The Importance of USMLE Step 2 Tutoring: How It Can Boost Your Score

How Important is Step 2 CK Now and Why Should I Consider a Tutor?

The USMLE Step 2 CK exam is a critical milestone in a medical student’s journey, with a high score crucial for securing a competitive residency position. Recent changes to the USMLE exams have elevated the significance of Step 2 CK. With Step 1 now graded as pass/fail and Step 2 CS discontinued, the pressure is on to perform well on Step 2 CK. Many medical students are left wondering: how will this shift impact our residency applications? The answer is clear: Step 2 CK is now more important than ever. It’s the only quantitative and objective measure of a student’s knowledge, making it a key factor in the evaluation process.

The goal is simple: maximize your Step 2 CK score to stand out to program directors and secure the interviews you want. In this article, we’ll explore how to improve your scores and how effective Step 2 tutoring can help you achieve your goals. But a tutor is more than just a teacher – they’re a valuable resource for every aspect of your preparation journey. They can provide personalized guidance, strategic support, and expert knowledge to help you overcome obstacles and reach your full potential.

What is an Impressive Step 2 CK Score?

A passing score for Step 2 CK is 214 out of 300. However, what constitutes an “impressive” score varies greatly depending on the specialty, location, and type of program you’re applying to. To give you a better idea, here’s a breakdown of average scores by specialty, based on the 2022 NRMP Charting Outcomes document:

Keep in mind that a strong Step 2 CK score is just one aspect of a competitive application. While it can be used as a screening tool, programs consider a range of factors when evaluating applicants. Understanding the average score of matched seniors in your desired specialty can help you set a realistic target and stay competitive.

How Can You Improve Your Step 2 CK Score?

Improving your Step 2 CK score can be straightforward if you implement the right resources and Step 2 study plan. There are multiple ways to improve your score, so let’s break it down by some of the individual aspects of a proposed study plan. 

1. Practice Questions

You should be asking yourself: how many practice questions am I getting done per day? Am I reviewing them correctly? Are my practice question block scores improving? Am I using the right question bank resource? We recommend that while preparing for USMLE exams, UWorld be used as a preferred question bank resource. Other question banks do not model the structure of NBME and USMLE questions and are not a great use of your time while studying. 

2. Content Review 

With so many resources and content modalities available for Step 2 CK review, it can be overwhelming to choose the right ones for you. This often leads to “resource overload”, where students consult too many books and video resources, leaving them with a mountain of notes to review. The key to success lies in finding an efficient review approach tailored to your individual study habits.

3. Flashcards

Knowing some quick facts can help you answer questions easily on the Step 2 CK exam; the best way of efficiently memorizing all of these facts is by utilizing a flashbank resource that employs spaced repetition. The best one and the one that we recommend is Anki! Setting up Anki in the correct way can be a bit daunting, and making cards can be a bit complicated. Having guidance on how to do these things most efficiently can easily boost your scores! 

4. Creating a Study Plan 

So now you’ve gathered your resources, finalized a Question bank to use, and downloaded your Anki decks; how do you put it all together? Having a structured study plan that you can stick to can be the difference between a low and high score on any USMLE exam. 

How Can Step 2 Tutoring Help You Improve Your Scores?

Let’s discuss each individual aspect outlined above to see how Step 2 tutoring can help you boost your scores. Don’t forget that these are not the only aspects of a study strategy that you will need to score highly! We believe that these are some of the most important ones, and some of the most tangible ones that a tutor can help you with in order to increase your scores.

1. Practice Questions

Your tutor will be able to tell you exactly how many questions to do every day and which modes to do the blocks in (tutored, untutored, mixed, timed, untimed, targeted blocks, etc.). Additionally, they will help you actually review the blocks efficiently and teach you strategies for how exactly to review the blocks in order to retain the most information. In this way, you will cut down your review time for UWorld as well as make the most out of your time reviewing and doing the questions. Your tutor may also periodically check your progress on UWorld and use your performance metrics to tailor your tutoring sessions to target your weaker spots. 

2. Content Review

Our tutors at Elite Medical Prep have extensive knowledge and experience with various resources and study materials. Every content review resource is tailored to suit a different type of medical student and our tutors are well aware of this! For example, if you are a completely visual learner, our tutors might suggest you use Sketchy Medical. However, if you are a completely didactic learner, our tutors might suggest you use Board and Beyond.

Our tutors assess each individual student based on many factors with one of them being learning style; they tailor their study plan resources and tutoring sessions to the individual student’s needs. Tutors can also provide suggestions on which particular videos or topics to cover in a given time frame based on what the student’s weaknesses are. In this way, students are able to cover material in an efficient way that works for their learning style, inevitably boosting scores! 

3. Flashcards

Even seasoned Anki users need guidance sometimes. Creating flashcards in an efficient way can sometimes be difficult and having someone as a resource to show you how exactly to word the cards and also what settings to use when reviewing cards can be an instant score-booster! Getting advice from a seasoned Anki user will allow you to unlock many “hidden” Anki features and elevate your Anki usage. Your tutor will also be able to show you which add-ons are important, how to implement them into your Anki routine, and even how many new and review cards to do daily. This is a sure-fire way to increase your rote memorization skills and increase your score by several points. 

4. Creating a Study Plan

This may be the most important aspect of boosting your Step 2 score. As a new taker of the USMLE exam, you may not exactly know the best structure or format for a study plan or which topics to go over to best suit your studying needs. A tutor can devise a personalized study plan for you that includes an hourly breakdown of what you should be doing every day. The plan would ideally also incorporate days to take practice NBMEs and subsequently review them. This is a great way to hold yourself accountable for sticking to a study plan that has been proven to work. Your tutor can also change the plan dynamically, depending on if you need additional days for certain subjects or review material. The plan would consist of practice questions, content review, flashcards, NBMEs, review days, and more! 

Not sure if you need a tutor or are just in need of a study plan? Take a look at our Step 2 CK study planner templates here. 

How Do I Know When I Need a Step 2 Tutor?

The average dedicated period for a medical student preparing for Step 2 CK is 4-6 weeks and it is expected that students spend 8-10 hours daily preparing for the exam during this period. We recommend that students take an NBME assessment at the start of their dedicated period to pinpoint weak areas and establish a baseline score. If your score has stagnated during the course of your dedicated period and is not improving after several weeks of studying, it may be time to think about getting a tutor.

Another reason to get a tutor is if you do not know where to start with studying or if you do not know what resources to use. Additionally, if your didactic knowledge is weak, as evidenced by UWorld performance, your school exam performance, or NBME score breakdowns, it may be time to invest in a tutor to help bridge those knowledge gaps. Finally, if you feel that you would benefit from having additional support through your dedicated period, whether it be wanting someone to hold you accountable to a study plan, provide you with strategies to mitigate test-anxiety, or lend a helping hand with whatever issues may arise during the process, a tutor would be a great resource for you to have. 

Feel free to contact us for more information regarding tutoring packages and benefits. We look forward to helping you on this journey towards your medical degree!