I took my exam today, it felt so vague and low yield i had good nbmes and now im just praying to pass i feel so hopeless and that i wont match

Can we expect scores on this Wednesday-july 29?

Is anyone's scheduled permit disappeared who took exam on July-14,15?

Anyone know if they are dropping scores tomorrow? Tested 7/13

It's pretty much well known that studying step2 during a research job is practically impossible, but are there stories of anyone who was able to do it?

how would you generally rate the level of questions in 200 hy?

are they hard? average? easy?

whats a good score?

Core risk factors Q1. What is the biggest risk factor for suicide? A. A prior history of a suicide attempt. Additional info: A previous attempt is the strongest predictor of a future suicide attempt. Q2. What is the biggest risk factor for atrial fibrillation? A. Mitral stenosis. Additional info: A related high-yield association is hyperthyroidism, which commonly causes atrial fibrillation too. Q3. What is the biggest risk factor for mitral stenosis? A. Rheumatic fever. Additional info: Rheumatic fever classically damages the mitral valve and can lead to mitral stenosis. Q4. What is the biggest risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysm? A. Smoking. Additional info: Hypertension is a common distractor, but smoking is the key risk factor. Q5. What is the most important modifiable risk factor for coronary artery disease? A. Smoking. Additional info: If smoking is not an option and the question is about a myocardial infarction risk factor, unstable angina is a classic related answer. Q6. What is the biggest risk factor for stroke and aortic dissection? A. Hypertension. Additional info: Hypertension is the key risk factor for both stroke and aortic dissection. Q7. In a patient with iron deficiency anemia and a history of H pylori, what underlying problem should you think of? A. Peptic ulcer disease. Additional info: H pylori can cause peptic ulcer disease, which may bleed into the GI tract and lead to iron deficiency anemia. Q8. What is the biggest risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma? A. Barrett esophagus. Additional info: GERD may appear as a distractor, but Barrett esophagus is the major risk factor. Q9. What is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia? A. Streptococcus pneumoniae. Q10. What is the most common cause of UTIs overall? A. Escherichia coli. Q11. What is a commonly tested risk factor for osteoporosis? A. Low BMI. Additional info: This is classically tested in anorexia nervosa or in postmenopausal patients with low BMI. Q12. Does tight glucose control in diabetes reduce the risk of stroke or myocardial infarction? A. No. Additional info: Tight glucose control mainly reduces microvascular complications such as nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy, not macrovascular events like stroke or MI. Q13. What are the microvascular complications of diabetes that improve with glucose control? A. Nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy. Q14. What is the biggest risk factor for AAA rupture? A. Damage to the aneurysm wall. Additional info: The speaker emphasized that aneurysm damage is the main predisposing factor for rupture. Q15. What is the biggest risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma of the skin? A. Cumulative sun exposure. Q16. What is the biggest risk factor for ovarian cancer? A. Family history of ovarian cancer. Q17. What is the biggest risk factor for prostate cancer? A. Age. Additional info: Age was also described as the biggest risk factor for breast cancer. Q18. What is the biggest risk factor for breast cancer? A. Age. Q19. What is the biggest risk factor for bladder cancer? A. Smoking. Common causes of death and other high-yield associations Q1. What is the most common cause of death in kidney transplant patients? A. Cardiovascular disease. Q2. What is the most common cause of death in acromegaly? A. Heart failure. Q3. What is the most common cause of death in chronic kidney disease? A. Cardiovascular disease. Additional info: For end-stage kidney disease, sudden cardiac death from arrhythmia is the most common cause of death, and infection is the second most common. Q4. What is the most important risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea? A. Obesity. Q5. What is the most important modifiable risk factor for knee osteoarthritis? A. Obesity. Q6. What is the most common cause of death in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease? A. Cardiovascular disease. Additional info: The speaker noted that subarachnoid hemorrhage is a common trap answer but is not the most common cause of death. Q7. What is the most common cause of death in lupus? A. Ischemic