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If you are about to start your dedicated study period for the USMLE Step 2CK, you may be asking yourself, “what are the best study books I should use to prepare for this test?” Well, look no further! Here at EMP, we provide a comprehensive review of the best study books for Step 2CK!

This blog was originally posted on January 17, 2023, and updated in December 2024.   Growing up, my studying always seemed to follow a natural sequence: learn new content, review...

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...

Latest Blogs

Almost all students preparing for the USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 will take at least one (hopefully more!) practice test leading up to test day. While various practice tests...

Having scored above the 90th percentile on Step 2, students often ask “How do I get a 90th percentile score on Step 2?”, “How long should I study for Step...

The USMLE Step exams are no joke. There are plenty of students who have struggled to pass their exam on the first, second, or even third try. If you find...

USMLE STEP 1

A medical school student taking an NBME practice test for USMLE prep in a living room in front of a desktop computer.

Almost all students preparing for the USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 will take at least one (hopefully more!) practice test leading up to test day. While various practice tests are available to assess your performance, many students will turn directly to the NBME practice tests to estimate their chances...

Medical student focused on studying for a USMLE Step 1 retake at a library desk with a laptop covered in sticky notes.

The USMLE Step exams are no joke. There are plenty of students who have struggled to pass their exam on the first, second, or even third try. If you find yourself in a position where you are asking, “How many times can I take USMLE Step 1?”, know that you...

Medical school students taking the USMLE Step 1 in a computer room in a Prometric testing center.

The USMLE Step 1 exam is an important early step in the career of any aspiring US-licensed doctor. In this blog post we will review some frequently asked questions about the exam. This includes USMLE Step 1 2025 exam dates and costs, the scope and length of the exam and...

USMLE STEP 2CK

A medical school student taking an NBME practice test for USMLE prep in a living room in front of a desktop computer.

Almost all students preparing for the USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 will take at least one (hopefully more!) practice test leading up to test day. While various practice tests are available to assess your performance, many students will turn directly to the NBME practice tests to estimate their chances...

A medical student studies intently in a library, reviewing notes and resources, symbolizing the dedication and focused preparation needed to achieve a high score on the USMLE Step 2 CK.

Having scored above the 90th percentile on Step 2, students often ask “How do I get a 90th percentile score on Step 2?”, “How long should I study for Step 2 CK?”, and “What’s the best study plan for Step 2 CK?”   Mastering this exam is a combination of...

Two medical school students on their clinical rotations studying for Step 2 CK in front of a laptop, wearing scrubs.

The USMLE Step 2 CK percentiles provide a benchmark to evaluate your performance compared to other test-takers. With Step 1 now pass/fail, Step 2 CK scores play an increasingly important role in residency applications, making a high percentile score critical for competitive specialties. This guide breaks down the latest percentile...

COMLEX LEVEL 1

A medical student studying on a laptop, preparing for COMLEX and USMLE exams.

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...

A stethoscope resting on a thick medical book, symbolizing the study and preparation required for medical exams like USMLE and COMLEX.

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...

Neatly organized desk with a water bottle, a smartphone, and a clear plastic bag of nuts, prepared for the COMLEX Level 1 exam.

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

A group of medical students studying for their Step 2 exam, sitting in front of a lap top.

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...

US-Doctor-Specialties-by-USMLE-Step-2-CK-Scores

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...

A group of Anesthesia residents and their patient.

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

A medical school student looking for Step 2 CK textbooks in the library.

If you are about to start your dedicated study period for the USMLE Step 2CK, you may be asking yourself, “what are the best study books I should use to prepare for this test?” Well, look no further! Here at EMP, we provide a comprehensive review of the best study books for Step 2CK!

A medical school student using UWorld to study for the USMLE Step 2 CK in a library in front of a laptop.

This blog was originally posted on January 17, 2023, and updated in December 2024.   Growing up, my studying always seemed to follow a natural sequence: learn new content, review that content, and then quiz yourself on that content with practice questions. The idea of beginning with the end, i.e.,...

Medical student preparing for the USMLE Step 2 exam, taking notes at a desk with a laptop and study materials, representing focused study and exam preparation.

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...

HOW TO

Someone with open book studying for ABIM Exam

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.

How-to-Score-a-280-on-USMLE-Step-2-CK

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…

a student holding knees up with hand on forehead managing Step 1 test anxiety

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

Someone with open book studying for ABIM Exam

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.

Desk with Laptop, stethoscope and notes for ABIM QBank Review

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.

A family medicine doctor and her patients.

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.