Step 3 passed.. -

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fmg

hi, Rob A
what else did u do for MCQ, like mksap, blue prints....etc...

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ak

hi Rob A.You mentioned that your program 'made good on their word' and sponsored you for an H1b.Did they promise you this b/c you said you were going to write step3?Or did they say this at the time of the interview?Also was this a prematch offer or did you get through with this program with the match? I hope you don't mind me asking.
thanks a lot for your help!

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george

Rob, Thank you for your response. Rob I have aquestion for you, in ccs cases what are we suppose to do in the 5 minutes time, that is it indicates that now you have 5 minutes time.How to utilise that 5 minutes time. Plaese advise me.
George

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Chante'des - natjdoc32

Dear Rob, I am in a desperate situation here. I have finished my residency completely and have taken the step 3 approximately 4 times and have not been able to pass. My scores have ranged from 167 (lowest) to 180 (highest). I am living at home with my family and I am a single parent mother. I have taken 2 kaplan courses so far and after taking them I tend to score worse(167 and 169). My best scores have been after sitting down and studying on my own with Swanson's Family Practice and Blue Prints-Internal Medicine(175 and 180). I think the problem is with the CSS also I only sleep 4 to 5 hrs. the night before. I have lost several job offers because I can't get a license. Should I sit down and try this test one more time and study both the Kaplan material as well as Swansons and Blueprints together or should I focus on questions (Maybe I am not doing enough questions)? I need help with the CSS and I need advice in general. I am desperate. Please help me. Congratulations to you! I know you are very happy. Please write back as soon as you are able. Take care.

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Des

Dear Rob, I am in desperate need of your help. I have taken this exam 4 times now and can't pass it. I have scored between 167 and 180 (before they increased the score). I have taken 2 Kaplan review courses and have studied independently on my own using Swanson's Family Practice and BluePrints Internal Medicine. After using Kaplan courses, I tended to do worse and my scores were 167 and 169. When I studied on my own using the 2 sources that I stated above, I scored better 175 and 180. I think that my problem is the CSS and I need some advice on how to perform better on this part of the test. Also, I have not been getting enough sleep the night before only 4 to 5 hrs because I am still cramming. I don't know if the problem is that I am not doing enough questions. I have already finished my residency training and I need to know what do I do at this time for the 5th attempt which will guarantee me success. I have lost hope in review courses and I am wondering if I should sit down and take 3 months and redo Swanson's (which I only did partially the last time) and Blueprints as well as the Kaplan stuff. Please help since I am desperate. Thanks for the other pointers and suggestions that you gave listed above and CONGRATULATIONS! Please respond back as soon as you can.

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Vic

Thanks for all the great advice regarding Step 3. I am planning to take this exam again for the 2nd time... and having been humiliated with failing the first time... I am quite hopeful that after more studying, I will pass.
Congratulations !! on passing the exam.. I am sure you are relieved.
Vic

[ArchivalUser]

Rob A

Hello All,
Dear ak,
In regards to my program, I got in through the normal match.
They said they'd offer the H1 at the interview but they tried not to elaborate much. Once I matched they tried to get out of it so I pressed them a little. After almost a month and several internal meetings, they decided to honor their word.
My advice to you is, if you are going for interviews, make them commit explicitly to the H1. Don't settle for half-baked promises because they can say no or make up some excuse.

Dear George,
With 5 mins left on CCS.. if your patient is "getting better"
just order up less urgent things, counsel & discharge them if well, or step them down if indicated (eg. ICU to normal ward).
If you discharge them, you can make follow up appointments
and prescribe meds if needed.
If the patient is "not improving", it means you've either misdiagnosed them or treated them wrong. Think about the presenting complaint and alternative diagnoses. There is little time left so quickly instigate alternative treatments or tests (this can still get you some points I feel, because better late than never). You can even try referring to a specialist in certain cases (see my CCS experience submission).
And finally, they will ask you to enter your diagnosis, where you will type something like.. "left ventricular failure secondary to myocardial infarction", for example.

[ArchivalUser]

ak

thanks Rob A.I'm looking for an H1 myself but I'm not sure if I will be able to write Step3 in time for the match.I guess in the interviews I will make it abundantly clear that I do intend to write it, and hope that helps sway them.

[ArchivalUser]

Rob A

Dear fmg,

No, in truth, I did little else, just the stuff I posted.
It certainly helps to have clinical experience, ideally family or office practice (which I didn't!) so focus on that.

Dear Chante'des,

I'm sorry Step 3 has been such a hassle for you. Are you an IM resident? Without seeing exactly how you approach the test, I'd say if your current approach to the exam has not given you a pass, you MUST change it drastically.
I think quantity of time spent has very little to do with performance.
You must study and regularly measure the result. I know of so many people who study for weeks and months and take mock exams periodically, and their scores go up by only 3 or 4%! After over a month! This is clearly not a good use of time
unless you are scoring highly and want to get even more competitive.
On these forums, you hear one person recommending Kaplan, another Crush, and another Swanson's. In truth, who knows which one's better. You've got to decide which book YOU ENJOY learning from the best, and which practice tests YOU ENJOY doing the most. Studying can be a lonely and painful experience.. any tactic to make it more fun and high-yield is surely worthwhile.
The last week before my exam, I studied in various public coffee shops! I quite like a bit of background noise.. but that's just me. I went from one Starbucks to another. This broke the tedium.
Also, some programs, eg. Kaplan, can give you feedback as to your weaker areas. Find out!
And even more importantly, if you can, arrange to spend a couple of weeks in a family physician's office, shadowing him/her or seeing your own patients. On the job learning cannot be beaten! And it might just stick in your memory like glue.
Some family physicians have special interest in pediatrics or ObGyn. Again, a goldmine of Step 3 style information.
It would also help to spend a weekend in ER, seeing all the different cases come in, and learning their management.
I spent almost a year in ER so acute management of sick patients was reasonably okay for me on the exam.

I know of twp other single parents who have passed Step 3, and with the right approach I am quite certain you can get there too.

[ArchivalUser]

george

Rob, Thank you for your prompt reply.You have one year of ER experience right, the ER session of MCQ's, Is there any right approach in anwering them. Secondly the inpatient MCQ's too.Is there any different approach I should adopt in answering thses questions.Please advise me.
george