Muhammad Ahmad Ahmad
Kasralainy grad, 2008
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USMLE Step 2 CK Specifications
Preparation
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Step 1 or Step 2 CK
Resources for study
Timeline
Self assessment and score prediction
Scheduling
Tips for the test day
Normal Conditions and Disease Categories
 Normal growth and development and general principles of care
 Individual organ systems or types of disorders:
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immunologic disorders
diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs
mental disorders
diseases of the nervous system and special senses
cardiovascular disorders
diseases of the respiratory system
nutritional and digestive disorders
gynecologic disorders
renal, urinary, and male reproductive systems
disorders of pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium
disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue
diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue
endocrine and metabolic disorders
Physician Task
- 15%-20% Promoting preventive medicine and
health maintenance
- 20%-35% Understanding mechanisms of
disease
- 25%-40% Establishing a diagnosis
- 15%-25% Applying principles of management
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Step 1 or Step 2 CK
Resources for Study
Timeline
Self assessment tools and score prediction
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Step 1 or Step 2
◦ Advantages of starting with Step 1
 Better study and understanding of the mechanisms of
disease
 Basic science is also addressed in Step 2 CK
◦ Disadvantages of starting with Step 1
 Low Score may be disappointing!
 You may not give it enough time
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Resources I used for Step 2 CK
◦ Integrated
 First Aid for the USMLE Step 2 CK
◦ Internal Medicine
 First Aid for the Medicine Clerkship
 Kumar & Clark's Clinical Medicine
 Kaplan DVDs
◦ Psychiatry
 First Aid for the Psychiatry Clerkship
 Kaplan DVDs
◦ Obstetrics and Gynaecology
 First Aid for the Obstetrics & Gynecology Clerkship (just read it once)
 Kaplan DVDs
◦ Paediatrics
◦ Preventive Medicine
 Kaplan DVDs
◦ Surgery
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Other good resources for Step 2 CK
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Crush Step 2
Boards and Wards
Master the Boards
Kaplan Lecture Notes
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Spent exactly Twelve Weeks of full-time
studying.
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IM (6 Weeks)
Ob/Gyn (3 Weeks)
Pediatrics and Preventive medicine (1 Week)
Psychiatry (1 Week)
Surgery and Emergency Medicine ( 1 Week)
Finished USMLEWorld Qbank in 25 days
Didn’t complete Kaplan Qbank
Did UWSA and NBME F4
Time is not the critical factor here; the most
important is getting well prepared to hit your
target
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USMLEWorld Qbank
USMLEWorld Self Assessment Test
NBME forms
Kaplan Qbank
Score Prediction
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Always Register and Schedule your test as
early as possible
Changes in Scheduling policy
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Have a good night sleep; you are having a 9hour testing session
Have a light meal
NEVER skip the tutorial except after you’ve
made sure that your headphones are working
properly
Use your earplugs
Plan on using your break time properly