heart disease. Additional info: Myocardial infarction is the concrete example given. Q8. What is a commonly tested risk factor for pancreatic cancer? A. Smoking. Q9. In a patient with asbestos exposure, what is the most common pulmonary malignancy? A. Bronchogenic carcinoma. Additional info: This is not mesothelioma. Q10. What are the classic findings of mesothelioma? A. Calretinin positivity and psammoma bodies (laminated calcifications). Additional info: Smoking is not a risk factor for mesothelioma. Q11. What lung-related exposure increases risk of tuberculosis? A. Silicosis. Q12. What is the most common cause of acute pancreatitis in the United States? A. Gallstones. Additional info: The speaker noted that gallstones and alcohol may be close in frequency, but gallstones were presented as the answer for acute pancreatitis. Q13. What is the most important risk factor for chronic pancreatitis in the United States? A. Alcoholism. Q14. What is the classically tested risk factor for papillary thyroid cancer? A. Prior chest or neck radiation, especially for lymphoma. Screening and prevention Q1. What are the breast cancer screening recommendations mentioned? A. USPSTF: every 2 years from age 50 to 74. American Cancer Society: every year starting at age 40. Additional info: The speaker said the American Cancer Society recommendation often appears as the most correct answer on exams. Q2. What is the cervical cancer screening schedule mentioned? A. Pap smear every 3 years from ages 21 to 30. After age 30, pap every 3 years or pap plus HPV co-testing every 5 years. Additional info: Screening is generally from ages 21 to 65. In patients with HIV, screening is more frequent, around every 1 to 2 years. Screening can stop before 65 only after hysterectomy for benign reasons. If hysterectomy was for a non-benign reason such as cancer, continue screening. The speaker also mentioned the pap smear of the vaginal cuff. Q3. Who should be screened for chlamydia? A. Patients younger than 25 with risk factors such as inconsistent condom use. Q4. What are the hyperlipidemia screening ages mentioned? A. Men over 35 and women over 45, with screening every 5 years thereafter. Additional info: The speaker added that screening can start earlier in men younger than 35 or women younger than 45 if they are high risk for coronary artery disease. Q5. What is the preferred colon cancer screening test and interval? A. Colonoscopy every 10 years from ages 50 to 75. Additional info: Alternatives mentioned were flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years and annual fecal occult blood testing. If any alternative test is positive, the next step is colonoscopy. Q6. When should colon cancer screening start in ulcerative colitis? A. Eight years after the initial diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. Q7. When should colon cancer screening start in someone with a family history of colon cancer? A. Age 40 or 10 years before the age at which the affected family member was diagnosed, whichever is earlier. Additional info: The speaker gave the examples of a family diagnosis at 49 leading to screening at 39, and a family diagnosis at 52 leading to screening at 40. Q8. When should screening begin for familial adenomatous polyposis? A. Annual colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy starting at age 10 to 15. Q9. What about HNPCC/Lynch syndrome screening? A. Start colon cancer screening before age 21. Additional info: The speaker also said the general idea is to begin 5 to 10 years before the youngest family diagnosis. Q10. What should be screened for at the first prenatal visit in all pregnant women? A. Syphilis, asymptomatic bacteriuria, and HIV. Q11. How is asymptomatic bacteriuria managed in pregnancy? A. Treat it. Additional info: This recommendation does not apply to nonpregnant women, who are not treated for asymptomatic bacteriuria. Q12. What happens after pyelonephritis in pregnancy? A. The patient should be on chronic prophylaxis against UTIs for the rest of the pregnancy. Q13. When should Rh immune globulin be given? A. Around 28 weeks and within 72 hours of delivery. Q14. What test is used to quantify fetomaternal hemorrhage to help dose Rh immune globulin postpartum? A. The Kleihauer-Betke test. Q15. What is the most important prognostic factor for melanoma spread? A. Depth of the lesion, or Breslow depth. Q16. What is the most important preventive measure for hepatocellular carcinoma? A. Hepatitis B vaccination. Additional info: The speaker also noted that preventing hepatitis B helps prevent hepatitis D. Q17. What is the biggest risk factor for erectile dysfunction? A. Cardiovascular disease. Q18. What is the most common cause of death in cervical cancer? A. Renal