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SOAPing Into a Competitive Residency Program

9 min

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Two medical residents reviewing a document on a clipboard.

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The last thing on most students’ minds going through the SOAP is, “how do I match into a competitive program?” The truth is, most SOAPing medical students just hope they Match into a residency program at all. But, the best applicants make the most of this tough situation. Sometimes, these...

2025 Guide to Interpreting NBME Practice Exams for Step 1 and Step 2

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

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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...

USMLE Step 2 CK Percentiles: How to Interpret and Score in the Top Ranges

18 min

24329 Views

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

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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...

USMLE Step 1 2025 Exam Dates and Costs

10 min

30969 Views

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

30969 Views

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...

Best Study Books for the Step 2 CK 2025

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

14286 Views

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!

Guide to Using UWorld For Step 2 CK

18 min

20522 Views

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

20522 Views

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.,...

The Complete Step 2 CK Breakdown by Subject and How to Plan For Each Subject

17 min

19381 Views

A medical school student studying for the USMLE Step 2 CK in front of a laptop at home.

19381 Views

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...

2025 MCAT Test Dates

3 min

2457 Views

A premed student taking the MCAT in a prometric testing center.

2457 Views

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 be released, and give you plenty of MCAT study tips! See our ultimate 3-month MCAT study schedule or our 1-month MCAT...

When to Take Step 2 CK for the 2026 Residency Match

9 min

10824 Views

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

10824 Views

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...

How Much Time Should You Actually Spend Studying For Step 3?

A doctor holding a small graduation cap after having completed the USMLE Step 3.

11397 Views

When entering medical school, the thought of impending USMLE exams looms over the preclinical and clinical years. Once Step 1 and Step 2 are traversed, residency is on the horizon and the idea of further examination preparation can be unsavory. However, Step 3 is not an exam to be taken...

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