The transition from undergraduate to medical school can be a difficult one! You may be accustomed to having lots of time on your hands to study, exercise, hang out with...
Featured Blogs
Step 2 Studying: The Week Before Test Day Advice ...
The NRMP Program directors survey “at a glance” tool is...
Having scored above the 90th percentile on Step 2, students...
Resources
With Step 1 transitioning to a pass/fail format, the importance of the Step 2 CK exam in medical school has become even more pronounced. It now stands as the primary...
As you prepare for the high-stakes USMLE Step 2 exam, practice exams are a crucial tool to gauge your progress and identify areas for improvement. While many students rely on...
This blog was originally published on March 21, 2023, and was updated in August 2024 for new information. There are innumerable resources available for Step 1 preparation. No one study...
Latest Blogs
This blog was originally posted on November 22, 2022, and updated by Dr. Ria Patel in November 2024. The USMLE Step 2 CK is a challenging exam that tests...
Attending a Caribbean medical school is both rewarding and challenging. Oftentimes, the dream of becoming a physician drives many students to turn to these institutions as an alternative pathway to...
The 2025 MCAT test dates have been announced and we are here to let you know when you should take the MCAT and start studying for it, when scores will...
USMLE STEP 1
Navigating the USMLE is not an easy task in and of itself. Add on to that a need for testing accommodations, and it may well feel impossible. While the process can certainly be difficult, it’s not impossible. This blog offers a few simple steps to help you navigate the process...
Historically, DO students were recommended to take both the COMLEX and USMLE Step exams (specifically Step 1 and Step 2 CK) in order to be competitive for residency applications. However, now that both COMLEX Level 1 and Step 1 have become pass/fail, DO students wonder if they should still take...
This blog was originally published on March 21, 2023, and was updated in August 2024 for new information. There are innumerable resources available for Step 1 preparation. No one study approach will work for everyone or guarantee success. Whatever plan or resources you decide to use, everyone will need to...
USMLE STEP 2CK
This blog was originally posted on November 22, 2022, and updated by Dr. Ria Patel in November 2024. The USMLE Step 2 CK is a challenging exam that tests a wide range of clinical knowledge and skills across multiple subjects. Understanding the Step 2 CK breakdown by subject is...
The Step 2 CK exam score is one of the top factors residency programs use when selecting candidates to interview. Most students in the United States take the USMLE Step 2 CK after their third-year clinical rotations—typically between May and July—to align with residency application timelines. This schedule ensures you...
Scoring high on these exams will open doors for applicants. Scoring high on an exam means understanding what’s being tested and how you’ll be scored.
COMLEX LEVEL 1
This is a common question that my osteopathic medical students ask me. The answer is not so straightforward because they are different exams. As a DO student, an important decision that you have to make is whether or not you should take the USMLE exams in addition to the required...
Historically, DO students were recommended to take both the COMLEX and USMLE Step exams (specifically Step 1 and Step 2 CK) in order to be competitive for residency applications. However, now that both COMLEX Level 1 and Step 1 have become pass/fail, DO students wonder if they should still take...
Preparing for the morning of your first board exam is different for everyone. Some people wear their lucky socks, others come with nothing but their ID, and some will fill their bag with snacks. When it comes down to it, there are only a few “must haves” on test day,...
RESIDENCY ADVISING
The Step 2 CK exam score is one of the top factors residency programs use when selecting candidates to interview. Most students in the United States take the USMLE Step 2 CK after their third-year clinical rotations—typically between May and July—to align with residency application timelines. This schedule ensures you...
With the change of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 transitioning to an entirely pass-fail examination, more emphasis has been placed on the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (Step 2 CK) score in the residency selection process. While your Step 2 score is not the only factor that programs...
The NRMP Program directors survey “at a glance” tool is extremely helpful in gauging where your application packet stands compared to the applicant pool. Here are the major components to consider when applying into Anesthesia.
RESOURCE REVIEWS
As you prepare for the high-stakes USMLE Step 2 exam, practice exams are a crucial tool to gauge your progress and identify areas for improvement. While many students rely on NBME and UWorld self-assessments, the Amboss Step 2 self-assessment is another option worth considering. In this post, we'll cover the...
This blog was originally published on March 21, 2023, and was updated in August 2024 for new information. There are innumerable resources available for Step 1 preparation. No one study approach will work for everyone or guarantee success. Whatever plan or resources you decide to use, everyone will need to...
When it comes to acing USMLE Step 1, practice exams are essential. You've likely heard of NBME and UWorld self-assessments, but have you considered Amboss Step 1 Self-Assessment? In this post, we'll put it to the test: how does it stack up against the competition, and is it worth your...
HOW TO
The ABIM tests your knowledge on common and rare diagnoses expected from a board-certified internist according to American Board of Internal Medicine standards. To set yourself up for success, it is important to start early and practice often.
Having scored in the 270-280 range on Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3 of the USMLE, I am often asked by students questions like “What’s your secret?”, “How can I plan my study schedule to…
Just like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, at times medical students can feel like they are living the same day over and over again (especially now in the midst of coronavirus test cancellations). Between learning new content, spending long hours studying, and anxiously taking exams, many students feel stuck in a perpetual cycle of anxiety
ABIM
The ABIM tests your knowledge on common and rare diagnoses expected from a board-certified internist according to American Board of Internal Medicine standards. To set yourself up for success, it is important to start early and practice often.
Each year, as thousands of physicians begin studying for the internal medicine boards, an age-old question comes up: Which question bank (Qbank) should they choose? Today we are going to be reviewing the UWorld ABIM question bank to evaluate its quality as a study resource.
The ABIM tests your knowledge on common and rare diagnoses expected from a board-certified internist according to American Board of Internal Medicine standards. To set yourself up for success, it is important to start early and practice often.