Boards AGAIN!!!

I remember back to about one year ago when my husband was studying away for the COMLEX and USMLE. I thought it was horrible that we never saw him!! He was always stressed out and this went on for weeks and weeks and weeks!! Even after the tests were complete, that feeling was still hanging over our heads because we had not yet received the scores. Ultimately, my husband did just fine, having a very competitive score for the specialties that he was interested in.

Half way through this year, I realized that the COMLEX and USMLE came around AGAIN!! I had no idea that Step 2 boards came around so quickly!! And, it definitely snuck up on me!! I was so worried that it was going to be the same story . . . absent husband, stressed husband when he was around, waiting impatiently and anxiously for the scores to be released . . . but I was completely wrong!! Don't get me wrong, there is definitely stress, but it is nothing compared to Step 1!! And, we had a lot going on immediately after the exams (the birth of our second child and beautiful baby girl!!!) that we were shocked to see the scores in the mail so soon!! And, to top things off, he did better the second time around!! GREAT JOB!!! I am so proud of him!!

Here's my hubby's point of view on the exams . . .

Step II is one of those tests that sneaks up on you a little bit. We all know it’s coming but we have so many things on our minds at the time that we put it off until we absolutely have to study. I took my boards on June 17 (Comlex II) and June 21 (USMLE II). I’ll start by saying that I studied for three weeks straight (weekends, 12 hour days) for Step I and for this I had seven straight days of studying and two weeks of afternoons to study (when I could) for the test, and everything turned out fine. No matter how you did on Step I this is just a different test in terms of content. Step I was all about memorization-pathways, pathology, bacteria, etc. This test tested your ability to put it all together. This was definitely a clinically-based test. In the long-run I studied for half as long and did better on both (which I think is the norm from my understanding). When I finished the Comlex Step II, I came out thinking it was one of the easiest tests I had taken in a long while. I honestly didn’t feel it was that bad and I know 99% of my classmates could have or did do just as well as I did on it. USMLE Step II was a different story. Unlike the first step where I felt I did about the same on both Comlex and USMLE, on step II, I felt that the USMLE was a much more difficult test overall. However, in the end, I did better on the USMLE that the Comlex…go figure. Anyways, the content of the Comlex was what was to be expected. We all have different tests but mine was OTM light and gastroenterology heavy with a mix of everything else in between. There were still the questions in the block format (2-3 per stem) and still had the matching (but I lucked out as 4 or 5 of my matching sets were clear-cut microbiology questions). I used First-Aid for Step II CK, USMLE Secrets, and USMLE World Question Bank. That was it. I would study the first-aid book throughout my rotations and it was helpful. Honestly, the majority of the test is in that book in some form. USMLE Secrets was well worth the money and I read it twice before the exam. I would highly recommend it. USMLE World wasn’t as helpful as I had thought. I finished a bit over ½ half of it (didn’t have much time with rotations and all) but didn’t feel that the questions were as helpful as question banks were for Step I. It did help with getting your mind in the right “mode” for the test but if I had to do it again I would probably not buy the questions. I can’t say anything about Kaplan or the Combank questions for this test as I didn’t use them and haven’t had a chance to talk with anyone that has. I think that one of the big things for the test is just paying attention during your rotations. You really do pick up a lot from them and from all your reading. You will be surprised how much you have learned during your third year. Overall, find 2-3 good resources for the test +/- a question bank and that should be all you need. It is tough to find 2-3 weeks straight for studying so that is up to the individual person. Good luck, and don’t stress (yes, I understand that it is easier said than done).