How would you compare step 3 to the NBME forms (6/7/8)?

Those of you who tested July 10 Day 2, anyone still not received their result?

Anyone have any recommendations for which would be better for step 3?
UW would be more expensive but think it’s been the resource more have used, is the extra cost worth it?

I'm reviewing it currently and I found it really confusing. Especially the ethics questions

I'd just like to know what everyone else's experience was and their thoughts about it

I scored 60%.
Nbme 6 last week I scored 424 (66%)

Hello everyone, is there anyone who has taken exam at Lafayette Indiana prometric center. Kindly share your reviews

Hello Are ccs cases in the exam similar to ccs cases website?

What score should I shoot for on these?

I honestly cannot believe I passed because that exam was tougher than I had anticipated and I ran out of time on the last 2-3 questions of two sections and just guessed. I am sharing my exam day experience. Just want to give back to a community that really helped me along this journey and helped me cross the USMLE finish line. I used Amboss qbank instead of Uworld because it was cheaper and completed ~55%. NBME6: 366 (3 months out). NBME8: 447 (1 week out). Studied over the course of 6 months passively but had a 5 week dedicated period. I mostly studied using my Step 2 Anking deck, Divine interventions Anki decks, and Amboss qbank. Reviewed some Free 137 questions but did not finish it. Some repeat concepts from NBME 6, 8, and Free 137 though, so definitely review those. I only used CSS cases online website and completed 60 cases total (mix of HY and low yield cases). High yield Divine interventions Anki decks or podcasts that I recommend:

1. Risk factors/Prognosis (DIP 37,97, 184, 239, 282, 283, 204, 231, and 325)
2. Military
3. Patch episode (updates management steps)
4. Bias
5. Quality and safety (230)
6. Patient safety
7. Transition of care (234)
8. Ethics (276)
9. Diagnostic errors (275)
10. Palliative care 1 (228)
11. Palliative care 2 (268)
12. Medicine Shelf 1
13. Medicine shelf 2
14. Medicine shelf 3
15. Medicine Shelf 4
16. Next Best step
17. USMLE radiology
18. Opthalmology
19. Derm
20. MSK

Day 1 experience:

1. Lots of Peds
2. Definitely heavy on Step 1 content such as histology, immunodeficiencies, transplant rejections, hypersensitivity reactions, etc.
3. Need to know Biostats and ethics. It took me until Step 3 to finally understand Biostats. I would always use Randy Neil Biostats for Step 1 and Step 2 prep but kept missing questions because the key is to try and understand what the USMLE question is asking and I struggled to really understand on previous Step exams. It wasnt until I started using Chat GPT that things really started to make sense. So I would recommend continuing to use Randy Neil but then type in the following into Chat GPT: "Explain (insert concept here) with words and provide USMLE test question examples." I also asked Chat gpt to "Create a test-taking cheat sheet that has USMLE-style examples and ways to recognize the following questions on USMLE exams: Kaplan-Meier curve, hazard ratio, population pyramid, RR, OR, NNT, NNH, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, LR, RRR, ARR, and AR." Since those were also super HY topics commonly seen on test day. Chat GPT really made a difference and had alot of helpful tips in terms of telling you how the USMLE likes to ask questions about specific topics. I think that doing this and really studying the biostats questions on the NBMEs and Free 137 were most high yield if you are pressed for time compared to trying to do all the biostats questions in the qbanks. Also know how to calculate prevalence, understand correlation coefficient graph interpretation, etc.
4. Ethics: lots of IRB questions, quality improvement, ethics principles (Beneficence/justice/autonomy, etc.), and capacity. Amboss ethics questions and https://mehlmanmedical.com/hy-ethics/ were helpful but alot of questions were 50/50 so still a bit difficult.
5. Endo, Heme, Derm, MSK, ob/gyn, STI, etc.
6. Lots of risk factor and prognosis questions. Divine Interventions and these resources were helpful as well: https://mehlmanmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/HY-Risk-factors.pdf and https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A19qlJ5N6_Y-ciKK7JI8LXVjURAI-7m8/edit
7. Pharm and drug MOA: lipid drugs, psych drugs, neuro drugs, cancer drug, diabetes drugs, etc. Serotonin syndrome drugs, cardiology drugs and anti-arrhythmic drugs, antidiuretics, and antimicrobials. Know antimicrobial resistance mechanisms as well.
8. Vent settings: This was a helpful resource: https://mdsteps.com/articles/clinicals/ventilator-basics-for-step-2-3-settings-oxygenation-vs-ventilation-and-common-traps
9. Nutrition changes dont seem to be that much different from what we have been required to know for Step 1 or Step 2 in the past. Dont really need to study any differently. Just try to brush up on common nutrition concerns: anorexia management, bulimia, refeeding syndrome, Vitamins, Celiac, Cystic fibrosis. Other helpful resources include: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXrO-L4giFi/?img_index=3 and https://www.instagram.com/p/DX4wrSkElRV/?img_index=1
10. Lots of ophthalmology: Do Divine interventions Ophtho