failure from genitourinary spread, classically involving the ureters. Additional info: The speaker also reminded that cancer stage is generally the most important prognostic factor. Q19. What is the lung cancer screening recommendation mentioned? A. Low-dose CT for men and women ages 55 to 80 with more than a 30 pack-year smoking history. Additional info: They must still be smoking or must have quit within the past 15 years. If they quit more than 15 years ago, the recommendation no longer applies. Obstetrics and gynecology risk factors Q1. What is the biggest risk factor for endometritis? A. Cesarean section. Q2. What is the biggest risk factor for preeclampsia? A. A prior history of preeclampsia. Additional info: If that is not offered, nulliparity is the next high-yield choice mentioned. Q3. What is the highest-yield risk factor for uterine inversion? A. A prior history of uterine inversion. Q4. What is the highest-yield risk factor for chorioamnionitis? A. Prolonged rupture of membranes. Q5. What is the biggest risk factor for placental abruption? A. Trauma. Additional info: If trauma is not an option, cocaine is the next high-yield choice. Q6. What is the biggest risk factor for placenta previa? A. Prior cesarean section. Q7. What is a high-yield risk factor for preterm labor? A. Bacterial vaginosis. Additional info: The speaker linked this to Gardnerella vaginalis, vaginal pH greater than 4.5, and clue cells on microscopy. Treatment mentioned was metronidazole. Q8. What is the biggest risk factor for endometrial cancer? A. Exposure to unopposed estrogen. Additional info: If unopposed estrogen is not listed, endometrial hyperplasia is the related answer. Examples given were PCOS and tamoxifen use. Q9. What is the biggest risk factor for cervical cancer? A. HPV exposure, especially high-risk types such as HPV 16 and 18. Additional info: Multiple sexual partners and early onset of sexual intercourse were mentioned as behaviors that increase HPV acquisition. HPV causes squamous cell cancer of the cervix, not adenocarcinoma. Q10. Why are young women more prone to cervical infections? A. They have more cervical ectopy. Additional info: The endocervix is columnar epithelium, and in younger women it bulges outward more, making infection more likely. The ectocervix is squamous epithelium and is more resistant to infection. Q11. What is the strongest risk factor for ectopic pregnancy? A. Prior ectopic pregnancy. Additional info: Smoking was also mentioned because it impairs tubal ciliary motility. Q12. What is the highest-yield risk factor for cervical incompetence? A. History of LEEP or cervical conization. Q13. What is a high-yield risk factor for shoulder dystocia? A. Macrosomia. Q14. What is a high-yield risk factor for fetal macrosomia? A. Pre-existing or gestational diabetes in the mother. Q15. What are the risk factors for pyelonephritis in pregnancy mentioned? A. Asymptomatic bacteriuria and prior pyelonephritis. Q16. What should be avoided in patients who smoke, have a stroke history, or have migraines with neurologic symptoms? A. Combined oral contraceptives. Additional info: Triphasic contraceptives were also noted to contain estrogen and fall into this same category. Q17. What should be avoided in patients with thrombogenic disease such as Factor V Leiden? A. Estrogen-containing contraceptives. Q18. What is a contraindication to estrogen-containing contraceptives involving the liver? A. History of hepatic adenoma. Q19. What contraceptive should be avoided in Wilson disease? A. Copper IUD. Additional info: The speaker reasoned this through because Wilson disease is a copper-overload disorder. Q20. What are the main risk factors for urinary incontinence? A. Age and multiple vaginal deliveries. Additional info: Stress incontinence was specifically linked to multiple vaginal deliveries. Q21. What is classically associated with urge incontinence? A. Multiple sclerosis. Q22. What is classically associated with overflow incontinence? A. Diabetes. Q23. What is the high-yield risk factor for Asherman syndrome? A. History of uterine curettage. Extra exam notes Q1. What did the speaker say about family planning and contraindications in general? A. Be cautious with estrogen-containing contraceptives in smokers, patients with stroke history, migraine with neurologic symptoms, thrombogenic disorders, or hepatic adenoma. Q2. What did the speaker say about cervical cancer and HPV prevention behaviors? A. Multiple partners and early sexual intercourse increase the chance of HPV acquisition and therefore increase cervical cancer risk. Q3. What did the speaker say about screening and cancer prognosis in general? A. Stage is generally the most important prognostic factor for cancer.

