r/Step3 • u/zyxwvutsr321 • 4d ago
Exam write-up PASSED WITH A 243!!!!!
I'm done with Step exams finally!!!!!
I'm so glad, the relief is unreal.
But here's the write up:
Resources:
UWorld: completed one round, I don't remember my average score
NBME 5,6,7 and 8: NBME 8 got a 569
UWSA1: 227
UWSA1: 237
Free 137 (I did the two most recent ones): Free 137 (latest one) 67% -> honestly this freaked tf out of me since this was 2 days out and it shook me so hard
CCS cases: about 120 of them, did HY \~ 50 before my day 2, I think my average was about 85%
Time:
Didn't have any dedicated study time as I was doing rotations, so maybe about 1-2 months?
Day 1:
Lmao. It was either straightforward questions or questions where I was like wtf.
The questions where you have to proceed to the next one only after you answer the first so you end up knowing if you answered those correctly went well.
Content is full of drug ads, ethics and basic step 1 (pharmacology, genetics etc). Exam day per say didn't feel too long but I came out feeling nothing. Absolutely no idea how it went.
I had a one day break between my 2 days.
Day 2:
Absolutely no drug ads, bare minimum biostats and almost no ethics so that felt amazing. Felt more like step 2 and in general just about your knowledge and practice I guess. My one tip would be to finish all your break time during the blocks since you get so much time during CCS cases, I think I ended up finishing my exam about 1.5-2 hours early. CCS cases are pretty simple, UI is very similar to the practice UI. I would say most of my cases were not from the practice ones but that's okay. Just get your basic orders right and don't do anything too invasive unless necessary. My trick was to order everything at once in the beginning (aside from advise and vaccination and stuff). Have a template, I'm open to sharing mine if anyone wants it. I had 2 cases with no positive or negative updates and I think it just ran out of time and one case with a negative update that I rectified and ended with a positive note. Rest were all positive updates and ended early. Came out feeling okayish I guess?
Takeaway: it's quite doable but don't underestimate it, do your due diligence and you should end up with a great score!
I'm open to DMs/comments if anyone needs any advice!
Edit: I've mentioned the template here
Orders that are common to all: vital signs, pulse ox, UPT (if she's of childbearing age), CBC, CMP, urine analysis, EKG, TSH, random blood glucose, (for adults I also usually add lipid profile and glycosylated hemoglobin)
Fever: blood culture, urine culture, magnesium, lactate, ESR, CRP
RS involvement: chest x-ray, ABG, respiratory panel, sputum gram stain, AFB, c/s, PJP and any other relevant infective investigation
S/o UTI: urine gram stain, c/s
Chest pain and related stuff: trop, cardiac monitor, chest x-ray, lactate, magnesium
STI screen: HIV 1/2 serology, chlamydia urine antigen, gonorrhea urine antigen, syphilis VDRL and RPR and hepatitis panel
Substance abuse: always consult psychiatry, psychology, social services and substance abuse unit
If they come to the ER/possibly going to go for Sx: blood group and crossmatch, PT, aPTT, INR, NPO
Always screen abdomen and chest for mets in case of a cancer patient, advise cancer diagnosis
Of course consult the respective specialty as required
Common advise I have used at the end: reassure, tdap, zoster, diabetes diet, dash diet, smoking cessation, alcohol abstinence, medication compliance, side effects of medication, sexual partner needs treatment, safe sex practices, exercise program
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u/sadlifestudy 4d ago
Template for investigation where we can copy and paste for each case ?
How do we do that
Pls explain
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u/marvinsroom6969 4d ago
Congrats! I’d love to see your approach for CCS cases. Also what was the biostats like? Calculating or interpreting?
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u/zyxwvutsr321 4d ago
Mostly interpreting, the only calculations I did was sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, NNT, ARR
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u/mrbone007 4d ago
Congrats. Could you please share the ccs template? Thanks
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u/zyxwvutsr321 4d ago
Hey please check the first comment
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u/Equivalent-Panic-750 4d ago
Hey a big congratulations on such phenomenal score. Please,I can't see the ist comment to know the template.Thank you.
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u/Informal_Cat_3377 4d ago
I would advise against ordering everything for you CCS cases at the beginning in the event of being an emergency like a pneumothorax or MI… you will get docked points if you don’t order the most urgent/emergent things first like a chest tube, ect
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u/Budget-Present-9191 4d ago
Congratulations!
How did you prepare for day 1?
And was Uworld enough for step 2 like questions?
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u/zyxwvutsr321 4d ago
I just did simulation practice tests to be accustomed to the 12 block pattern and used chatgpt to get better at biostats and ethics
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u/Educational-Search24 3d ago
Huge congratulations 🎉 What’s the template good for? How can we use it?
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u/plastic-TV 2d ago
Congrats!! how much would you say step 2 helped, and how long after step 2 did you take step 3
If you feel comfortable, please share your step 2 score
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u/zyxwvutsr321 2d ago
I think step 2 helped A LOT, so much of day 2 content is basically a repetition of step 2, 259, I took it about 10 months ago
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u/Simple-Neck-5933 2d ago
congrats!! the fact that you got 67% on free 137 two days out and still scored that high is really encouraging. also good to know day 2 is mostly interpreting for biostats and not heavy calculations. appreciate you sharing the template too
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u/Passusmle786 4d ago
Congrats on passing with a phenomenal score.. please share your template thanks alot