The more familiar you are with the material and the better you perform on your shelf exams, the better off you’ll be for Step 2CK. During this time, it’s important you not only shine on your evaluations, but also crush your shelf scores. This is where my own study strategy is a bit unorthodox. However, it would behoove you to take an easy rotation, such as a research block, leading up to your test, allowing you to create your own semi-dedicated period.

I say dedicated in quotations since it’s not truly a dedicated period like you have for Step 1. First, your third year clerkships, which are creating your foundation of knowledge, and second, your “dedicated” period. There are two time periods we need to cover. While its not impossible to score well by taking Step 2CK later during your fourth year, I personally do not advise that route. Most of the material was covered in your clerkships and having this material fresh in your mind will serve you well. If getting a high Step 2CK score is a priority for you, I recommend you take the exam at the end of your third year. I ultimately went into plastic surgery, but that’s another story. I, for example, was strongly considering gastroenterology and therefore had internal medicine first. Depending on what specialty you’re going into, you may need to schedule internal medicine earlier in the year, and that’s totally fine. While it may be helpful to schedule your internal medicine rotation last for the sake of your Step 2CK score, it is certainly not necessary.

Remember, to achieve a top score, it’s important to be proficient with all aspects, including biostatistics! However, USMLE does tell us that 1-3% is based on general principles of foundational science, 85-95% is based on organ systems, and 1-5% is based on biostatistics, epidemiology, and interpretation of the medical literature. There is no official documentation breaking down the percentage by subject area. However, I took medicine as the first rotation in my third year but I still achieved a top score. After all, most of Step 2CK is going to be covering internal medicine. Some believe you must take medicine as your last rotation during third year to make sure you have general medicine fresh in your mind to crush the exam. Scheduling Clerkshipsįirst, I’ll dispel some common myths. I cannot guarantee a certain score for you, but by following the tips in this video, you should be in a good spot. Using the technique in this post, I scored highly competitively on Step 2CK. It requires consistency and diligence with your study routine and work ethic. I’ll start by saying that my approach is a little unorthodox, but it definitely delivered results. I’ll show you how I secured a top score, and how you can do the same. However, if you want to match into a competitive specialty or need to make up for a Step 1 score that you’re not happy with, it is essential that you crush Step 2CK. Step 1 is the arguably the most important test in a doctor’s life.

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