Download Master The Boards USMLE Step 2 CK 3rd Edition PDF Free [Direct Link]
Master the Boards: Step 2 CK is a complete book for your preparation for USMLE Step 2 CK. You do not need to use other books. As an educator, I get asked a lot of questions on the best way to prep. Here’s the question I hear most: “Is this enough?” The answer to that question is a definite “yes!” Additional materials will still help you to reinforce what you have learned, but this is a smart first step to Step 2 CK success. Another question I get is about how to maximize medical knowledge. The best preparation for Step 2 CK is to learn more medicine.
Frequently, medical students wonder when they should take Step 2 CK. Well, the answer to this question depends on your background and level of knowledge. There is no requirement to have to take Step 1 before you take Step 2 CK, although for U.S. graduates, this is almost certainly what happens. Remember, U.S. graduates do not have to take Step 2 CK in order to participate in the annual residency match. International graduates must take Step 2 CK to be ECFMG certified. ECFMG certification is required for international graduates in order to be in the match.
For the vast majority of U.S. medical students, USMLE Step 1 is generally taken at the end of the second year of medical school. Some schools will, in fact, require passage of Step 1 in order to be allowed promotion into the third year of school and to participate in clinical rotations. For some international schools, particularly those in the Caribbean in which virtually the entirety of the class is headed for residency in the United States, they will follow this pattern as well.
Timing can be a factor for some U.S. graduates, too. For example, if you have a great grade on USMLE Step 1 and you are applying to a moderately competitive specialty, you may want to consider delaying your Step 2 CK examination until after you have applied and interviewed for residency. For instance, if you have a 250 or 260 on Step 1 and you get a 240 on Step 2 CK, it makes you look bad. If you are applying in Internal Medicine, or Psychiatry or Pediatrics, I do not think this helped you. If, however, you got a 220 on Step 1 then the same grade of 240 makes you look better. However, if you are applying to Ophthalmology, Dermatology, Orthopedics or a very competitive specialty, you will need to establish high grades on both Step 1 and Step 2 CK to gain credibility. The bottom line is, if you are a U.S. student with a high score on Step 1 and do not absolutely need a great grade on Step 2 CK to get in, then why chance it? Wait until February or March or April of your fourth year when you are past the application process.
