Yes, the transition to clerkships and studying for CK is easier with a strong foundation in the basic sciences, but M3 year offers 365 days of opportunities to remediate weak areas and acquire new clinical knowledge.Ĭoming off a Step 1 score in the 270s, I undoubtedly was already looking ahead to Step 2 CK when clerkship rotations started. If you’re reading this and are already over the Step 1 hurdle, regardless of your performance over the past two years, it is not too late for you to buckle down and work your tail off.

You should be studying consistently enough that when exams arise there is no change in the intensity or duration of studying, rather there is simply a shift in focus from learning new material to reviewing material you have already learned. Instead, immerse yourself in medicine for the next few years and get used to studying long hour every day. If you want to excel in medical school and crush the Step exams, you can forget those crumby undergrad study habits of slacking off in-between exams and ramping up during exam week.

We have all heard the clichÃ© about medical school being a marathon rather than a sprint, but it really does hold true. The consistent study habits and solid foundation I developed in the M1 and M2 years carried over into clerkships and Step 2 CK. I believe my success on this exam started on Day 1 of medical school.

Here are 5 important tips to help you score high on the USMLE Step 2 CK: Six long weeks of waiting went by before I got that magical email in my inbox - my score report with a glorious 284 on the Step 2 CK! So how did I manage such a high score? I wrapped up 3rd year feeling as if rotations had gone very well, so I took 2 weeks off in the middle of July to study, and took the exam thereafter. I myself just wanted to get the darned thing over with. Some people try to use the exam to make up for shortcomings on Step 1, while others decide to delay CK until late in the Fall of 4th year, so their excellent Step 1 score isn’t at risk of be tarnished by a poor performance. There are different schools of thought on the utility of Step 2 CK. The USMLE Step 2 CK is the final hurdle before Match, and marks the beginning of the end of medical school.

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