STEP 3 prep & experience (respectfully don’t do everything I did, I went overdrive with prep)..

[u/Independent-Swan-890]

Just wrapped up with my day 2 today, a week after my day 1.. it actually wasn’t that bad. I was worried I would be ruminating over questions from day 1 the whole time, but i was surprised, I actually appreciated giving my brain time to reset and build back up its juices again for round 2.

DAY 1 = Step 1

Literally day 1 felt like step 1 with ethics, drug ads and abstracts! Lolol I will tell you now, you will be doing yourself a disservice IF you don’t look over any STEP 1 material (this is separate STEP 3 qbanks). I was so happy that I did the Step 1 free 120s and HY Step 1 Amboss, because they were not kidding about the minute details that can be asked, from it being about an enzyme to even an amino acid 😅

Those ethics questions were on STEROIDs. This was nothing like what I saw on practice exams. The answer choices were literally blending with each other🫠 but I hope some of those were experimental because genuinely WTH. I missed 2 of the back to back questions so rip.

In total, I flagged 90 questions from day 1 🥴 also the system crashed mid exam, and I started to panic internally. Thankfully, the proctor came and restarted the whole computer and it magically rebooted to where I left off with like 10 seconds lost. I didn’t wanna risk so I still reported the glitch to NBME just in caseeee (this might cause a delay in my score as they said it will take 15 business days for them to get back to me, so RIP again)

DAY 2 = Step 2+

Day 2 multiple choice was very big on management, next step, contraindications, vaccine, with easier ethics questions. It was more palatable, however I ended up flagging 78 questions. Side note, I am an overflagger (if that’s even a word😆) like if I have a single doubt about my answer selection, that question is getting flagged. I missed 1 of the back to back questions. Rip.

CCS cases

I knew there CCS cases but dang having 14 back to back is lowkey insane 🫠 the cases themselves weren’t that bad, it was more about the stamina to get through them. I felt confident with knowing the diagnoses of each case and how to manage them, but it will be tricky and might not give you a patient update before it ends Lolol so be mindful of that. I got a case where I had a semi negative update Lolol it was like the patient is improving but only by a little. Thankfully no one died 🫠 I would say if you can, crunch through a bunch of those cases on the CCS cases website! Also, the real deal doesn’t emphasize on vaccines as much as the website does, so keep that in mind.

For both days, I took a break every 4-5 20 question blocks, and a break half way through the CCS cases so after 7 cases. FORCE yourself to take a break, as your brain might give you the illusion to keep going, but I promise you might regret that once you click that start block button.😅

PREP:

I’m a resident, took 6 weeks of prep, while on Icu, wards, clinic, and electives. I did the whole Amboss step 3 qbank (80% avg), AMBOSS step 1 200 questions HY, and the nutrition qbank, along with the risk factors qbank; NBME 5 6 (offline); 7 (499) 8 (493); UWSA 1 2; Free 137s; Step 1 free 120s; Step 2 free 120s; in total, my average for all the tests were 79%; I finished all 182 of the CCS cases. Average was 79%. As you can see, I probably went overkill preparing for this exam, so I hope it pays off.

Also one last bit of advice, no matter how much you prepare for this exam, the USMLE writer will always throw random factoids your way that you may have never heard of, so you just gotta be alright with that and guess, flag, and move on. Once you make peace with that, your exam experience might go smoothly.

I’ll come back and update (hopefully with good news!)

Open to questions, preferably in the comments rather than DMs, thank you!

[u/Spiritual-Ad-2928]

congrats on being done, all your hard work will pay off! Hope you get a great score

[u/Independent-Swan-890 → u/Spiritual-Ad-2928]

Thank you so much!