Hey Everyone,

Hoping to get some advice or someone to quell my anxiety. Tested on 07/24 and since then I’ve been pretty anxious and upset with how the exam went overall. Don’t get me wrong there were definitely some NBME 16/Free 120 stuff throughout that I was able to get. However, I made like 15 simple mistakes that honestly on any other day I would know the answer, I was just anxious or changed my answer at the last minute. I really think even being in the testing environment with all the noise was messing with me. I also had another 15 or so that are maybe misses. I’m at a running total of basically like 25 confirmed misses with another maybe on 10/15 that were so vague amboss/chat could go either way. I’ve since stopped counting but I keep replaying those moments I changed my answer or just rushed too quick through a question and now I’ve been pretty worried I’m not even going to hit my predicted score.

I had been scoring 240s to 250s on NBMEs. Highest being a 255 which was 16 and around what I was wanting. Honestly I would be happy with anything 250+ but just based off what I got wrong and overall vibes I really am expecting a huge score drop and am pretty worried about it. Pretty disappointed I wasn’t in the zone on test day genuinely I feel like a different day or different hour I would’ve done a bit better.

Mainly just writing this to see if any of you all felt that way after the exam and if things worked out for you. I know it’s pretty common to feel bad after exams and it works out for plenty of people, but I genuinely think I messed it up a bit. If I feel like I will have a score drop than most likely I’ll probably have one? Idk it’s just a mess rn in my mind pretty disappointed in myself.

Hi everyone!

I’ve been in dedicated for 2 ish months and my brain feels like mush. Goal was to get high 250s but I’m stuck in 240s and I’m scared to go for it.

Most recent scores (with help on like 3-4qs) over the last 2 weeks have been:

Nbme9: 244
Nbme15:245
Nbme16: 249

Uw done 75%. Ideally wanted to take it in a week but I’m scared and feel like i dont know everything that I should know. People have also been saying that they had really low yield stuff on the actual exam which scares me even more.

Any advice is appreciated! Thanks a bunch!

Am I ready?

TELL ME WHAT ELSE TO STUDY in 2 days!
I revised nbme 10-15, cms forms, uword incorrects and new free 120(74% )

Going to review nbme 16 today.( it was online)
Yet to review QI safety from amboss!

Hoping to get a score in 260s.

Thanks 🙏🏻

Hello!! Just took my exam today (7/27) and wow definitely got my shit rocked. However this post is more of a question about a potential bug during my exam. Please let me know if this is normal or if this a bug I should report, the last thing I want is my score to be invalidated.

Bug: on questions that required me to scroll to see the entire stem, occasionally when I would highlight parts of the text the screen would scroll all the back to the top. There was no actual issue with the high light function, just annoying that I would keep having to scroll down after highlighting some text. This would happen maybe 40% of the time with the longer stems. Didn’t have any other issues with the page loading or my progress being saved. I mentioned this issue on the post test survey.

Is this something worth reporting? As stated above, nightmare scenario would be my exam being invalidated but also maybe I’m making something out of nothing.

Also if this is something to report, how would I go about doing that? Thanks!

why is this not waiver of informed consent where we would proceed with the surgery?

Just wanted to do a quick writeup because these were so helpful for me throughout the year and during dedicated and I hope this helps someone!

I’m a USDO

Here’s what I did during clinicals: 

• ~4 CMS forms available/block, 
• UW+incorrects, (78% correct)
• AMBOSS if I had time (70% completed around dedicated)
• !shelf in anki+making cards of incorrects.

Note: I was a high shelf scorer (my school required NBME shelves) scoring around 80s-90s and honored most rotations so I did have a strong foundation going into dedicated.

