USMLE Step 3: Passed! (Experience below)

USMLE Step 3: Passed! (Experience below)

Background: IMG, PGY2 (CK in 2017)

Preparation time: 3m 1/2 during residency (outpatient clinic)

No time off before test dates.

Most importantly, to all future moms out there, I have taken the test in my third trimester of pregnancy and believe me, “Pregnancy Brain” is Real!

Books: I reviewed MTB as I felt I needed a broad review of all topics that I did not really encounter during my first year.

I like MTB because it is very easy to read but it hardly covers what you need for the UW or the real exam

Post test advise: review First Aid, honestly not just for micro and pharmacology of each systems but the pathology part of each system as well (eg. treatment of different types of headache, I have not seen it described anywhere as well as in FA for step 1)

UWorld: twice (second pass only of the wrong answers)

Biostats: If there is one take home message, watch these 4 videos, I could not emphasize this enough https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hnhZZoBqwM(I did not do the UW Biostats additional module because I heard it was not so useful and did not end up having enough time, probably for the price, if you have time I would still suggest doing it)

Day 1: Micro, Pharm and Biostat, none of which you will find in day 2 + clinical questions as well. As other said before, leave the drug ads for last.

Day 2: MCQ: honestly found them quite hard, not sure if UW prepares adequately for those.

CCS: The day of the exam, I found some of the cases very confusing and very challenging and was demoralized as many people had described them as quite simple and straightforward. Resources: Used CCS cases; UW CCS and Crush Step 3 CCS. ccscases.com: I tried to do as many cases as possible (did not end up doing them all because of lack of time) CCScases is in theory a great concept, it is affordable and does not have an expiration, plus it gives you a score and tells you what you did right and what you missed. However, I did not agree with some of the patient management recommended so did not find it all that useful.

Crush Step 3 CCS: if you have time, may be worth to skim it through. I did not try archer and felt like I could have spent some time to review that as well.

Self assessments: Due to lack of time, I only ended up doing the uwsa1 two weeks before. I confirm that it under predicted the final score.

If you need NBME, UWorld etc… please let me know