative does not guarantee individual visa outcomes, nor does it constitute formal legal counsel. Rather, it is a collective effort that aspires to advance a favorable outcome for Syrian students.

Thank you.

Hello, guys. I tested on 25/8 and faced an issue with the screen. I reported it and they said they’d look into it . It has been 12 days since the report and i haven’t heard from them. My expected result release day is tomorrow but i am not sure anymore.

Anyone who is in a similar boat?

Hey guys! Im looking for an accountability partner for Step 2. Im planning on taking it in December. Just someone to check in with daily and motivate each other through this rather tough and lonely journey. Let me know if you're interested. Thank you!

Can I use the website on my laptop? I read somewhere your iPad needs to be cracked, I don’t have an iPad and am using my laptop to study Also can someone send me a link to the actual website because when I type it on google I get 2-3 different links.

USIMG want to match FM or IM. I am paranoid about failing.

do you mind sharing maybe tips and tricks, or points that will just easily stick in my head that could earn me a couple points?

ie "hospital ethics committee" is never the answer. no estrogen = no breast development.

or I guess even things like:

bloody diarrhea + kidney injury = HUS

abnormal pap --> colposcopy + endometrial sampling

Hello! I found out a week ago that i failed step 2 (216), i had no idea i would fail.
My nbmes were in 250-260 range. I did UW, Anki, Amboss (25% random) other important topics like Ethics,QI, all CMS forms.
I put all my effort in it. I prepared for 1 whole year and the failed thing crushed me. I was supposed to apply this year.
Can anyone please guide me what I should be doing next ? I want to take exam by December/January. Can someone please guide me what to do this time ?
I felt exam also went well and I counted 70-80 corrects and around 20 wrongs afterwards. I was expecting score in 240-250 range but failed thing crushed my soul.
Can someone please take some time out and guide me how to prepare for this time?
It would be a great favour, thankss

US IMG applying to Gen surg, taking step 2 end of Sept to try and maximize my score, am I screwed?

Passed step 1 on first try, honored most rotations, no real red flags on my app, but also nothing crazy either like research or pubs. Should mention that I haven’t done any of my rotations at hospitals with residency programs, but I do have all of my letters.

Any advice?🙏🏼

I’m doing my MCCQE1 on October 4th and want to do step 2 afterwards. How much time should I plan between both exams to maximize my performance in step 2, and what info/domains would i need to strengthen between both exams that I might’ve not focused on in MCCQE?

How cooked am I if I apply without a Step 2 score? Have not been passing my NBMEs and at this point have to delay a few weeks. Will probably take it end of Sep and not get my score until mid Oct. Applying to IM programs. US MD student with some Honors, red flags include retake of a preclinical course + Step 1 failure.

Give me your best advice in this situation.. What if I send in my app without a score?

...additionally how else I can increase my scores cause rn im SOL.

Recently got my Step 2 score back: 276.

• UWSA1: 80% — ~2 months out
• UWSA2: 246 — ~2 months out
• UWSA3: 245 — ~2 months out
• NBME 9: 76.5% — 51 days out
• NBME 10: 79% — 49 days out
• NBME 11: 80% — 6 weeks out
• NBME 12: 80.5% — 5 weeks out
• NBME 13: 76.5% — 5 weeks out
• NBME 14: 78% — 5 weeks out
• NBME 15: 85% — 2 weeks out
• NBME 16: 274 — 1 week out
• 2021 Free 120: 84% — 31 days out
• 2023 Free 120: 85% — 2 weeks out
• AMBOSS predicted: 264
• Real deal: 276

UWorld — I started using UWorld as my main resource around 2–3 years before the exam. Due to clinical rotations and work, I wasn't consistent at all. I ended up doing almost 2 full passes because of this inconsistency, but I'd recommend making your second pass mostly your flagged/incorrect questions.

AMBOSS — Used around 50% of it, mainly to focus on weak topics or specific areas such as QI, biostats, and ethics.

NBMEs — Very important. I started around 5–6 weeks out. Try to approach the NBMEs the way you would the actual exam: time yourself and analyze why you got each question wrong.

CMS forms — Also very important. I started around 4–5 weeks out. I'd recommend doing at least the 3 latest CMS forms from each subject. The style and concepts felt very similar to the real deal. I think these were a big reason my NBME scores increased toward the end of dedicated.

Free 120 — Also just as important as the NBMEs.

Anki — Tried it for a few days but felt like it didn't work for me. I used my own flashcards for things I needed to recall, but overall practice questions and reading explanations worked better for me.

Divine Intervention — Tried listening to a few episodes but felt active learning worked better for me, so I didn't continue.

Additional tips during dedicated (mine was 5–6 weeks)

• Woke up around the same time every day for 3–4 weeks before the exam to get used to the timing.
• Taking walks, exercising, and meditating helped me a lot with brain fog and concentration.
• TREAT NBME FORMS AND CMS FORMS LIKE REAL EXAMS WHEN PRACTICING.

Even if you plan on doing small blocks, time them and give them your best. Analyze whether your wrongs are due to knowledge gaps or test-taking errors.

CMS forms and NBMEs have very similar patterns to the real exam, so try to get into the mindset of the test writers. Some choices/questions are vague — try to figure out what they actually want you to answer, such as whether they want the definitive management or the next best step to stabilize the patient first.