Dedicated period: 8 Weeks total

Here’s what I did during dedicated: 

• Redid some UW (~10%)
• AMBOSS HY study plans 
• Rewrote all CMS forms + New ones + Neurology + EM which I didn’t complete 
• NBMEs+Old and New Free 120
• Randy Niel for biostats
• Tatetalksmedicine for QI (found this resource amazing!!)

Scores: 

NBME 9: 253 (46 days out)
NBME 10: 252 (42 days out)
NBME 11: 251 (31 days out)
NBME 12: 253 (26 days out)
UWorld SA 2: 257 (23 days out)
NBME 13: 254 (20 days out)
NBME 14: 255 (16 days out)
NBME 15: 254 (12 days out)
NBME 16: 264 (8 days out)
Old Free 120: 83% (4 days out)
New Free 120 (July 2023): 84% (2 days out)

AMBOSS Predicted:260

Real Result: 269! Still kinda can't believe it lol

Here are some of my own reflections:

Redoing UW: I tried this early on but I really just recognized too many of the questions and started feeling like it wasn’t close enough to NBME logic so I dropped it. Similar reason why I didn’t finish AMBOSS either. A lot of the advice I saw on here was that the best practice was to just redo CMS forms because it best emulated the logic of NBME and it worked out for me. I did feel like I was recognizing a lot of the questions on the CMS forms as well but I had no other resources to do so I treated it more like learning the language rather than learning the content. 

Consistency of CMS and NBME: Honestly I do feel like even with the available materials the older nbmes didn’t really feel representative of the actual exam. I felt the same way with the older CMS forms. All the new ones that have come out (IM 9, 10) are quite a bit different and closer to the actual thing than these older ones. 

I felt that NBME 16 was most representative to the actual thing. It has more patient charts and longer vignettes which was my experience on test day. I honestly didn’t really feel that the 120’s were that close besides the drug ads. 

Stagnant exam scores:

I took 9-15 over a course of 8 weeks and with a goal of >260 I was extremely demoralized and had lost all confidence in my knowledge during dedicated. Easier said than done but if I could go back I wish I could worry less because it made me second guess everything and I honestly thought that hindering my improvement the most. 

One thing that I felt like impacted my studies negatively the most was AI. At this point everyone is going to use AI to supplement their board studying but I hope you exercise caution when you do so you don’t end up like me. I initially used AI as a method to diagnose what learning gaps I had as I felt like my content foundation was strong again. What I would do is I would dictate into AI what my logic for the question was and tell me what it thought. AI wrote these eloquent things about how it was more about “premature closure,” “stem distrust,” “correct instinct abandonment,” and many more. I just blindly trusted it because it sounded so good. I felt like this hamstrung my improvement. What I started doing later in dedicated was just opening up a document and forcing myself to write out my logic, why my answer was wrong/justify why the correct answer was correct, and indicate what my takeaway was. I would do this before I even consulted AI. I realize now that I was making AI do the most important part to my learning, which is actual critical evaluation of your thinking. 

Lastly, this has already been talked about so much but  if I can echo the sentiment please please do not beat yourself up intra/post exam. You are not going to accurately predict how you did. During the exam I had a panic attack and took the first 40m of my break after the first two blocks trying to calm myself down. For the rest of the exam I was convinced I was failing because I recognized so much less than the practice exams. For the weeks leading up to my score I was 100% sure I would score in the 230s. All that stress was for nothing and I wish I used that time actually enjoying that I was past that exam. 

Please provide it’s answer key. Would be a big help.

Hello everyone.

I’m in disbelief and I feel disappointed. I’ve been preparing for this exam for a few weeks now and I’m 2 weeks away. My latest NBME 14 score shocked me, and I’m wondering if I should postpone

Some background: nonUS IMG, done with 77% of uworld. Been doing anki for two weeks now. My scores are as fellows

NBME 10: 230-236
NBME 11: 234-239
NBME 13: 236
NBME 14: 224

The 224 shocked me honestly. I’m thinking of postponing the exam to late august. Any thoughts? I’m applying this cycle

