10 Steps To Passing The Step 2 CS Exam

10 Steps To Passing The Step 2 CS Exam

10 easy steps from Dr. Sermarini that you should keep in mind before doing your Step 2 CS exam

The Step 2 CS Exam is coming up and you don’t know where to begin. What pressure! You are stressed because you know you need to pass it to become a certified medical doctor. You have been studying yet you feel totally unprepared. Usually considered a stressful ordeal, most medical students burnout from the excessive reading and tension that they put themselves through before doing the exam. If you are a student who is feeling anxious and looking to calm your nerves down, then here are 10 great steps you should follow to help you easily make the exam a walkover.

1. Preparing a solid format to approach each standardized patient
This will help you to go about the patient in a more organized and simplistic fashion. You should create a structural approach that clearly lays out the questions you would like to ask the patient. For instance, you can create an abbreviation such as NADP that can stand for a query process; Name, Age, Date of birth and Place of Residence. Don’t side track, but carry on with a steady pace. Also, having a format eases your thought process; and gives you that little breathing space you need to recollect yourself when you get a little mishap here or there. Besides, you’re only human and bound to make mistakes. It’s how you recover from them that matters.

2. Practice with an expert who is knowledgeable about the Step 2 CS exam, not just a colleague
Happen to have close friends or relatives who are medical experts? Well, practicing with an expert who is familiar with the exam and has completed it before is a great asset for you. That way you will have a better feel and understanding of the examination and most definitely a 100% chance of passing it. With a colleague however, most likely their shared opinions and experiences may have been passed around from other sources and in that case, might not be so definite. There may also be a lot of biased sentiments from your colleague’s end. Who knows, maybe he or she happened to get an examiner who was in a good mood that day and that’s why they passed.

3. Time yourself during each patient encounter you practice
Timing yourself is something you should do from the beginning to the end of your practice. This will allow you to know how good you are performing. As they say practice makes perfect, and doing this would help you be the epitome of perfection. Your timing skills are very efficient when it comes to this Step 2 CS exam. You must watch your timing intervals and your pace at interviewing a patient. So be sure to practice efficiently.

4. Type patient notes after each case in a timed setting
After each case you’ve dealt with proceed to type your findings. It’s not something to be rushed but to be done in an organized manner. Remember to state the medical history, the physical examination findings that you obtain, your most likely diagnoses, as well as both your negative and positive findings.

5. Learn about the CS exam from passed test takers who passed the exam
Though conversing with a medical expert is the best case scenario to understand the exam, communicating with passed test takers who excelled can also assist you in getting a few pointers here and there. They can also share their own personal mental preparation techniques that assisted them to get an edge over the test.

6. Thoroughly utilize First Aid for the USMLE Step 2 CS book and USMLE world study sources
You should revise the First Aid for the USMLE Step 2 CS book to be a bit more familiar with the exam. This book includes full-length practice cases that simulate the real exam. It has everything you need to review right down to every bit of detail. It will be one of the greatest assets right now for studying, as previous test takers have acknowledged it for their perseverance. The revision of USMLE world study courses will be extremely useful during this period of time.

7. Mental preparation, positive thinking and visualization techniques
To prepare for the exam you must have a positive mindset. Leave all negativity behind and focus on doing your greatest. Study in a way your brain can function and remember everything well. Studying is not something you would label as fun, but it’s very important so at least try to be
creative and make your books a bit more appealing and interesting for you to be eager to do more. Create your own study schedule, and that way you will be able to handle things well. You should also use visualization techniques such as viewing pictures or watching videos to further enhance your studying experience

8. Barbara Bates videos
There is a site by the name of ‘Bates’ Visual Guide’, which will also help very well to inspire you during your medical studies. It features head-to-toe and systems physical exam videos completely reshot with an emphasis on clinical efficiency and patient care. You will appreciate the careful attention to clinical accuracy, as well as the range of patient types profiled in the series. It’ll be of great use to watch as visionary capture more attention than anything else.

9. Practice, practice, practice
Practice, practice, practice and you WILL achieve your goals. Nothing is ever too hard to achieve. All you have to do is put in the necessary time and effort, focus and determination to beat the Step 2 CS exam itself.

10. Good night’s sleep before your exam
Don’t go cramming the night before the exam! Studying the night before can cause a lack of focus and you could blank out in the exam, meaning you will forget half of what you studied the next morning! This can be really frustrating and depressing don’t you think? After all the effort that had been put in to passing the exam, all of it goes down the drain in just a couple of minutes. I personally believe that ‘burning the midnight oil is overrated. Have lots of rest, at least two
night’s good sleep before the examination date. That will surely have you refreshed and vibrant for the day.

These steps/ guidelines above will surely help you to pass the Step 2 Cs exam if you follow them zealously. Remember also to give yourself a little extracurricular activity to help you feel fresh as you study. In that case, I wish you all the best in the exam and remember, your pass or your fail is a choice you put on yourself. Therefore, manage your time wisely and don’t study hard but study smart.