04-22-2011, 02:55 AM
Dear all,
I thought I should share my rather long and frustrating usmle experience, as I got a lot of support from this forum for several yrs and I have seen real downs in this journey. I hope some people atleast get some relief and strength to fight back in this battle from my story. I used to be a very active member on this form during 2005-2006 and latter became a silent member.
I am a very old grad, (2002) and an IMG. I am from a reasonably good medical school from my country. I took step 1 in 2003 and step 2 in 2004. first attempt for step3 i gave in jan 2005. I failed it and I again failed it in my second attempt which I took immediately. The only good or bad part of my life was i joined PhD in neuroscience, which my performance didnot match as I was taking and retaking steps and so I had to leave the PhD program too. After my second failure in step 3, I changed my PhD major to biology and restarted my life in PhD. I was so frustrated and gave up on medicine, as I thought I was not fit for it. After my graduation from PhD in 2009 I was able to get post-doc in a IV league univ. i wanted to retake step 3, I took it again in 2010 and failed. By now I have seen that there is a lot of change in the medicine when I studied medicine in 2002 and at 2010. Finally I again retook in 2011 and passed it. More importantly after 2005 residency matching I never tried for residency and didnot go through matching. Even now I wanted to just get rid of step 3, as that monkey of failure was haunting me more than my wish to join residency.
Regarding the material I studied almost all the available material you can name in 2005-2006, Kaplan, PR, swanson, Uworld. But I always failed with scores between 72-74. Now I passed with reasonable low 80s. This time the change was not in the material but mainly the study strategy. Previously I used to read with a timetable like complete CVS in one day, neuro 1 day, 100MCQs/day. I could achieve keep up with my time table. More importantly due to my PhD course work, my time per day is pretty limited. This time I read only kaplan step2 CK material, and that too only IM and gyneco. But read each and every word in an analytical approach. Constantly quized myself in an honest way more than quizing on a feel good way. May be I am not explaining it well, but I think people in my boat can understand what Iam trying to say. This single change in my strategy if at all anything helped me. Its not MCQs or CCs which one is important, both are important. especially for people like me who have left clinics 9yrs back. for my attempt in 2010 I mainly concentrated completely on CCS Uworld all 88 or 90 cases. But still I failed.
Finally just to wanted to everyone there who are struggling with step 3, it is definitely an achievable exam. Which material you read has little significance. But try to read each and every word and more importantly analyze each and every word. That helps in the final exam. Unless you are extremely comfortable with one format (Especially old grads) concentrate on both MCQs and CCS, spend the study time accordingly (75% and 25% of study time). Now I still have some visa issue to handle before i apply for my residency.
But again I thank the forum, I dont think I am the correct person to answer your Qs, but if any one of you have any I will glad too. But my important message dont give up. Living life as a given-up loser I lived it and its just unbearable dont do it, work hard and get it over with.
Good luck to everyone.
I thought I should share my rather long and frustrating usmle experience, as I got a lot of support from this forum for several yrs and I have seen real downs in this journey. I hope some people atleast get some relief and strength to fight back in this battle from my story. I used to be a very active member on this form during 2005-2006 and latter became a silent member.
I am a very old grad, (2002) and an IMG. I am from a reasonably good medical school from my country. I took step 1 in 2003 and step 2 in 2004. first attempt for step3 i gave in jan 2005. I failed it and I again failed it in my second attempt which I took immediately. The only good or bad part of my life was i joined PhD in neuroscience, which my performance didnot match as I was taking and retaking steps and so I had to leave the PhD program too. After my second failure in step 3, I changed my PhD major to biology and restarted my life in PhD. I was so frustrated and gave up on medicine, as I thought I was not fit for it. After my graduation from PhD in 2009 I was able to get post-doc in a IV league univ. i wanted to retake step 3, I took it again in 2010 and failed. By now I have seen that there is a lot of change in the medicine when I studied medicine in 2002 and at 2010. Finally I again retook in 2011 and passed it. More importantly after 2005 residency matching I never tried for residency and didnot go through matching. Even now I wanted to just get rid of step 3, as that monkey of failure was haunting me more than my wish to join residency.
Regarding the material I studied almost all the available material you can name in 2005-2006, Kaplan, PR, swanson, Uworld. But I always failed with scores between 72-74. Now I passed with reasonable low 80s. This time the change was not in the material but mainly the study strategy. Previously I used to read with a timetable like complete CVS in one day, neuro 1 day, 100MCQs/day. I could achieve keep up with my time table. More importantly due to my PhD course work, my time per day is pretty limited. This time I read only kaplan step2 CK material, and that too only IM and gyneco. But read each and every word in an analytical approach. Constantly quized myself in an honest way more than quizing on a feel good way. May be I am not explaining it well, but I think people in my boat can understand what Iam trying to say. This single change in my strategy if at all anything helped me. Its not MCQs or CCs which one is important, both are important. especially for people like me who have left clinics 9yrs back. for my attempt in 2010 I mainly concentrated completely on CCS Uworld all 88 or 90 cases. But still I failed.
Finally just to wanted to everyone there who are struggling with step 3, it is definitely an achievable exam. Which material you read has little significance. But try to read each and every word and more importantly analyze each and every word. That helps in the final exam. Unless you are extremely comfortable with one format (Especially old grads) concentrate on both MCQs and CCS, spend the study time accordingly (75% and 25% of study time). Now I still have some visa issue to handle before i apply for my residency.
But again I thank the forum, I dont think I am the correct person to answer your Qs, but if any one of you have any I will glad too. But my important message dont give up. Living life as a given-up loser I lived it and its just unbearable dont do it, work hard and get it over with.
Good luck to everyone.