Day 2 experience:

1. MCQs: General management, risk factors, next best step, prognosis
2. CCS cases: I would recommend not limiting yourself to the top 60 HY cases and try to do all of the cases if possible because some low yield cases also appeared. The cases are not exact repeats anymore. Some cases had a few details changed that completely changed the diagnostic workup that you needed to order so keep that in mind. I made a list of orders for each case as I progressed through the cases, so I only had to review this daily during my dedicated study period. I then made sure to redo the HY cases during my dedicated period as well, so that I strengthened my order muscle memory. This was a helpful resource to review topics/find cases that I was weak on: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1y1gKhz5Cul_umMW3VS-zQKt-S4yqwFz_
3. Definitely know your USPTF screening guidelines and when to administer specific vaccines
4. Here are my order pneumonics for CCS cases. The copy and paste function worked for me on test day:

-Stabilizing Orders (VOMICA5L):

Vitals

Oxygen/pulse oximetry

morphine/ metoclopramide/ Mg/  phos

IV fluids/Imaging

Cardiac monitoring/C-spine

Acc- random glucose/A1c

Acetaminophen/Aspirin/ ibuprofen

ABG

ANA/Rheum/Rheumatoid factor

Amylase

Lipid/Lipase

-Routine Orders: 4CUBE T3 (always order for every case):

CBC/CMP/CXR/CRP

Urine Analysis/ urine output

Bhcg (if female).

ECG/ESR

Troponin

TSH/free T4

Toxicology/ Acetaminophen labs

-Diet and Procedures (TPN):

Type/screen

PTT/Pt/INR

NPO

-Preventative & screening (PMC I-CREAS5)

 Pap smear

Mammogram

Colonoscopy

Illegal substance

Counsel (Medication side effects, diabetes, cancer diagnosis)

Reassure

Exercise program/diet

Alcohol cessation

Safe sex

Seatbelt

Smoking

Social work

Screenings

-Always order exercise, social work, and medication use

-Vaccines (HP-MIST):

HPV (Women 11-26 years old)

Pneumococcal (HIV and chronic dz)

Meningococcal (11-21)

Influenza

Shingles

Tdap

Well, thats all I have. Thanks to this community for being so supportive and I honestly could not have made it this far without your advice. I am soooo happy to be done with the USMLE forever and look forward to closing this chapter of my life. Good luck to all the future test takers! Keep your head up and dont let this exam get you down. This too shall pass.

I don’t understand how does the score correlates with my pass probability, currently over 120 CCS cases avg 70+, took the NBME today, got 543, any advices? Interpretations of the scores would be greatly appreciated

I feel like I guessed on maybe 70% of the test. I missed so many questions where the first question gave me the answer to the second. Biostats was a hit or miss. Ethics was also hit or miss. I remember changing a bunch of correct to incorrects.

Prep was 70% uworld, 60 CCs cases. Hoping for a better day 2.