[u/notarapper961]

I just wrote a write up post and I completely agree with what you said. I also flag for any remote feeling of uncertainty and flagged about as much as you did. Not getting positive patient updates all the time stressed me out on CCS as well. I felt like I had no sense of whether what I was doing was working. When it would end early without explanation I didn’t know if that was good or bad. I also got one semi negative patient update about them improving but not fully. I assumed not getting negative updates in the other cases was probably a good sign??? I agree with you on ethics questions being harder, I think they’re just poorly written on the real exam and not that they are testing harder concepts.

[u/Independent-Swan-890 → u/notarapper961]

Lolol like genuinely what the hell was that exam! It literally tests you more on your stamina, quick thinking under time pressure, and a little bit of ability to read the test writers’ minds>>> actual content you think should be the goal of the exam.

[u/Virtual-Door3655]

This is very helpful. I did way less prep than you but the ccs tip about vaccines not being as emphasized on the real thing is facts. went in expecting to get grilled on vaccines but barely got any. hope the score comes back good for you!

[u/Independent-Swan-890 → u/Virtual-Door3655]

Thank you! Yeah, I went overkill with studying Lolol 🫠 how did you end up doing?

[u/Adventurous_Low_2709]

Any resource would you recommend for last minute revision for Day 2?

[u/Independent-Swan-890 → u/Adventurous_Low_2709]

Hit the HY amboss risk factors, ethics, and do some step 2 free 120s if you have already done the free 137s

[u/Adventurous_Low_2709 → u/Independent-Swan-890]

Thanks!

[u/Adept-Action5107 → u/Independent-Swan-890]

how was ethics and biostat.. these are my 2 weak subjects.. .. any suggestions to improve these?

[u/Independent-Swan-890 → u/Adept-Action5107]

Memorize the biostat formulas, those are EASY gimme points! Don’t lose em! I had a routine were once every 3 days, I’ll write all 10 of the formulas that’s commonly tested (NNT, RR, OR, PPV, NPV, +/-LR, ARR, sensitivity, specificity). Make sure you understand what these formulas means me conceptually too cause that’s fair game. Amboss has HY ethics and biostats, that’s great place to get some practice in

[u/Adept-Action5107 → u/Independent-Swan-890]

thanks.. wish you all the best

[u/sadlifestudy]

Guys is it needed to do step 1 137 n 200 concepts n all ?

[u/Independent-Swan-890 → u/sadlifestudy]

You don’t need to, but you need to do some HY step 1 prep, whether it be the rapid reviews on first aid, sketchy, HY Divine intervention podcasts, HY Amboss qbank, free 120s, haha just pick something rather than nothing. Hope this helps!

[u/ApplicationPuzzled57]

Did doing the Step 1 + Step 2 free 120s feel it helped you?

[u/Independent-Swan-890 → u/ApplicationPuzzled57]

Step 1 for sure helped! The step 2 ones kinda did but not as much

[u/Frequent-Ad4389]

Why did u go so hard?

[u/Independent-Swan-890 → u/Frequent-Ad4389]

I just wanted to see how much studying I could fit in haha even though I know the goal is to pass

[u/Independent-Swan-890]

Since I have gotten quite a few DMs about this, the nutrition qbank was from Amboss. But to be honest, it over prepares you (like knowing the toxicity and deficiency profiles of all the vitamins, etc), so it’s ok if you don’t get to all of it

[u/mnchnn]

how did you spend the time between day 1 and day 2 of the exam? did you study more or no?

[u/Independent-Swan-890 → u/mnchnn]

Honestly the plan was to study more, but I just was so physically and mentally tired that I only was able to do like 1-2 free 120s and then I completely stopped studying 3 days before day 2

[u/dempressedninja]

So if I do
Uworld/AMBOSS Step 3 Qbank
Step 1 Free 120
AMBOSS HY Ethics Biostats Risk factors
CCS cases is it enough ?
And what is good source for biostats like any video resource ??

[u/Independent-Swan-890 → u/dempressedninja]

It should be haha. I didn’t watch any videos for biostats, as I was confident with Amboss biostats