Resources:
UW 1.5x, NBME 5, USMLE sample questions, youtube videos (Randy Neil MD (esp biostats, but try to watch all), Dirty Medicine, Paul Bolin MD CRASH, Speed Pharmacology).
For CCS, I did all CCS cases from ccscases.com, did less than 10 of UW simulated cases (did not have time), read Crush CCS, did CCS sample questions in USMLE site.
This is more for those who are doing this exam during their residency year. I’m currently PGY2. Originally wanted to take my exam during PGY1, but exam got cancelled few times due to COVID-19. I bought UW for 1 year (since last year), and of course, you can’t really study during residency year, and I kept extending it. I finished it once though, but really just forgot everything. I’m currently radiology resident, R1, and even less time to study for Step 3. What you’ve heard about the exam is true. I found it to be the most difficult step exam (some said easiest … !!!). Youtube was my savior in terms of reviewing step 1 and 2 materials quickly, I would do it in 1.25x speed during my commute to work and I tried to do 20 UW questions every other day for 3 months prior to the exam. And 3 weeks before exam, my UW QBank subscription ended, and I didn’t extend, so I focus on doing other resources I have. So no endurance training … the exam was exhausting and you were using mask on top of it (don’t you need extra oxygen to your brain, lol!). And I honestly forgot that the day 2 was a 9 hour exam, I told my husband that I may be done at 2.30pm-ish … but hey, not until 5.30! Lots of sites offer Saturday exams, so if you’re in residency, this matters!
The CCS cases were weird and not as straightforward as your study materials and the system is S L O … W! I had 3 days in between day 1 and day 2. I felt like a cr** after the exam and had nightmares that I failed. Even it affected my husband (!!!), coz I told him if I failed, he is gonna take it for me. So he dreamed that he took it and failed it (too)!
It’s all over now!!!
UWSA 1, 2 months prior, 210
NBME 5, 2 weeks prior, 390 (maybe passed barely, but NOT good)
UWSA 2, 1 week prior, 225
Real exam 231
Good luck everyone!