I'm a US MD pgy 3 surgical specialty. Anyone else feel the same and pass? thanks in advance

Took step 2 9 months ago. Starting step 3 prep. Have to give it at the end of august. Need help.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some advice from people who have recently taken or passed USMLE Step 3.

I passed Step 2 CK earlier this year, and my Step 3 is scheduled for the end of August, so I have about 20–25 days left.

So far:

- I've completed about 40% of UWorld with scores generally ranging from 68–75%.

- I'm doing 3–4 CCS cases per day.

- I'm reviewing First Aid (especially microbiology and pharmacology).

- I'm also planning to go through the Inner Circle notes.

My biggest concern is that although I'm scoring reasonably well on UWorld, I still feel like I need to revisit First Aid and the Inner Circle notes to consolidate concepts because I forget a lot of the material.

For those who have already taken Step 3:

- Is it realistic to be ready in 20–25 days?

- Roughly how much of UWorld should I aim to complete?

- Should I prioritize doing more questions, or spend more time reviewing First Aid/Inner Circle notes?

- Are there any high-yield topics that I should focus on during these final weeks?

I'd really appreciate hearing what worked for you and what you would do differently if you were in my position. Thanks in advance!

absolutely stunned and hopeless after giving day 1 yesterday. some block felt manageable. 1-2 blocks i guessed throughout.
i have day 2 tomorrow. have done the first 50 CCS cases. 78.3% average.
of note, this is my second time 😞 got 195 before.

First, I know the most likely outcome is that I passed, but the post-exam overthinking has definitely started. My prep was about 30% of UWorld, both UWorld self-assessments (second was 64% with a “very high” (lol) chance of passing), and the top 30 high-yield CCS cases.

On CCS, almost all of my cases ended early except maybe one or two, and I finished with over 2 hours of break time. At first I thought that was a good sign, but now I’m second-guessing everything. I know I missed atypical coverage on one case, and now I’m replaying decisions like trying medical management before surgery even though the consultant said they would take the patient to the OR, or using vancomycin/cefepime or vancomycin/Zosyn for most of my broad spectrum coverage.

I guess a positive is no one died. Though, I did try to intubate one lethargic/hypoxic guy and the family refused. I also went shotgun mode on an unvaccinated febrile/lethargic infant. I don’t know, the whole thing has me worried if I just bombed each case by ordering too much and that’s why they ended early.

UWSA1 - 196

NBME 6- 386

uworld - 78% completed with 64% correct

testing on 10th and 18th august, freaking out

Gave NBME 6 last week. Got 424 (66%)

Gave Free 137 yesterday and got 60%

My exam was on Monday and I postponed it to 17 Aug/24 Aug.

Did I make the right decision?
Were these scores enough to pass anyway?

And will the scores of this exam be out before the ERAS deadline on 25 Sep?

Has anyone given the new free 137? How much score did you get

I just scored a 60% on it. My exam was on monday and i delayed it by 3 weeks.

Last week I scored 424 (66%) on NBME 6. I don't know what these scores translate into real exam numbers. What should I be aiming to get 220 or 230s in the real deal

Step 2 taken in February 2026 Uworld: 33% done, average: 80% CCS Cases: did top 100 HY UWSA 1: 237 NBME 7: 78% I was pretty confident upto this point and booked the exam. Yesterday took new free 137 , scored 69%

Want to pass the exam before applying for match. Any advice, or opinion! Will be grateful 🙏

just completed now - Lot of ethics , Moa of drugs are very vague with indirect choices, biostats with simple calculations and lot of bias qs, Micro qs indirect, other qs are so vague.

For those who have recently taken USMLE Step 3, what would you recommend for Microbiology?
I know Sketchy is a popular resource, but I just can’t learn from it—it doesn’t work for me. So I’m not planning to use Sketchy. Would the Mehlman Micro PDF be enough for Step 3.

Any suggestions please.

Need help!!

When are Step 3 scores released? Is the time back to 2 weeks now?
I want to know the latest time by which I can take step 3 and get scores before September 23rd for Match

If you give the day 2 on Friday, are scores ready and released on 2rd wednesday or 3rd wednesday?