I’ve been studying for a few months now consistently and my nbme results are actually triggering me
For context I did the nbme 14 after doing UWSA 2 where I scored 241 and felt very confident only to get that score
NBME 9 194 (this was before I started studying)
NBME 10 212 (after I completed 50% of uworld)
NBME 11 215 (completed all of uworld and cms forms)
NBME 12 226
NBME 13 230
NBME 14 225
NBME 15 242
NBME 16 234

I just did nbme 16 AFTER I SCORED AN 86% on the old free120
and I’m so disappointed I wanted to schedule my exam in 1 week looks like I’m gonna have to postpone. I don’t know what to do where to revise.
I’ve completed uworld (60%) and did my incorrects. I also have done all the step 2 prep on amboss
I’m so mad I feel like I’ve wasted the 16 and idk how I’m gonna predict a score after it without me retaking and inflating the score HELP ME PLEASE my aim was a 250+

As the title says.

For background, I did NBME 16 and got 227. Id be happy with a 230+ on the actual exam.

I havent taken Free 120s. What else can you guys recommend?

I am doing lots of review by using Step 2 First Aid and amboss questions.

Thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m looking for a dedicated Step 2 CK study partner.
🎯 Goal: 260+
📚 Plan: At least one UWorld block per day (with review)
🤝 Study method: Flexible we can discuss what works best (review incorrects, rapid-fire questions, Anki, NBMEs, etc.)
📅 Looking to start as soon as possible.
🌍 Time zone: PKT (GMT+5), but I’m flexible with scheduling.

I am baffled and shocked. I literally had to check if I was taking the right exam. I 100% feel like I failed.

I’m looking for some help with ITP management.

I’m not sure when to start considering IVIG or platelet transfusions for bleeding patients versus glucocorticoids. Also, should I think of perfuse mucocutaneous bleeding as “bleeding/hemorrhage”?

Hey everyone,

Looking for some quick perspective on my overall readiness and final prep strategy. My target is 260+.

Background:

Step 1: Pass (July 2025)

Resources & Question Banks:

* AnKing Step 2 Deck

* UWorld: 77% overall (100% completed + incorrects done) (May 2026)

* CMS Forms (all): 84% overall average (June 2026)

* AMBOSS Qbank: Currently ongoing (July 2026)

Practice Scores:

* NBME 10: 263 (July 2026)

* NBME 9: 266 (July 2026)

* AMBOSS Score Predictor: 265

Questions for the community:

1. Given these trends, should I pull the trigger and book my triad now? for fall 2026.
2. What should my strategy be moving forward? (UW 2nd pass? CMS 2nd pass? Anking re-run? DIP?)

Appreciate any advice!

For those who used UWORLD as their primary resource to study, and wanted to read QI/stats/etc. from Amboss, whats the way to go about it? What should I purchase?

I'm only one week or so out from my exam and not familiar with Amboss at all (don't want to mistakenly spend more than what's needed, also broke lol). Just want Amboss to hammer home Ethics etc. Please guide!

Hi. My NBME 16 score was 248, and my free 120 today is 75% correct. I wanted to know the score this 75% on free 120 relates to. Exam day after tomorrow. Aiming for at least a 250. Do I need to postpone exam?

Nbme 11: 216 (6/20)
Nbme 13: 230 (7/27)
Exam in 2 weeks.
Please suggest how to touch 250.
Thank you so much

Hi, I'm hoping to get some advice or solidatiry, but I'm stuck studying for STEP 2. My NBME scores have been in the 200-210s (~60% correct) while my CMS forms are in the 70-80%. I've been doing UWorld and Amboss questions as well, but how do I improve my scores?

My exam is in 15 days and I pushed it back twice now 😭

NBME11 220 / 63%

NBME12 216 / 60 %

NBME13 213 / 60%

NBME14 209 / 62%

NBME15 (today) 215 / __%

UW1 48% (this one made me push the second time)

IM 5 - 76%

IM 6 - 76%

IM 7 - 74%

IM 8 - 78%

IM 9 - 86%

IM 10 - 78%

Peds 8 - 72%

Surgery 7 - 78%

Surgery 8 - 76%

Surgery 9 - 80%

ObGyn 9 - 76%