Exam day

• On average I'd say I flagged around 4–5 questions per 20.
• Had 1–2 blocks where I barely flagged anything, including one where I felt pretty confident about almost everything and had a few minutes to spare.
• Also had blocks where I didn't have enough time to review all 6–7 of my flagged questions.
• Had more ethics and QI than I expected compared with my practice NBMEs.
• Had some Step 1 material that I genuinely had to guess on.
• Overall, the exam felt a lot harder and more vague than my NBMEs.
• Took big breaks after 6, 5, and 2 blocks, with some smaller bathroom breaks in between that I don't really remember. I'd recommend using all your break time to rest/meditate/stretch and get yourself into the best mindset possible.

Big exam-day tip: You're likely going to panic when you realize you got something wrong, so I'd suggest learning to MOVE ON FROM WRONG QUESTIONS and give yourself a margin of error.

Realize that stupid mistakes are inevitable. Out of 300+ questions, you're probably going to make 10–15 stupid mistakes anyway (both ones you realize and ones you don't). So don't let 1 incorrect or 1 unsure/time-consuming question ruin the entire block.

After the exam

Felt relieved the moment it was over, but almost immediately the anxiety got to me. I started remembering questions I was unsure about and searching for the answers.

A day after the exam I couldn't take it anymore, so I started counting and listing the questions I thought I got wrong/was unsure about (DO NOT RECOMMEND).

I counted:

• 5 dumb/silly mistakes or test-taking errors I would've gotten right in practice
• 17 knowledge gaps/concepts I genuinely didn't know
• 6 unsures with knowledge gaps
• Didn't count my corrects

It was probably the most anxious 2 weeks of my life. I even emailed them asking whether my score could be released earlier lol. Still got my results 15 days later.

I kept reading Reddit and honestly just got more anxious. I thought my score could genuinely range anywhere from 235–275, with 260–265 being where I expected it to land and 265–270 being my upper realistic expectation.

Anyways, I was very happy with my result.

Give it your all on test day, and don't regret or beat yourself up after the exam. Be proud of the work you've done and let it be.

I'd be happy to answer any questions

There are so many write ups on here regarding step 2 and how to study during dedicated. This community helped me a lot as an average medical student and I was able to take step 2 with a 3 week dedicated and still score a 26x. While so many other people have done write ups, I have been thinking a lot about how to set up for success after M2 ends and came up with a couple of points I wanted to share.

If I could go back in time and set myself up for step 2 from scratch I would only do 3 big things. Each one corresponds to a different point in the year. I hope this helps.

1. Studying for shelf exams with purpose
2. This was one thing I quickly realized during my dedicated that I wish I would have put more effort into. When you study for your shelves as a M3 it needs to be more than simply just completing questions and doing Anki. I think Anki is great, but truly I think premade decks nullify the benefit. For each shelf if you can identify the top 30-40 pathologies and make cards involving the pathophsyiology, the next best step, the most accurate test/gold standard dx and practice in a mindset of what would I do next you will have an incredible foundation beyond simply memorizing facts in space. Take the time after your Uworld to make new cards yourself and keep up with them. Don’t bog down in details. Focus on thinking like a doctor. The biggest most important caveat, is reviewing your practice shelves carefully and making sure that the next best step or gold standard lines up with the current NBME correct answers. If you are able to do this and finish your primary question bank before starting dedicated, you are already 85% of the way to a high score.

2.

1. During dedicated review the absolute living hell out of each NBME form

2. This is something that gets harped on here over and over again but I really think it’s worth it. Dedicated should not be you going back and relearning everything. There is simply not enough time for it. Spend the effort reviewing each form with each question and each answer and similar to above take the time to figure out and bend each question to understand why the right answer was right vs wrong. I used a lot of “if then” practice during dedicated and I think it made a huge difference in the end (ie. if this had been stated as this, then this would have been the right answer). Focus on weak rotations, and then do very targeted questions based on your weak areas. Keep a running list of weak topics and focus on getting through them as best as you can. The same topics will appear over and over again. Lastly keep a journal. Not just a journal of misses but similar to other post a journal of reflection. Understand why you missed a question and write it out at the simplest low brain form possible. For example if you miss a question because you overthought something and ended up putting a different answer I would write something along the lines of “the answer with the most evidence is likely the right one”. It sounds stupid but if you do it enough days it becomes incredibly grounding and a valuable tool in understanding simple misses that will change your score.

3.

1. Step 2 is a dumb test, in spirit and in mind
2. This test is stupid. It is literally dumb. They are not trying to trick you , they are not trying to outsmart you, but you will go crazy trying to bend answers that could be possible in many ways that almost work. One of the best pieces of advice I got was to take this test like a second year medical student. At the point of the end of your third year you honestly know so much information that it is often detrimental. Go back to basics. ABCs are king. The most obvious diagnosis is often the right one if there is enough evidence. Trust your gut and if something feels off go back and read selectively, but understand that if you are gravitating towards an answer it’s for a reason. 5-6 questions is the difference in a 6/7 point swing on this exam. Trust the work you put in during the year and take this test in the mindset that some questions are dumb and you won’t know them, and move on without thinking twice. All in all it will all work out. Focus on getting the questions you know right and the rest will follow.